The Shadow Report Toolkit, developed by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), is structured to explain what a shadow report is, how to produce one, and how to use it as part of an advocacy strategy. This toolkit serves as a guide, offering essential steps, practical tips, and recommendations for preparing reports with a specific focus on integration and inclusion policies and strategies.
The Shadow Report Toolkit is designed as a comprehensive resource, equipping users with the necessary tools to construct reports that present alternative perspectives of advocates involved in refugee and migrant issues, specifically of advocates who have lived experience. Recognizing the limited engagement opportunities for migrant and refugee advocates in decision-making processes affecting their lives directly, the toolkit aims to promote their meaningful participation. It addresses this gap by offering practical tools to strengthen their advocacy strategies and support active engagement with policymakers at various levels.
Implemented under the project “2incING Thinking of Integration Process as a Two-Way Inclusion (2incING),” the toolkit has proven successful in steering committees, consisting of refugee and migrant advocates, in Croatia, Malta, Greece, and the Netherlands. These committees used the toolkit to create national shadow reports (in Croatia, Malta, Greece, and the Netherlands) advocating for more inclusive integration policies. These initial comprehensive reports serve as examples of the toolkit’s usefulness, aiming to become a practical source for advocates seeking to write shadow reports and leverage them in their advocacy strategies.