1. Setting the Scene<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\nRNW Media:\u00a0To start off, could you tell us a bit about your background and what first drew you to focus on migration, media, and inclusion?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“I originally studied journalism because I have always been drawn to people\u2019s stories, especially those that often go unheard. My first radio program,\u00a0Lighthouse<\/em>, aimed to shine a light on voices with little visibility in society.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nDuring my early career, I volunteered with the Red Cross and later at a refugee house in Canada. Listening to people who had fled war and conflict zones deeply moved me, giving me a new understanding of resilience, displacement, and human dignity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These experiences inspired me to study how media tell stories about migration. I completed a PhD in Migration and Political Communication, focusing on how media and political framing shape public opinion and influence migration debates.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RNW Media:\u00a0You\u2019ve worked closely with migrant and refugee communities across Europe. How would you describe the dominant narratives about migration in Dutch and European media today?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“Across Europe, and especially in the Netherlands, migration is still discussed through a narrow lens of crisis, numbers, and control. Narratives emphasise\u00a0borders and security rather than people and potential, portraying migrants mainly as victims or threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn the Dutch context, migration is highly politicised. Politicians usually mean refugees, not labour migrants or international students, which fuels fear and misunderstanding. The fall of the 2023 cabinet (framed as a \u201cmigration crisis\u201d) was in fact about managing a relatively small number of refugees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, there are signs of change. More journalists, researchers, and grassroots initiatives are highlighting inclusion, participation, and everyday life, showing how newcomers contribute to communities and the economy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RNW Media:\u00a0How have these narratives evolved in recent years? And what social or political factors have driven that change?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“Since the 2015 \u201crefugee crisis,\u201d public attention has shifted from solidarity to polarisation, with discourse moving toward control, deterrence, and security. Populist and far-right parties have framed migration as a threat to identity and welfare, influencing mainstream political rhetoric. Global events from Syria and Afghanistan to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have reshaped the debate, revealing unequal treatment based on race, religion, and proximity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the Netherlands, migration is linked to housing, healthcare, and welfare debates. Politicians usually mean refugees, not labour migrants or students, creating confusion, as seen in the 2023 cabinet fall. Yet there is growing pushback. Journalists and grassroots initiatives are producing more constructive stories focused on coexistence, inclusion, and participation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Challenging Narratives<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRNW Media:\u00a0Whose voices tend to be amplified in migration coverage, and whose are often missing? What does this mean for how audiences understand migration?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“Migration coverage in Europe, including the Netherlands, tends to amplify politicians, policymakers, and institutions, framing migration through numbers, security, and control. Migrants and refugees themselves are largely absent or portrayed as anonymous victims.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nMedia focus on arrivals at Europe\u2019s borders, while crises in Yemen, Sudan, or the DRC rarely receive sustained attention. This Eurocentric proximity bias obscures causes, context, and everyday realities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When audiences mostly hear politicians and numbers, migration feels like a threat or management problem rather than a shared human experience. Stories of coexistence, contribution, and daily life from migrants, neighbours, employers, and teachers are rarely amplified.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RNW Media:\u00a0Can you share examples where media or journalists have succeeded in telling more inclusive, dignity-centred migration stories?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“The most urgent narratives to challenge are those that frame migration mainly through politics, numbers, and control, and those that portray migrants only as crises, threats, or silent victims. What is missing are the voices and everyday experiences of migrants themselves, and of local citizens who live, work, and study with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe need alternative narratives that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Humanise migrants as students, workers, parents, and neighbours, not just border arrivals.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Contextualise migration within housing, labour, education, and global causes.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Include local voices, from teachers to employers to community members.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Acknowledge tensions constructively without feeding fear.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Media can either deepen divides or bridge them. By amplifying stories of coexistence, contribution, and everyday interaction, not only political soundbites, journalism can shift migration coverage from fear and abstraction to reality and relationship.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Centring Migrant Voices<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\nRNW Media:\u00a0You often emphasize digital literacy and migrant-led storytelling. In practice, what does it mean to centre migrant voices? And what impact can that have?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“To centre migrant voices means shifting from speaking about migrants to making space for them to speak for themselves. It\u2019s a move from representation to participation, with migrants not only being quoted but deciding what stories are told and how.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nDigital literacy is key. When migrants produce podcasts, videos, articles, or social media content, they gain agency over their narratives. This shift isn\u2019t about \u201cgiving\u201d people a voice, they already have one, but about creating space to listen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initiatives like RNW Media\u2019s youth projects or Humans of Amsterdam show how self-authored stories transform perception: migration becomes a relatable human reality, not an abstract policy issue.