Refugee Leadership and Participation

The number of protracted refugee situations is increasing worldwide, while durable solutions are lacking. At the same time, refugees are insufficiently involved in the international protection system, although refugee-led initiatives are increasingly taking on important tasks in contexts where established actors are unable or unwilling to act. A lack of participation leads to legitimacy deficits, and the international migration governance loses effectiveness. Even though there has been increased recognition of the importance of refugee-led initiatives in recent years, there is still room for improvement in the participation of refugees in relevant decision-making processes. 

Sustainable solutions to address displacement can only be found if those directly affected by it are involved in problem-solving and decision-making processes. Refugee-led organizations and initiatives play an often important but neglected role. We aim at changing the role that refugees and their organizations play in the international refugee protection system: From passive recipients of aid to recognized actors in the global migration and asylum system.

We strengthen refugees and refugee-led organizations in the multi-level system of refugee protection: at the local, national, and global level.

We participate in networks of actors that work towards amplifying the impact of refugee-led initiatives in providing services for their local communities. We are committed to ensuring that refugees have a seat at the table when political decisions that affect them are made. We promote refugee leadership at the global level and support the participation of people with lived experience of displacement in shaping political processes related to the international refugee protection system.