Conference Agenda
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04 SES 03 C: Migration and inclusive education
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04. Inclusive Education
Paper Beyond Arrival: Disability, Forced Migration, and Ethical Responsibility in Inclusive Education IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany Presenting Author:Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 350,000 Ukrainian refugee children have arrived in Germany (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2024). Among them are children with disabilities, whose educational experiences remain largely invisible in research, policy, and practice. While global displacement has reached unprecedented levels—exceeding 120 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide, nearly 40% of them children (UNHCR, 2024)—little is known about how disability and forced migration intersect over time, particularly in relation to education. Existing research has highlighted the multiple and intersecting forms of exclusion faced by refugee children with disabilities, especially during the early phase of arrival in host countries (Bayraklı, 2024; Malloy et al., 2023). However, far less attention has been paid to how these experiences evolve after several years of residence. This planned follow-up study builds on earlier qualitative research that explored the educational experiences of Ukrainian refugee children with disabilities during their first one to two years in Germany (Bacakova, 2025). It shifts the analytical focus to children who have now been living in Germany for approximately four years, asking how longer-term residence shapes experiences of schooling, recognition, exclusion, and belonging. The research is theoretically framed by Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophy of ethical responsibility to the Other (Levinas, 1986), alongside inclusive education scholarship that challenges technical and procedural approaches to inclusion (Slee, 2011; Veck, 2009, 2014). From this perspective, inclusion is understood as an ethical relation grounded in attentiveness, responsibility, and openness to difference, rather than merely as access to support measures or educational placement. The study is further informed by the concept of epistemic ignorance (Kuokkanen, 2008), which highlights how educational institutions may overlook or marginalize non-dominant ways of knowing. Applied to the context of forced migration, this concept allows for an examination of how refugee children with disabilities continue to encounter educational practices that prioritize perceived deficits while disregarding the epistemes shaped by displacement, disability, and transnational educational histories. By foregrounding children’s voices (Messiou et al., 2024), the planned paper explores whether themes identified in the initial study - such as children’s ongoing struggle for recognition and experiences of epistemic ignorance - persist, transform, or intensify over time. In doing so, it contributes to current debates on inclusive refugee education and global justice by questioning assumptions that time alone leads to inclusion, and by emphasizing the enduring ethical responsibility of education systems toward refugee children with disabilities. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The follow-up study is part of a broader mixed-methods research project on the educational experiences and aspirations of Ukrainian refugee children with disabilities and their families in Germany. This phase of the research will draw on qualitative interviews with five Ukrainian refugee children with disabilities who have been living in Germany for approximately four years. The children will be between 8 and 15 years of age and will attend either mainstream or special schools. Participants will be recruited through non-governmental organizations and support networks working with refugee families and families of children with disabilities. Interviews will be conducted in Ukrainian or Russian, depending on the child’s preference, by bilingual researchers experienced in child-centered and ethically sensitive research. The interview design will be flexible and adapted to individual needs, allowing children to reflect on their educational trajectories, relationships at school, and future aspirations. The interviews will explore children’s past and present educational experiences in Germany, with particular attention to perceived changes over time. Topics will include school placement decisions, language learning, experiences of inclusion and exclusion, interactions with teachers and peers, and evolving educational and life aspirations. All interviews will be transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed using an inductive coding approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). The analysis will be informed by inclusive education theory (Slee, 2011), ethical perspectives on responsibility and recognition (Levinas, 1986; Veck, 2009, 2014), and epistemic justice (Kuokkanen, 2008), while remaining open to new themes emerging from the data. Findings will be considered in dialogue with results from the initial study to explore continuity and change across different lengths of residence. