Reflections on the 2025 GRSI CSO Global Sponsorship Summit in Rome

At the Global Sponsorship Summit in Rome, Refugee Hub Fellows Shirley Tarazona and Omer Malikyar were reminded that even in difficult political moments, communities continue to imagine and build pathways of welcome. Gathering civil society organizations from across the world—from Brazil to the United States, and from Ireland to Australia—the summit created space to reflect on the realities shaping sponsorship today: shrinking resources, polarized migration debates, and growing uncertainty for organizations working on the frontlines. Yet alongside these challenges emerged stories of creativity and resilience—rural communities preparing to sponsor newcomers, cross-continental partnerships supporting Afghan families, and new labour pathways being explored in Italy. For the fellows, the conversations reinforced that sponsorship is sustained not only by policy or funding, but by relationships, trust, and the determination of communities that continue to open doors even when the global climate grows more difficult.