Since the beginning of the so-called refugee crisis of 2015, German migration policy has been the subject of controversy in public discourse across Europe, with Germany either praised or criticised for its ‘open door’ policy. In Germany itself, hegemonic discourse has largely supported this policy, focusing on whether or how Germany can deal with its intake of asylum seekers and the significance of Germany’s migration policy for Europe. Little attention is given to alternative, counter-hegemonic narratives about migration that go beyond the status quo, especially from non-hegemonic positions such as migrants and refugees themselves.

This Working Paper investigates such narratives in Germany, analysing the movements, organisations and civil society initiatives that develop and spread them, as well as the strategies and circumstances that allow such narratives to successfully enter hegemonic discourse. After mapping thirteen recent initiatives that hold a salient position in Germany, two initiatives were selected for in-depth analysis due to their success in spreading inclusive narratives on migration across Germany: Seebrücke (Sea Bridge) and Netzwerk medien.vielfalt! (Network Media.Diversity!).