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The follow-up study is expected to provide deeper insight into how refugee children with disabilities experience education beyond the initial phase of displacement and settlement. While some challenges identified in earlier research (Bacakova, 2025) - such as limited recognition of children’s abilities and experiences - are likely to persist, the study is expected to reveal new dynamics related to longer-term residence, including shifts in aspirations, strategies for seeking recognition, and perceptions of belonging within schools. The findings are expected to challenge the assumption that inclusion naturally improves over time, instead showing how epistemic ignorance and deficit-oriented practices may remain embedded within educational institutions. At the same time, longer residence may enable children to articulate their perspectives more clearly and to critically reflect on their educational pathways. By highlighting these temporal dimensions, the paper aims to contribute to debates on inclusive refugee education and global justice, emphasizing the need for sustained ethical engagement, epistemic openness, and educational hospitality. The study will offer implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to develop inclusive education practices that recognize refugee children with disabilities not as problems to be solved, but as subjects whose voices, knowledge, and aspirations matter over time. References Bacakova, M. (2025). Educational hospitality at the intersection of forced migration and disability: Listening to the voices of Ukrainian refugee children with disabilities living in Germany. European Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.7146/ejie.v4i1.149584 Bacakova, M., Veck, W., & Wharton, J. (Eds.). (2025). Forced migration, disability and education: Inclusion and exclusion at the intersection of displacement and disablement. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Ltd. Barber, S. (2025). From silence to academic engagement: How refugee children with disabilities access learning through inclusive ‘artful’ schools in Canada. British Educational Research Journal, 51(4), 1789–1819. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4148 Bayraklı, H. (2024). A systematic review on Syrian refugee children with disabilities in Türkiye. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 39(4), 597–611. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2023.2263716 Costantini, G. (2025). “No one cares about children with disabilities!”: Shifting the Narrative and Centering Syrian Refugee Children with Disabilities and Their Parents’ Experiences in Lebanon. In: Elder, B.C., Migliarini, V. (eds) Humanizing Disability and Inclusive Education Research in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-01312-5_9 Kuokkanen, R. (2008). What is Hospitality in the Academy? Epistemic Ignorance and the (Im)Possible Gift. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 30(1), 60–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714410701821297 Malloy, A., Rogers, C. M., Caine, V., & Clandinin, D. J. (2023). Experiences of refugee children living with disabilities: A systematic review. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 19(2), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-06-2022-0058 Messiou, K., De Los Reyes, J., Potnis, C., Dong, P., & Rwang, V. K. (2024). Student voice for promoting inclusion in primary schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2024.2317729 Mohamad, D., Kjørholt, A. T., Pesonen, H. V., & Tateo, L. (2024). Inclusion of Syrian students in need of special support in Norwegian schools—A qualitative study with students and parents. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2024.2354606 Monk, D., Walton, E., Madziva, R., Opio, G., Kruisselbrink, A., & Openjuru, G. L. (2023). Interrogating the agency and education of refugee children with disabilities in Northern Uganda: A critical capability approach. Children & Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12810 Muhaidat, M., Alodat, A. M., & Almeqdad, Q. I. (2020). Inclusive Education Practices for Refugee Children with Disabilities in Jordanian Schools. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 12(2), 147–153. https://doi.org/10.9756/INT-JECSE/V12I2.201066 Veck, W. (2009). Listening to include. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110701322779 04. Inclusive Education
Paper Belonging in Transition: Immigrant Students and Education in Iceland University of Akureyri, Iceland Presenting Author:Migration has always been an integral part of human history, shaping societies and identities across borders and generations. In contemporary Europe, migration patterns have intensified and diversified, driven by labour demands, global inequalities and armed conflicts. At the same time, public attitudes toward immigrants have become increasingly polarised in many European countries (Hatton, 2021). Recent increases in migration have fuelled the rise of populist, anti-immigrant political movements, often perpetuating narratives that link immigrants to unemployment, crime or extremism, thereby reinforcing social boundaries and impeding integration (Kapelner, 2024; Klein, 2024; Rastas, 2019). One key measure of successful integration is the extent to which immigrants feel a sense of belonging in their new communities. Research shows that students with immigrant backgrounds often report a weaker sense of belonging than their native-born peers (OECD, 2015; Archambault et al., 2024). This sense of belonging is shaped by multiple factors, including generational status and social context. While second-generation immigrants often report stronger feelings of belonging than first-generation immigrants, this is not universal (Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, 2016). Importantly, belonging is highly context-dependent and varies across countries, regions and local communities (Schneider & Crul, 2012). Within this broader European context, Iceland offers a particularly revealing case. Although Iceland has not experienced anti-immigrant discourse to the same extent as many other European countries (Masso, 2008), immigration has increased sharply in recent decades. Iceland now has the fastest-growing foreign-born population among OECD countries (OECD, 2024), resulting in increased diversity in terms of ethnicity, language and religion. As a small and relatively homogenous island society, migration has an immediate and visible impact