Fostering inclusion for refugees and migrants and building trust in the digital public space

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits of co-creation methods when designing information and communications technology (ICT) solutions to aid migrant integration by outlining the process of co-creating an innovative platform with migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees, and non-governmental organisation representatives and public service providers. Design/methodology/approach The study used mixed methods and was divided into three stages. Researchers carried out an extensive literature review and case studies, whilst data were collected via surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviews. Findings The paper demonstrates that co-creation methods are essential in the development of ICT solutions for vulnerable groups like migrants, asylum seekers and refugees enabling researchers to counter the adverse effects of eurocentric bias by improving inclusiveness and trust in the platform vis-à-vis migrant users. Originality/value The research reflects on the development of an innovative platform, created and validated in situ with migrants and other end-users. It provides an often-unexplored analysis of the link between methodological approaches in ICT tools development (co-creation), and real-life impacts for migrants in terms of mitigating digital exclusion and white ethnocentric bias. The article complements two whitepapers and other policy briefs written on the results of this research that have informed EC policy-making in the area of migration, including the EU action plan on integration and inclusion 2021–2027.

Co-creation service readiness model: a decision support for the selection of public services suitable for improvement through co-creation

“…Nevertheless, in spite of higher risks, e.g. manifested in the form of "digital refugees" (Fu et al, 2022), the very presence of vulnerable groups as service users does not disqualify public services as potential candidates for co-creation (Jalonen et al, 2021;Kuneva and Hough, 2023). Instead, such situations should urge public organisations to find more effective and/or less intrusive ways of including external input À for instance through (traces left on) social networks (Jalonen et al, 2021) or by inclusion of service users relatives (Skarli, 2021).…”