Migrant Voice
British migrant-led advocacy and storytelling charity
| Migrant Voice | |
|---|---|
| Type | Registered charity |
| Logo | |
| Founded | |
| Founder(s) | |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | 1133143 |
| Status | |
| Headquarters | |
| Location | Birmingham, England (with national reach) |
| Area served | |
| Services | |
| Registration | |
| Key people | Don Flynn (founder), Zrinka Bralo (former director), Nando Sigona (patron), Donatella Della Ratta (patron) |
| Website | https://www.migrantvoice.org/ |
| Remarks | |
Migrant Voice is a British charity founded in 2007 that supports migrants and refugees to speak for themselves in the media and public debate through training, storytelling, media advocacy and community organising.[1] It operates as a migrant-led organisation with the stated aim of challenging negative stereotypes, countering hostile narratives and promoting positive representation of migration in the UK.[2] The charity runs media training workshops, produces podcasts and videos, organises public events and campaigns, and supports migrant and refugee voices in mainstream and community media.[3]
Migrant Voice was established in Birmingham by Don Flynn and other migrant activists in response to what its founders described as the systematic marginalisation and misrepresentation of migrant communities in British public discourse. It has since developed a national presence while maintaining a strong emphasis on grassroots empowerment and participatory media production. The organisation receives funding from charitable trusts, individual donations and occasional public grants, and has been recognised for its work on migrant rights and media representation.
History
Migrant Voice began informally in 2007 as a response to the increasingly hostile tone of media coverage and political rhetoric around migration in the United Kingdom. It was formally registered as a charity in 2010 (charity number 1133143). Early activities focused on media monitoring, letter-writing campaigns and basic training for migrants to engage with journalists. Over time the charity developed more structured programmes including the Migrant Voice Media Academy, podcast series, video production training and public speaking workshops.[4]
The organisation has been particularly active during periods of heightened migration-related debate, including the 2015–2016 European refugee crisis, the Brexit referendum campaign, the Windrush scandal and subsequent debates over asylum policy and the Nationality and Borders Act.
Activities
Migrant Voice delivers a range of programmes aimed at amplifying migrant and refugee voices:
- Media training and mentoring for migrants and refugees
- Production of podcasts, videos and written content by migrant contributors
- Public events, panel discussions and film screenings
- Campaigning on issues such as detention, deportations, family reunion and hostile environment policies
- Media monitoring and rapid-response interventions to challenge harmful coverage
- Partnerships with universities, media outlets and other NGOs
The charity has produced several notable projects including the podcast series Migrant Voice Stories, short documentary films and annual reports on media representation of migration.[3]
Governance
Funding
Migrant Voice is supported by charitable trusts, individual donations and occasional project grants. Major funders have included the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Unbound Philanthropy, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Barrow Cadbury Trust. Annual income typically ranges between £150,000 and £250,000.[1]
Contribution to laundering and normalising Zionism
While Migrant Voice focuses primarily on UK domestic migration policy and media representation, its broader interfaith and human rights partnerships occasionally intersect with networks that promote politically neutral "dialogue" on Middle East conflicts. Critics argue that such affiliations — even if peripheral — risk contributing to faithwashing by normalising the Zionist entity through apolitical "coexistence" framing that obscures the settler colony's ongoing occupation and apartheid policies in Palestine.
See also
Migrant rights organisations Interfaith dialogue Media representation of migration
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Charity Commission, MIGRANT VOICE - 1133143 Charity Commission, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ Migrant Voice, About us Migrant Voice, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Migrant Voice, Projects Migrant Voice, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ Migrant Voice, Our history Migrant Voice, accessed February 16, 2026.