TRANSWHO

TRANSWHO is a research initiative of the Centre for Migration & Diversity, investigating the nexus between migrants’ working and housing pathways at the local level. It explores how access to employment and housing is interconnected and shaped by local and global dynamics. Focusing on structural barriers like discrimination and governance, TRANSWHO adopts a translocal perspective to analyze the impact of local policies and networks. By emphasizing migrants as agents of change, the initiative aims to foster more inclusive support mechanisms and contribute to informed public debate, aligning with the EU Action Plan 2021-2027.

TRANSWHO is the framework research initiative gathering different activities of the Centre for Migration & Diversity to explore and address the nexus between migrants’ working and housing pathways. TRANSWHO focuses on how these processes unfold at local level, with a view to bridge local and global dynamics.

Scientific and anecdotal evidence point to the interconnectedness of migrants’ and refugees’ equitable participation into labour markets on the one hand, and the availability of affordable, decent and stable housing opportunities on the other. Such nexus is highlighted also in the EU Action Plan 2021-2027 and is increasingly reflected in policies and public debate at national, regional and local levels.

Fair and equitable participation in the labour market is critical for migrants' economic and social inclusion. However, structural barriers such as discrimination, skill recognition, language acquisition, and lack of diversity management limit access to employment opportunities and career progression. At the same time, local housing systems, embedded within national and global dynamics, shape migrants’ and refugees’ housing pathways. Housing is deeply intertwined with labour market access, as proximity to job opportunities, affordability, and discrimination all influence housing pathways.

Adopting a translocal perspective, TRANSWHO emphasizes the interconnectedness between local dynamics and global process and how these connections shape local processes. For instance, while shortages in local labour markets key sectors such as care services are entrenched with demographic dynamics and global trends such as tertiarization of the economy, migrants’ increasing role in addressing such shortages is conditioned by restrictive migration governance at multiple scales and widespread discrimination in the labour and housing markets.

Our research originates from the recognition of the relevance of translocal belongings in which both local communities and migrants are embedded, shaping local dynamics in labor market, housing, and social life.

Mobilizing a territorial lens and a multilevel approach in our research, our place-based approach acknowledges urban and rural specificities and the embeddedness of local governance into broader frameworks as factors shaping migrants’ pathways at the local level.

We also aim to investigate the role of local networks, policies, and initiatives that support migrants in overcoming these barriers.

Not least, TRANSWHO activities recognize migrants as agents of change, transferring remittances, skills, and knowledge between locations, contributing to and benefiting from development dynamics in multiple localities simultaneously.

TRANWHO aims are to:

• Improving the understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities associated with migrants' and refugees’ participation into local labour and housing markets.
• Fostering improved support mechanisms for migrants' and refugees’ working and housing pathways, contributing to their long-term participation into local communities.
• Supporting the formulation of policies and initiatives at both local and regional levels, contributing to more inclusive practices and strategies tailored to the needs of diverse communities across these varied contexts.
• Disseminating the results of our research and contributing to an informed public debate through publications, trainings, lectures, and conferences.