Political Participation for All: Towards a Europe of Equals

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the Citizen Assembly on the Political Participation of Migrants in Slovenia – “Political Participation for All: Towards a Europe of Equals” – was held within the frame of the African Village Festival (led by Daniel Nzotam) at Špica, Ljubljana. More than 70 participants – including migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and representatives of organizations working on issues of participation, inclusion, and integration (among them public officials and international actors) – gathered to discuss the issue of participation, visibility, and representation of migrants in Slovenia. The assembly also focused on developing solutions, proposals, and recommendations through collective dialogue.

Participants explored questions such as: What does participation really mean?, Are we, as migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, truly included in society?, What are we already doing within our communities?, What problems do we face daily – and how can we address them together?, If the problems seem too large, what can we still do?, Do you feel seen and included in society?, Do you feel that you belong? And is that sometimes difficult? Given the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the participants the assembly has been held and translated into English, Slovenian, Bosnian, Arabic, and Turkish.

The assembly was moderated by Aigul Hakimova, with Lana Zdravković providing the overall conceptualisation and an introductory speech on the political participation of migrants. Special guests included Djemila Boulasha (EUMANS, a pan-European movement for citizen-led initiatives) from France, and Seid Ibrahimi (Centre for Peace Studies) from Croatia. In the second part of the event, participants split into four thematic working groups: 1. Housing (moderated by Hasan Alhallaq), 2. Language (moderated by Furkan Güner), Racism and Discrimination (moderated by Katja Utroša), 4. Working Conditions and Labour Rights (moderated by Aljaž Pevec).

Two additional citizen assemblies will be organized by the end of the year. Following these gatherings, policy recommendations will be developed and publicly presented, as well as shared with relevant institutions, including the Municipality of Ljubljana, the Ministry of the Interior, the Government Office for the Integration and Inclusion of Migrants, and the Labour Info Point for Foreigners, among others.