• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Onderzoekswens,
• Met bewoners,
• Verkennend

• Vluchtelingen,
• Diversiteit

European Migrant Advisory Board

Initial footsteps; January-June 2018

In the context of the European Migrant Advisory Board (EMAB)1, which is an initiative of the Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees2 and Open Society Foundations3, the Refugee Academy, part of the Institute for Societal Resilience of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, together with a master student from the department of Organization Sciences, have conducted research in the period January - May 2018. The City of Amsterdam has asked the Refugee Academy to provide a research report based on the data collected during this period. This serves as the initial input for the interim evaluation during the first year of the European Migrant Advisory Board (in June 20184). For this report the Refugee Academy investigated, evaluated and reported5 how the Board initially functioned in the multilevel governance context of Europe during this time frame. Specifically, we focused on finding out what conditions are conductive or hamper the work of the Board in the context in which it operates. We wanted to understand which elements are required for the Board members being able to use their own (migrant/refugee) experiences and those of their peers in a way that their contributions can make the necessary impact on EU policy and programs relating to migrant integration in the cities where the Board’s member operate. For this we developed the following research questions:

- Which external and internal conditions constrain and/or enable the work of the European Migrant Advisory Board during its formation period (January –May)?

- How do the Board members engage with their activities during this period through their identity, migrant experiences and social capital?

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