King's faculty join global summit on refugees and migrants

Dr. Allyson Larkin, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Social Justice and Peace Studies, and Dr. Benjamin Muller, Professor and Interdisciplinary Scholar, attended the Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home Conference in Rome from October 1-3, 2025.

The international summit, organized by Villanova University’s Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration and supported by the Vatican and the Laudato Si' Movement, brought together representatives from educational institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local groups. The summit included 225 participants from over 40 countries and launched a three-year initiative to respond sustainably to the needs of vulnerable communities, aiming to increase refugee enrolment in higher education to 15% by 2030.

Pope Leo XIV also attended the conference and stated that while the commitment to the poor and to removing the social and structural causes of poverty has gained importance in recent decades, it remains insufficient.

“This was a distinct call to action for all of us as participants, but also for the institutions we represent, so we believe this is also a call to action for King’s and an opportunity for us to move forward with a mission-centric initiative to provide support and space for refugees in our student body,” says Dr. Muller.

Drs. Larkin and Muller spent three very full and productive days collaborating with lawyers, academics, and activists from across the globe on research, policy, advocacy, and teaching strategies to support refugees and migrants worldwide. Dr. Muller says the conference was “a truly distinctive event that was as much an intellectual stimulation as a spiritual awakening and included genuine community building.”

Dr. Larkin was excited to participate in the project because “it combines academic research with collaborative strategizing to rethink how universities can engage, integrate, support, and welcome refugees. For most refugees, the costs and complex requirements to enter university mean that they are excluded from this opportunity. We aim to change this situation by developing models and pathways to higher education for refugees and migrants.”

Dr. Muller says he and Dr. Larkin have both been inspired to “continue the essential work of enhancing hospitality and empowering refugees and migrants in not only our teaching, research, and advocacy, but also on our campuses and in our wider communities.”

“The number of university-age refugees and migrants is growing rapidly in Southwestern Ontario, so this is how I will direct my participation and research within the context of the next three years,” says Dr. Larkin.

Drs. Larkin and Muller will continue to meet with their working groups to create pedagogical models that can engage university communities (students, faculty, and staff) on issues related to refugees and migrants.

“There is so much misinformation and political propaganda that promotes the idea that refugees and migrants are people to be feared or that they will somehow take something away from our lives, whether it is jobs, culture or identity. The research does not support these claims, so our challenge in this project is to consider how we engage with those who oppose or ignore the needs of refugees and migrants. It will not be easy, but I believe it is an urgent humanitarian issue,” says Dr. Larkin.

Note: Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home produced a video about the conference that includes appearances by Drs. Larkin and Muller.