Migration, Identity, and Democracy: Reflections from the We-ID Berlin Conference
On 7–8 October 2025, THE CIVICS Innovation Hub took part in the We-ID Conference at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, which brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across Europe to reflect on democracy, identity, and belonging in an increasingly polarised society.
Organised under the Horizon Europe project “We-ID: Identities, Democracy, and Belonging in a Changing Europe”, the two-day meeting delved into how local dynamics, demographic change, and evolving narratives shape perceptions of migration and diversity — and what this means for civic participation and social cohesion.
The discussions began with insights from Tsvetelina Panchilieva and Antoaneta Hristova on local processes and tendencies, followed by Fiona Seiger from the Joint Research Centre (online), who explored how disinformation and perception gaps influence migration debates. In his keynote on Democratic resilience in a polarised Europe, Prof. Andreas Zick highlighted how trust, empathy, and civic engagement remain essential to counter fragmentation.
The day culminated in a thought-provoking panel on The Europe of Today: Diversity, Identity, and Democracy — a dynamic exchange on how Europe can balance pluralism and shared belonging.
The following day’s team reflection meeting at Population Europe – Wissenschaftsforum Berlin focused on next steps within the We-ID project. Partners discussed lessons from fieldwork and explored ways to connect research outcomes more directly with policy impact.
Several key takeaways emerged from the conference:
- Migration and demography are deeply interconnected and must be understood together to address Europe’s social challenges effectively.
- Ontological security — people’s sense of continuity and stability — is central to understanding attitudes toward diversity and change.
- Bridging the gap between research and policy remains a key challenge, as demographers and social scientists must translate long-term insights into frameworks that resonate with policymakers’ shorter-term priorities.
The Berlin meeting reaffirmed the value of collaboration between academia, civil society, and the private sector in shaping inclusive narratives about identity and belonging in Europe today.
For more about the We-ID project and its work on identities and democracy, visit:
