Dual voices on skills and migration: stakeholders and migrants in conversation

Migration has become a central topic of academic research and public discussion. However, the knowledge production surrounding migration is still largely influenced by Eurocentric perspectives and institutional research agendas (Santos, 2014). In response to this challenge, this paper reflects on the creation of a collective edited volume titled ‘Skills, Mobility and Justice in Contemporary Europe: Institutional Narratives and Lived Realities in Conversation’ (submitted to: Routledge) that seeks to explore alternative forms of knowledge production, emphasizing the voices and experiences of migrants. Instead of presenting the book as a finished scholarly product, this paper treats the editorial process as a space for epistemic negotiation and political positioning, where issues of authorship, representation, and responsibility are central. The edited volume brings together two rarely combined perspectives: institutional actors influencing labor market policies and migrants navigating skill recognition and integration. It draws on empirical research from various European contexts within Horizon Europe projects, featuring contributions from employers, unions, municipalities, and policymakers, as well as migrant workers. The chapters foster a dialogue between institutional narratives and migrants’ experiences, highlighting tensions around skills, integration, and justice. Inspired by Haraway's concept of situated knowledges (1988) and Spivak's views on representation (2023), the volume emphasizes collective writing to explore positionality and the risks of reinforcing existing power dynamics.