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RNW Media:\u00a0Through initiatives like the Newcomers Programme and the Re-Starter Foundation, you\u2019ve supported asylum seekers in developing digital skills. What kind of transformation have you witnessed from this work?<\/strong>\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“The most powerful change I\u2019ve seen is in confidence, identity, and belonging. Many asylum seekers arrive feeling invisible and without purpose. Programmes like the Newcomers Programme and Re-Starter help them rediscover themselves, rebuild direction, and regain a sense of agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nParticipants often say they feel like students again, contributing members of society with something meaningful to wake up for. Digital and communication skills become tools for learning, empowerment, and self-expression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Challenges exist, as frequent relocation interrupts studies and relationships, but participants\u2019 determination to learn, connect, and belong is extraordinary. Social contact, buddy programmes, or mentorships can make a real difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Re-Starter\u2019s Where Is Home? project brought refugees, migrants, and residents together through storytelling and photography, creating spaces for collaboration, dialogue, and understanding. Integration becomes participation, and transformation happens through connection, seeing each other beyond labels.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Looking Ahead<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRNW Media:<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s one migration narrative you wish we could see more often in today\u2019s media?\u00a0
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“I wish we could see more stories that focus on connection rather than crisis, showing migration as part of our shared social and cultural reality. Media too often frame migration through borders, numbers, or fear, leaving little space for everyday realities of people rebuilding their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe need narratives that highlight participation, resilience, and collaboration, how migrants, refugees, and local citizens learn from one another and create something new together. Shared spaces, projects, education, and storytelling help people see beyond divisive labels and discover common ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would also like more stories about women, especially those from countries where access to education was limited, who now use digital skills and storytelling to express themselves and lead change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, media should move from fear and dependency narratives toward dignity, contribution, and belonging, reflecting the complexity of migration and the ongoing process of building bridges between people and cultures.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Dr. Mena Montes reminds us, migration is not only about movement and borders, it\u2019s about rebuilding, connecting, and belonging. When we allow migrants to tell their own stories, we open space for empathy and understanding that go beyond borders. Media have the power not just to inform but to connect, to make visible the everyday collaborations that shape our shared societies. What we still need are more spaces\u2014digital, educational, and social\u2014where these encounters can happen, and where new narratives of dignity and participation can take root. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“I originally studied journalism because I have always been drawn to people\u2019s stories, especially those that often go unheard. My first radio program,\u00a0Lighthouse<\/em>, aimed to shine a light on voices with little visibility in society.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During my early career, I volunteered with the Red Cross and later at a refugee house in Canada. Listening to people who had fled war and conflict zones deeply moved me, giving me a new understanding of resilience, displacement, and human dignity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These experiences inspired me to study how media tell stories about migration. I completed a PhD in Migration and Political Communication, focusing on how media and political framing shape public opinion and influence migration debates.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RNW Media:\u00a0You\u2019ve worked closely with migrant and refugee communities across Europe. How would you describe the dominant narratives about migration in Dutch and European media today?<\/strong>\u00a0 In the Dutch context, migration is highly politicised. Politicians usually mean refugees, not labour migrants or international students, which fuels fear and misunderstanding. The fall of the 2023 cabinet (framed as a \u201cmigration crisis\u201d) was in fact about managing a relatively small number of refugees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, there are signs of change. More journalists, researchers, and grassroots initiatives are highlighting inclusion, participation, and everyday life, showing how newcomers contribute to communities and the economy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n RNW Media:\u00a0How have these narratives evolved in recent years? And what social or political factors have driven that change?<\/strong>\u00a0 In the Netherlands, migration is linked to housing, healthcare, and welfare debates. Politicians usually mean refugees, not labour migrants or students, creating confusion, as seen in the 2023 cabinet fall. Yet there is growing pushback. Journalists and grassroots initiatives are producing more constructive stories focused on coexistence, inclusion, and participation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n RNW Media:\u00a0Whose voices tend to be amplified in migration coverage, and whose are often missing? What does this mean for how audiences understand migration?<\/strong>\u00a0 Media focus on arrivals at Europe\u2019s borders, while crises in Yemen, Sudan, or the DRC rarely receive sustained attention. This Eurocentric proximity bias obscures causes, context, and everyday realities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When audiences mostly hear politicians and numbers, migration feels like a threat or management problem rather than a shared human experience. Stories of coexistence, contribution, and daily life from migrants, neighbours, employers, and teachers are rarely amplified.