Reflections from the Europe Day Conference 2025
How do we build a fairer Scotland for migrants — not just in law, but in lived experience?
That was the central question at the heart of Europe Day 2025, hosted by Citizens Rights Project at the French Institute in Edinburgh. The day offered space to reflect on the structural inequalities facing EU migrants in Scotland — and the practical steps we need to take, together, to dismantle them.
Across the day, themes of resilience, exclusion, intersectionality, and reform emerged. Speakers brought research, frontline insights, and personal lived experience to bear on pressing issues: the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, barriers to employment, the cost-of-living crisis, and the double discrimination faced by racialised EU citizens.
Understanding Inequality: COVID-19’s Lasting Legacy
The morning opened with a roundtable discussion on The Impact of COVID-19 on EU Migrants, moderated by journalist Magdalena Grzymkowska. Panelists Dr. Anna Gawlewicz (University of Glasgow), Emmaleena Käkelä (Gen-Migra), and Alice Castelnuovo (Simon Community Scotland) explored how the pandemic didn’t just reveal inequalities — it deepened them.
Research discussed included the compounded vulnerabilities faced by essential workers, migrant women, and homeless communities, and how systemic barriers — from digital exclusion to healthcare access — left many migrants more isolated and unsupported than ever. The discussion also explored how the pandemic continues to shape mental health, trust in institutions, and access to services.
Labour Market Realities: Employment as a Site of Exclusion
Next, employability specialist Oana Liliac delivered a presentation on Employability Barriers Faced by Migrants. Drawing on her background in business psychology and lived experience, she introduced the concept of the “psychological contract” — the unwritten expectations between employer and employee — and how unmet expectations can erode confidence, identity, and long-term wellbeing.
From language-based discrimination and undervaluing of foreign qualifications to a lack of representation and social isolation, the barriers faced by migrants are both systemic and psychological. Her reflections also touched on internal struggles such as identity disruption and loss of confidence — all of which are exacerbated by rigid organisational structures and exclusionary work environments.
The Cost-of-Living Crisis: A Mental Health Emergency
Following Oana, Magdalena Czarnecka, CEO of Feniks, presented research into how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting Polish and other Central Eastern European communities in Scotland. Drawing on frontline work and recent studies, she highlighted alarming mental health trends and deepening inequalities, particularly among men who are often isolated or reluctant to seek help. The need for culturally-sensitive, language-accessible support systems — that acknowledge both economic and emotional dimensions — was made abundantly clear.
📄 Read the report by Feniks – The Cost-of-Living Crisis and the Polish Community in Scotland
Identity, Racism, and the Limits of “EU Citizenship”
The final roundtable, Navigating Double Discrimination, facilitated by Jen Ang (Lawmanity), explored the layered and intersectional discrimination faced by racialised EU citizens. Panelists Adriana Uribe (GREC), Eleonora Surmajova (The Space), and Helena Demba (the3million) challenged narrow assumptions of who is “European” and revealed how both UK and EU systems often fail to recognise and support those whose identities fall outside the mainstream mould.
Helena Demba, for instance, shared a deeply personal reflection: being perceived as Black in Portugal, then immediately assumed to be Angolan upon arrival in the UK — underlining how race and nationality intersect, shaping everyday experiences of belonging and discrimination. Her testimony vividly challenged the idea that “EU citizen” is a neutral or singular identity, prompting attendees to reflect on how blackness, language, and migration status layer upon one another to affect access, visibility, and dignity.
Eleonora Surmajova, on her part, spoke about Roma survivors fleeing persecution and seeking protection in the UK. She highlighted how entrenched historical discrimination and the territorial stigma faced by Roma communities continue to pose significant barriers — particularly for those who do not fit migration categories or asylum criteria, and are therefore left unsupported by the system. The Space, a partner organisation of Citizens Rights Project, has been instrumental in helping Roma individuals navigate these legal and institutional challenges.
And Adriana Uribe offered an important perspective on the Latin American community in Scotland, highlighting its rich internal diversity and the ways it remains largely invisible in policy and public discourse. As she noted, this group is often not even recognised in official ethnicity classifications or monitoring frameworks — making it even harder to identify needs, access services, or advocate effectively. Her remarks brought attention to the gaps in representation and the urgent need for more inclusive data and recognition.
We extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone in this roundtable who shared personal and often traumatic experiences. Your courage and honesty grounded the day in real human stories, reminding us that these are not abstract policy debates — they are people’s lives.
Reflections and Call to Action
Rather than paper over problems, the event made space for difficult conversations: about mistrust in institutions, the failures of the EU Settlement Scheme, and the increasing confusion around digital immigration status. Participants repeatedly came back to the need for services that are migrant-led, intersectional, and rooted in justice — not just legal compliance.
Citizens Rights Project shared how its own services have expanded in response to these complex and evolving needs, including a dedicated welfare team and a new service supporting migrants through the transition to eVisas. Since 2018, the organisation has addressed over 4,400 immigration and welfare cases, delivered more than 300 workshops and events, and supported thousands more through outreach across Scotland.
But as CEO Noelia Martinez reminded attendees during her opening speech, these numbers only tell part of the story. “Our focus has never been just on numbers,” she said. “It’s on offering adapted, person-centred support — because we don’t just want to put a band-aid on crises. We want to change the system.” Each case represents a person with a unique set of challenges, and the work of the Citizens Rights Project is grounded in seeing, hearing, and supporting people as whole individuals — not statistics.
Thank You
We would like to send our thanks to everyone involved in organising the 2025 edition of our Europe Day conference, including all staff and volunteers at Citizens Rights Project, and the French Institute of Scotland for hosting us once again. Thank you to our speakers, facilitators, and attendees — especially those who shared their lived experiences with honesty and vulnerability. Your contributions made the day not only informative, but deeply human.
Learn more about the organisations featured:
![[Farsi] انتقال به ویزای الکترونیکی: آنچه باید بدانید](https://citizensrightsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/eVisa.png)
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