The Migrant Children in a Transforming Europe Survey Data (MiCREATE) project sought to understand the experiences of migrant children from a child-centred perspective. Therefore, a mixture of online and paper surveys that assessed various aspects of wellbeing and school life were carried out with both migrant and none migrant children aged 9-17 years, including groups of new arrivals, long-term migrants and local children. The topics covered in the surveys included life satisfaction, leisure activities, satisfaction with school, friendship, relationships with peers and teachers and experiences of bullying. The surveys also collected demographic information including age, ethnicity, religion, gender, language, citizenship, area of residence, socioeconomic status and language. children were also questioned regarding their migratory status. This allowed for analysis to be carried out based on different characteristics.The overall objective of the project is to stimulate the inclusion of diverse groups of migrant children by adopting a childcentred approach to their integration at the educational and policy level. Stemming from the need to revisit the integration policies on the one hand and consistent with the specific focus of the call on the other hand, the research project aims at comprehensive examination of contemporary integration processes of migrant children in order to empower them. The project starts from the fact that European countries and their education systems encounter manifold challenges due to growing ethnic, cultural, linguistic diversity and thereby aims at: 1) Identifying existing measures for the integration of migrant children at the regional and local level through secondary data analysis; 2) Analysis of the social impacts of these integration programmes through case studies in ten countries applying qualitative and quantitative child-centred research; 3) Development of integration measures and identification of social investment particularly in educational policies and school systems that aim to empower children. The project is problem-driven and exploratory at the same time. Its exploratory part mainly concerns a child-centred approach to understanding integration challenges, migrants’ needs and their well-being. However, the findings of the open-ended exploratory research will be used in an explicitly problem driven way – with an aim to stimulate migrant inclusion, to Last empower migrant children and build their skills already within the (participatory) research. This will be done through the activities of the Integration Lab and Policy Lab, where children’s voices, fieldwork and desk research findings will be translated into practices and measures for educational professionals and practitioners as well as into a child-centred migrant integration policy framework to stimulate social inclusion and successful management of cultural diversity.

Data collection took place through schools and within educational settings. For children, consent was first sought from their legal guardian. An information sheet (see attached) and consent forms were sent to parents detailing the research and their child’s role should their child participate in the study. Children were informed by their teachers about the study a week prior to the data collection. The teachers let pupils know that a researcher will be attending their school and asking them to take part in the interviews and focus group. This gave children enough time to make an informed decision as to whether or not they would like to participate. On the day of the data collection the researchers once again explained the research to the children and give them an opportunity to ask any questions. The researcher then provided participants with an information sheet written for children and a young person and asked for their consent/ assent. In line with Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, we adopted a combination of opt-in and opt-out consent process. In some schools, parents were sent the consent forms for the school and asked to return the form to the school only if they do not want their child to participate in the study. In other schools’ parents were asked to send consent forms if they do wish for their child to participate. All changes were in line with institutional ethical approval guidelines.