Decoding “decolonising” in decolonising living and writing integration: commentary of the special issue on decolonising refugee paradigms

I begin with a personal reflection on living and writing integration. I then consider the longevity of the concept of integration and the newness of revisiting it through a decolonial lens. This lens allows a shift from the analysis of integration per se to that of the conditions for its enduring survival, transformation, or demise. The Special Issue embraces a progressive approach to decolonising integration that advocates for its realignment towards rights and equity, and for the adoption of intersectional and relational approaches. It shows how colonial histories and geographies render traditional approaches to integration unsuitable; how discourses on integration create colonially infused hierarchies of those deemed “integrable,” “unintegrated,” or “non-integratable” Others; and how grassroots spaces of integration can become decolonial spaces. I conclude with a reflection on the need to decode “decolonising” in living and writing integration.