Migration Matters e.V. is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2016 by four migrant women with backgrounds in journalism, education, migration research, and civic engagement in response to media coverage about the so-called ‘refugee crisis’. We are based in Berlin, Germany.
At the time, we noticed three concerning trends: 1) migration being increasingly problematized and presented in a “pro” vs. “con” framework, 2) a lack of academic research and evidence reaching the public, and 3) the voices of those most affected missing from the debate. Our mission became to help the public navigate and hold better conversations about complex issues related to migration and diversity.
Through media productions, dialogue events, and trainings, our team makes research, evidence, and original perspectives on migration and diversity issues accessible to the public to encourage evidence-based debate and, ultimately, to combat increasing polarization and discrimination.
We have produced over 150 videos on topics ranging from the relationship between migration and climate change to integration and diversity and migrant lives during the pandemic that feature academic experts, practitioners, the public, and those with lived experience. We also design, organize, and participate regularly in events that promote dialogue with various target audiences.
Our videos and resources are used widely across Europe and beyond in classrooms, teacher and journalist trainings, online journalism, social media campaigns, and advocacy efforts. Interested in collaborating with us? Learn more on our partners page or get in touch below.
Bernadette Klausberger
Bernadette Klausberger is a film and media producer who develops innovative projects at the intersection of art and education. Originally from Austria, she studied film production at the German Film and Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin, as well as media studies and cultural management. In collaboration with artists and scholars, she works on new ways to tell stories and effectively engage audiences. She works as a freelance producer and creative director for Migration Matters.
Sophia Burton
Sophia Burton is a co-founder and the managing director of Migration Matters whose work lies at the intersection of migration, media, and online education. She has over 12 years of experience in project management and network development and previously worked at Mediendienst Integration (Migration Media Service), Kiron Open Higher Education, and the Migration Policy Institute. Sophia is originally from Washington, DC and holds a Masters in International Education Policy from Harvard University.
Recent Blog Entries
In the context of return migration from Greece, whether considered through the legal and institutional framework or the research on the ‘Return Migration Infrastructures’, the issue of regularity versus irregularity is inescapable. Irregularity has become a central concept in dominant public discourses about migration, often defined in opposition to regularity—or, more specifically, legality. By equating irregularity with illegality, this binary logic is used to stigmatize migrants as ‘threats’ to national and EU social and political structures. This oversimplification, however, neglects the complex ways in which irregularity is not simply a status but a process shaped by…