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n RNW Media:\u00a0Can you share examples where media or journalists have succeeded in telling more inclusive, dignity-centred migration stories?<\/strong>\u00a0 We need alternative narratives that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Media can either deepen divides or bridge them. By amplifying stories of coexistence, contribution, and everyday interaction, not only political soundbites, journalism can shift migration coverage from fear and abstraction to reality and relationship.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n RNW Media:\u00a0You often emphasize digital literacy and migrant-led storytelling. In practice, what does it mean to centre migrant voices? And what impact can that have?<\/strong>\u00a0 Digital literacy is key. When migrants produce podcasts, videos, articles, or social media content, they gain agency over their narratives. This shift isn\u2019t about \u201cgiving\u201d people a voice, they already have one, but about creating space to listen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Initiatives like RNW Media\u2019s youth projects or Humans of Amsterdam show how self-authored stories transform perception: migration becomes a relatable human reality, not an abstract policy issue.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n RNW Media:\u00a0Through initiatives like the Newcomers Programme and the Re-Starter Foundation, you\u2019ve supported asylum seekers in developing digital skills. What kind of transformation have you witnessed from this work?<\/strong>\u00a0 Participants often say they feel like students again, contributing members of society with something meaningful to wake up for. Digital and communication skills become tools for learning, empowerment, and self-expression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenges exist, as frequent relocation interrupts studies and relationships, but participants\u2019 determination to learn, connect, and belong is extraordinary. Social contact, buddy programmes, or mentorships can make a real difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Re-Starter\u2019s Where Is Home? project brought refugees, migrants, and residents together through storytelling and photography, creating spaces for collaboration, dialogue, and understanding. Integration becomes participation, and transformation happens through connection, seeing each other beyond labels.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n RNW Media:<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s one migration narrative you wish we could see more often in today\u2019s media?\u00a0 We need narratives that highlight participation, resilience, and collaboration, how migrants, refugees, and local citizens learn from one another and create something new together. Shared spaces, projects, education, and storytelling help people see beyond divisive labels and discover common ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also like more stories about women, especially those from countries where access to education was limited, who now use digital skills and storytelling to express themselves and lead change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, media should move from fear and dependency narratives toward dignity, contribution, and belonging, reflecting the complexity of migration and the ongoing process of building bridges between people and cultures.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Dr. Mena Montes reminds us, migration is not only about movement and borders, it\u2019s about rebuilding, connecting, and belonging. When we allow migrants to tell their own stories, we open space for empathy and understanding that go beyond borders. Media have the power not just to inform but to connect, to make visible the everyday collaborations that shape our shared societies. What we still need are more spaces\u2014digital, educational, and social\u2014where these encounters can happen, and where new narratives of dignity and participation can take root. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“Across Europe, and especially in the Netherlands, migration is still discussed through a narrow lens of crisis, numbers, and control. Narratives emphasise\u00a0borders and security rather than people and potential, portraying migrants mainly as victims or threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“Since the 2015 \u201crefugee crisis,\u201d public attention has shifted from solidarity to polarisation, with discourse moving toward control, deterrence, and security. Populist and far-right parties have framed migration as a threat to identity and welfare, influencing mainstream political rhetoric. Global events from Syria and Afghanistan to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have reshaped the debate, revealing unequal treatment based on race, religion, and proximity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Challenging Narratives<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2-1-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“Migration coverage in Europe, including the Netherlands, tends to amplify politicians, policymakers, and institutions, framing migration through numbers, security, and control. Migrants and refugees themselves are largely absent or portrayed as anonymous victims.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“The most urgent narratives to challenge are those that frame migration mainly through politics, numbers, and control, and those that portray migrants only as crises, threats, or silent victims. What is missing are the voices and everyday experiences of migrants themselves, and of local citizens who live, work, and study with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
3. Centring Migrant Voices<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“To centre migrant voices means shifting from speaking about migrants to making space for them to speak for themselves. It\u2019s a move from representation to participation, with migrants not only being quoted but deciding what stories are told and how.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“The most powerful change I\u2019ve seen is in confidence, identity, and belonging. Many asylum seekers arrive feeling invisible and without purpose. Programmes like the Newcomers Programme and Re-Starter help them rediscover themselves, rebuild direction, and regain a sense of agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. Looking Ahead<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-2-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Noemi:<\/strong>\u00a0“I wish we could see more stories that focus on connection rather than crisis, showing migration as part of our shared social and cultural reality. Media too often frame migration through borders, numbers, or fear, leaving little space for everyday realities of people rebuilding their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n