on local communities, making questions of inclusion and recognition especially tangible (Loftsdóttir, 2025; Tryggvadóttir & Skaptadóttir, 2018). The country’s experience of outmigration following the 2008–2009 financial crisis further shapes public understandings of migration and belonging (Guðjónsdóttir & Loftsdóttir, 2016). The discussion explores how immigrant students in Iceland develop a sense of belonging, with particular attention to the role of the educational system. Rather than presenting a single empirical study, the panel adopts a conceptual and narrative, case-based approach, drawing on educational and social research, as well as policy and media discourse. A multidisciplinary lens is used to examine how belonging is shaped across different levels of society and how education functions as a key site for inclusion or exclusion. Specifically, the discussion is guided by the following research questions: The Icelandic case is discussed in relation to broader European research on immigrant student belonging, social integration and the role of ethnicity and religion. By situating a small-scale but rapidly changing society within an international context, the panel aims to contribute to European debates on migration, equity and belonging, and to explore how educational systems can foster inclusion in societies transitioning from cultural homogeneity toward diversity. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used This paper employs a case-study methodology to examine how immigrant populations, particularly children and youth, navigate and develop a sense of belonging within Icelandic society, with a specific focus on the educational system. Rather than presenting new empirical data, it adopts a conceptual and narrative, case-based design that positions Iceland as a distinctive example through which broader European dynamics of belonging can be explored (Sonday et al., 2020). This approach aligns with the article’s aim to integrate research and policy perspectives and to illuminate how belonging is framed, negotiated and fostered within Icelandic education. The methodological approach is interpretive in nature and seeks to examine how policy frameworks, institutional practices and societal attitudes shape belonging, based on existing research and public discourse. By combining elements of narrative inquiry and case study design (Sonday et al., 2020), the study enables a context-sensitive discussion of belonging in education, contributing both to conceptual understanding and to policy reflection. The analysis synthesises secondary sources from multiple domains, including academic research and grey literature. While the study does not constitute a systematic review, the aim is to provide a broad and contextually informed overview of research, policy and public debate concerning immigrants’ sense of belonging in Iceland. The selected materials—research publications, policy documents and media texts—are treated as illustrative examples of dominant perspectives and discussions related to migration, integration and belonging. Source selection combined targeted searches for academic and policy materials with snowballing techniques to identify key studies and authors in migration and education research. Searches were conducted using Google, Google Scholar and Icelandic research databases, applying combinations of search terms such as immigrant students, sense of belonging, education and Iceland. The search strategy prioritised contextual relevance and contemporary perspectives, focusing primarily on publications from the past three decades addressing immigrant and multilingual children, educational policy and belonging. The analysis followed a thematic synthesis approach, identifying recurring issues across research, policy and demographic sources. These were clustered into five overarching themes: (1) the development of immigration and demographic change in Iceland, (2) adult immigrants and their sense of belonging, (3) the role of the Icelandic educational system, (4) language and belonging among children and youth, and (5) the changing political and social climate. These themes structure the subsequent discussion and reflect the interconnected social, educational and political processes shaping immigrants’ experiences of belonging in Iceland. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings This paper set out to examine the conditions shaping immigrant students’ sense of belonging in Iceland and the role of the educational system in this process. The analysis suggests that while language and culture remain central, belonging is a deeply contextual and relational process shaped by social interactions, institutional practices and public discourse. Immigrant students in Iceland—much like in other European contexts—often report a weaker sense of belonging than their native peers, despite generally positive public attitudes toward immigration. As the immigrant population becomes more diverse, religion and ethnicity are emerging as increasingly visible dimensions of belonging, highlighting the need for inclusive policies that extend beyond language alone. The Icelandic case reveals a key paradox: a highly inclusive and equitable educational structure coexists with persistent inequalities in everyday experience. Although the comprehensive and democratic design of the education system is intended to support integration, gaps remain between inclusive ideals and daily practice, shaped by uneven local resources, insufficient professional preparation and limited coordination between national and municipal levels. Consequently, opportunities for belonging are unevenly distributed across regions and, in some cases, within the same town or city. The findings underscore that integration cannot rely on formal structures alone. Belonging must be actively sustained through practice, reflection and dialogue. Teachers, schools and