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Migration myth-busting

Migration Myth-Busting draws on the community engagement methodology developed in the AHRC-funded project Post-Socialist Britain, and in particular the idea of conviviality (“living with difference”).

The project team have received follow-on funding from the QR Participatory Research Fund co-produce migration myth-busting briefings. The project was initiated by and is co-designed and co-delivered with the Migrants and Refugees Organising (MaRO) team within Citizens UK.

The project is based in West-Midlands, one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the UK with a large population of first- and second-generation migrants from across the world.

Migration Myth-Busting draws on the community engagement methodology developed in the AHRC-funded project Post-Socialist Britain, and in particular the idea of conviviality (“living with difference”). We want to avoid the common pitfalls of ‘myth-busting’ - which can risk reinforcing the myths it seeks to dispel – and design an inclusive and positive approach based on sharing experiences and stories across communities.

We will build on our research with different communities of migrants and displaced people to identify myths about these groups and the myths they hold about others. We will focus on the immigration journey and ways in which different groups are required to navigate systems.

Alongside the myth-busting toolkit, which will be disseminated widely, we will produce a short film to document and promote the project’s activities and impact. We invite local and national media to get in touch and help us spread the word! (Contact: Natalia Kogut at n.kogut@bham.ac.uk).

Developing the toolkit

The project is divided into two key phases, plus evaluation and delivery of outputs:

Phase 1: Participatory study and Capacity Building (Jan-March 2025)

1) Two 2-hour online Community Engagement (CE) Studios. These will bring community leaders together to identify migration myths circulating in their communities, brainstorm ideas about how myth-busting could best function in those communities, and provide initial reflections on the delivery of the briefings.

2) Two half-day workshops (one online, one in-person) with community leaders to: a) co-design a flexible myth-busting toolkit that can be adapted for different community groups; b) develop the skills of community leaders to deliver myth-busting briefings

Phase 2: Participatory action - Community Forums (April-June 2025)

Up to 10 Community myth-busting briefings led by Citizens UK facilitators trained in Phase 1. The briefings aim to promote dialogue and collaboration in super-diverse communities

If you would like to be involved in community forums, contact Natalia Kogut at n.kogut@bham.ac.uk.

Project team

Further information