How can we improve immigration services in Portugal? 50 migrants will respond.

Migration has become one of the defining issues of our time, dominating public debate and polarizing political and media agendas alike. But what do the immigrants who actually live in this country have to say? The Assembly of Migrant Citizens is designed to listen to — and amplify — the voices of those who have chosen Portugal as the place to live, study, and build their lives. We will bring together 50 immigrants from a wide range of nationalities, ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds, inviting them to reflect and deliberate on a central question: "How can we improve immigration services in Portugal?"

The Assembly will convene on May 30th and June 6th, 13th, and 20th. A final report compiling the participants' recommendations will then be presented, with the expectation that these recommendations will be translated into concrete policy measures. Migrants interested in taking part can apply here.

Citizens' assemblies are forums for participatory democracy in which everyday people are called upon to reflect, debate, and propose measures that can — and should — be shaped into public policy. They champion participatory processes that foster more active citizenship and stronger community cohesion.

This marks the first time in Portugal that this model has been applied exclusively to and for migrants. ACM is participating as part of First Person of the Invisible, a project developed by the Pão a Pão Association with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Together with the Citizens' Forum, we have developed a participatory and inclusive model of civic deliberation for shaping immigration policy — one that places migrant communities at the center of decision-making and works to combat social exclusion.

Learn more here