municipalities require ongoing support to translate inclusive values into lived realities, while national authorities must ensure that equity and belonging are pursued as systemic priorities. Finally, Iceland’s evolving public discourse presents new challenges. The emergence of exclusionary rhetoric risks undermining the foundations of inclusion that the education system seeks to uphold. Beyond the Icelandic context, the article contributes to European debates by illustrating that belonging is not a fixed outcome but a continuous process that requires ongoing attention. References Archambault, I., Pascal, S., Olivier, E., Tardif-Grenier, K., Dupéré, V., & Janosz, M. (2024). Relationships with teachers and sense of belonging in school: Inter- and intra-individual variations according to adolescent immigrant background. Learning and Instruction, 92, 101930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.101930 Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, E. (2016). Europe’s migrant children: Between belonging, happiness, and discrimination. openDemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/elena-fiddian-qasmiyeh/europe-s-migrant-children-between-belonging-happiness-and-discrimination Guðjónsdóttir, G., & Loftsdóttir, K. (2016). Being a desirable migrant: Perceptions and racialisation of Icelandic migrants in Norway. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(5), 791–808. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2016.1199268 Hatton, T. J. (2021). Public attitudes to immigration in turbulent times. European Review of Economic History, 25(4), 897–921. https://doi.org/10.1093/ereh/hez007 Kapelner, Z. (2024). Anti-immigrant backlash: The democratic dilemma for immigration policy. Comparative Migration Studies, 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-024-00370-7 Klein, O. (2024). Anti-immigrant rhetoric of populist radical right leaders on social media platforms. Communications, 49(3), 400–420. https://doi.org/10.1515/commun-2023-0113 Loftsdóttir, K. (2025). Racialization and visibility of Lithuanians during the economic boom years in Iceland. In Y. Takezawa, F. V. Harrison, & A. Tanabe (Eds.), Visibilities and invisibilities of race and racism: Toward a new global dialogue (pp. 131–148). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003436775-7 Masso, A. (2008). A readiness to accept immigrants in Europe? Individual and country-level characteristics. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 35(2), 251–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691830802586245 OECD. (2015). Helping immigrant students to succeed at school and beyond. OECD Publishing. https://childhub.org/en/child-protection-online-library/helping-immigrant-students-succeed-school-and-beyond OECD. (2024). Skills and labour market integration of immigrants and their children in Iceland: Working together for integration. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/96adc300-en Rastas, A. (2019). The emergence of race as a social category in northern Europe: Dehumanisation, belonging, and the normativity of European whiteness. In P. Essed, K. Farquharson, K. Pillay, & E. J. White (Eds.), Relating worlds of racism (pp. 357–381). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78990-3_14 Schneider, J., & Crul, M. (2012). Comparative integration context theory: Participation and belonging in diverse European cities. In M. Crul, J. Schneider, & F. Lelie (Eds.), The European second generation compared: Does the integration context matter? (pp. 19–38). Amsterdam University Press. Sonday, A., Ramugondo, E., & Kathard, H. (2020). Case study and narrative inquiry as merged methodologies. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920937880 Tryggvadóttir, H. K., & Skaptadóttir, U. D. (2018). Borders, boundaries, and exclusion in the Icelandic asylum system. Refuge, 34(2), 16–27. https://doi.org/10.7202/1055573ar 04. Inclusive Education
Paper The Forgotten Frontline of Integration: Schools, Educators and the Co-Creation of Belonging in European Contexts of Migration Marino Institute of Education, Ireland Presenting Author:Across Europe, schools have become the primary institutional spaces in which migrant and refugee children encounter the state, society and the promise of belonging. European policy frameworks consistently emphasise integration as essential for social cohesion, democratic stability and economic sustainability (European Commission, 2021). Yet, despite this recognition, schools and educators remain structurally under-positioned within integration policy architectures. They are most often framed as implementers of integration strategies rather than as knowledge-holders and contributors to and critiquers of policy design. This paper examines the disjuncture between European integration policy aspirations and the everyday realities of school-based integration work. Drawing on European Union policy documents and research generated through the SIRIUS Network on Migrant Education, it argues that schools function as a “forgotten frontline” of integration: central in practice, yet marginal in policy. The paper responds to a growing pattern across European education systems whereby responsibility for integration is increasingly devolved to schools without commensurate resourcing, cross-sectoral infrastructure or professional recognition. This dynamic risks rendering integration fragmented, uneven and dependent on individual school capacity rather than embedded as a systemic responsibility. Research Questions The paper is guided by three interrelated questions:
