Select campus:UKDubai
University of Birmingham
Menu

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 received follow-on funding from the QR Participatory Research Fund to co-produce a migration myth-busting toolkit that can be used by community leaders for myth-busting briefings. The project was initiated by, and co-designed and co-delivered with the Migrant and Refugee Organising (MaRO) team within Citizens UK.

Migration Myth-Busting draws in particular on 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.

The project was divided into two key phases:

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

1) Online Community Engagement (CE) Studio, that brought together Citizens UK leaders 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) Workshops 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)

In Phase 2, Citizens UK leaders facilitated myth-busting briefings in their own communities. So far briefings have been held at Afghan Community and Welfare Centre, Ark Victoria Academy, Dream Chaser Youth Club, European’s Welfare Association, and Park Village Education Centre. Activities ranged from a coffee morning to a community litter pick. Those taking part report feeling more confident after the briefing in identifying migration myths, especially myths about their own community. They also felt more confident speaking to friends or neighbours about migration myths, informed about the topic of migration, encouraged to socialise with their neighbours, and better able to understand different cultures.

You can read more about the project and the briefing at Ark Victoria Academy on this blog by Minna Mohammed and Aisha Khan.

The short film below tells the story of the project and shows how much people got out of taking part.

Migration Myth-busting: A Community Co-Designed Approach

Want to do this in your community? Watch this space for the final downloadable toolkit coming soon!

Get in touch at: s.jones.1@bham.ac.uk.

Project team

  • Professor Sara Jones (Department of Modern Languages)
  • Dr Natalia Kogut (School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
  • Minna Mohammed (Citizens UK)
  • Saidul Haque Saeed (Citizens UK)

Further information