Groups supporting migrants and migrant associations in the urban context: the same objective of inclusion but in which relationship?

Newcomers to a city have much to navigate beyond minimum language learning and procuring employment, and yet policy is often ostensibly written with these elements as their singular focus. The “Unexpected inclusions” project analyses a larger scope of ‘fitting into society’ by analysing how different types of actors, organisations and events endeavour to support migrants’ in their inclusion (defined in the project as practices that can enhance the dynamics of belonging, exchange, and interaction between the established population and newcomers) in the city beyond official integration measures. Two key types of actors in this web are migrant associations and welcome groups. With examples from two Belgian cities, Liege and Brussels, we attempt to elucidate the complex relationships between these two types of groups, which each have their own unique histories, motivations, goals, and target public. Some of these elements overlap, such as the goal of migrant inclusion, while others may even be at odds. This leads us to ask the following questions: What can be learned from putting these relationships under a magnifying glass? Why are there few or no groups that bring together migrants and local people? Why does collaboration between the two seem difficult to make work? Do these actors compete in some ways (for funding, recognition, etc.)?