Conceptual and Theoretical Framework The paper is grounded in Hannah Arendt’s concept of natality, understood as the human capacity for new beginnings and renewal. Natality provides a particularly generative lens for examining education in contexts of migration, where children arrive not only as learners but as newcomers to a shared social and political world. From this perspective, education becomes the space in which societies decide whether they are willing to assume responsibility for both the world and those newly arriving into it. This framework is complemented by scholarship on affective labour in education (Reay, 2012; Lynch et al., 2009), which highlights the emotional, relational and frequently invisible work undertaken by educators in contexts of inequality and precarity. The paper also draws on relational theories of integration (Klarenbeek, 2021), which challenge assimilationist models by conceptualising integration as a mutual, structural process rather than a unidirectional demand placed on newcomers. Together, these perspectives enable a critical reframing of integration away from deficit-based or compliance-oriented models and towards an understanding of schools as ethical, relational and political spaces of co-creation. Purpose and Contribution The purpose of the paper is threefold. First, it seeks to make visible the central role schools already play in integration processes across Europe, drawing on European research evidence. Second, it critically interrogates the policy tendency to rely on schools’ professional goodwill while excluding them from integration governance. Third, it proposes a conceptual shift in how integration is understood within European education policy, from individual adaptation to institutional responsibility. By bridging theory, EU policy analysis and SIRIUS-informed research, the paper contributes to European debates on migration, inclusion and education governance. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used This paper adopts a qualitative, interpretive methodology, drawing on a synthesis of policy analysis and research-based evidence from European education contexts. Rather than presenting new empirical data, the paper integrates insights from multiple sources to develop a theoretically informed argument about the positioning of schools within integration systems. Primary sources include European-level policy documents on integration and inclusion, with particular attention to how education and schools are conceptualised within these frameworks. These documents are analysed using critical policy analysis to examine underlying assumptions about responsibility, agency and implementation. The paper also draws on findings from comparative European research projects and networks focused on migrant and refugee education. These include studies examining teacher preparedness, cross-sector collaboration, multilingual education, and the integration of migrant and internationally educated teachers. While diverse in scope and geography, these studies consistently highlight the gap between policy ambition and school-level capacity. To ground the analysis, the paper incorporates illustrative examples drawn from published case studies and practitioner research in different European contexts (e.g. Ireland, Germany, Greece, Nordic countries). These examples are not treated as representative cases, but as analytically useful illustrations of broader systemic patterns. Analytically, the paper employs thematic synthesis, identifying recurring patterns related to: • the expansion of educators’ roles beyond formal pedagogical responsibilities, • the reliance on informal, relational practices in the absence of systemic support, • and the marginal involvement of schools in integration policy design. The theoretical framework of natality is then used as an interpretive lens through which these themes are re-examined, enabling a conceptual rather than evaluative reading of integration practices. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The paper concludes that schools constitute the most consistent and relationally significant sites of integration for migrant and refugee children in Europe, yet remain structurally under-supported and politically under-recognised. While educators routinely engage in complex pedagogical, emotional and mediating work, this labour is rarely acknowledged within integration policy frameworks. A key outcome of the paper is the argument that current approaches risk rendering integration fragile and uneven, as success depends heavily on individual school capacity and professional goodwill. Where integration is not institutionalised, through interdisciplinary collaboration, policy co-design, and sustained resourcing, it remains vulnerable to burnout, inconsistency and inequity. The paper calls for a reframing of integration as a shared, structural responsibility rather than an individualised educational outcome. It argues that recognising schools as co-creators of integration has implications for teacher education, policy development, and governance structures across Europe. Ultimately, the paper suggests that strengthening schools’ role in integration is not only an educational imperative, but a democratic one. When schools are positioned as strategic partners rather than silent responders, integration becomes more sustainable, equitable and socially cohesive. References Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition. University of Chicago Press. European Commission. (2021). Action plan on integration and inclusion 2021–2027. Publications Office of the European Union. Klarenbeek, A. (2021). Relational integration: A response to assimilationist integration models. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 44(5), 820–838. Lynch, K., Baker, J., & Lyons, M. (2009). Affective equality: Love, care and injustice. Palgrave Macmillan. Reay, D. (2012). What would a socially just education system look like? Saving the minnows from the pike. Journal of Education Policy, 27(5), 587–599. SIRIUS Network. (2019). Migrant education and integration in Europe: SIRIUS Watch. SIRIUS Network. SIRIUS Network. (2024). SIRIUS Watch: Migrant education in Europe. SIRIUS Network. | ||