World/European Social Forum-Migration

The Social Forum on Migrations (FSM) was born in Porto Alegre in 2004 as a section of the World Social Forum, with a main objective to build convergences and alternative models for participatory governance of migrations. It is a horizontal, decentralized, and self-managed process, whose dynamic of construction and realization privileges spaces for democratic discussion, with exchange of experiences, learning, academic production, and articulation among a diversity of social actors that act around migrations and asylum.

Throughout its more than 16 years of existence, the forum has already taken place in Brazil in 2004 and 2016, Spain in 2006 and 2008, Ecuador in 2010, Philippines in 2012, South Africa in 2014 and Mexico in 2018. The first Americas Social Forum on Migrations was held virtually from the 22nd to 25th of October 2020 in Uruguay. In total, 550 participants from 352 organizations and 38 countries were present in the 30 virtual activities. The first European Social Forum on Migrations was held March 2021 in Lisbon in a mixed mode, involving virtual debates by thematic axes and in-person pre-forums.

As we commit to work for human rights for all, we recognise the essential link between the fundamental rights of migrants and refugees and the future of our democracy in Europe. This is a critical moment to further strengthen our resistance to a racist and militarised Fortress Europe and build a new solidarity at local, national and international level as we strategise our action for system change. During the Public Forum Future Strategies-Challenging EU migration regime and Building a Pact of Solidarity forf undamental human rights for ALL peoples including migrant and refugee people, the participants took up the challenges identified across the Hearings of the 45th Session of the PPT.

A working week involving social movements from different continents was held during the World Social Forum – WSF between May 1st and 6th, 2022, in Mexico City. The TMP-E participated in the activities under the theme Peace Building, Migration, Borders as well as strategies addressing war.

The call signed by a group of organizations aimed to debate a methodology revitalization of the World Social Forum on Migration’s organization and, based on the experience of the regional forums, to carry out a balance of these processes: their contributions, impacts, and perspectives for reflecting and constructing future actions.

What is the World Social Forum on Migration achieving? What instances of organization and participation can be constructed?