Since European societies are multilingual and culturally diverse, schools and their educators face the challenge—and responsibility—of ensuring that migrant children have their linguistic and cultural rights respected. In this context, Heritage Language (HL) education has emerged as an important research field where social justice, identity sustainability, and intercultural education intersect. This symposium connects three studies conducted in European countries: one Finland, another one in Sweden, and a third one across five additional European countries. They discuss how HL initiatives can promote equitable educational opportunities, minority languages, and the well-being of migrant communities. By portraying Portuguese as a Heritage Language in different European contexts, the symposium highlights how language education can serve as a tool for empowerment, recognition, and social inclusion. Together, the presentations explore pedagogical innovation, pluricentric cultural approaches, and the often-overlooked role of religion in shaping migrant identities. The session invites participants to reflect on how intercultural education can move beyond symbolic inclusion and address the structural and cultural dimensions of justice in multilingual Europe. In the first presentation, an innovative literacy initiative from the Guimarães Rosa Institute (IGR) is analysed. One of the IGR’s objectives is to ensure equitable access to linguistic and cultural heritages for Brazilian families in Finland. In accordance with Articles 29 and 30 of the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” (UNICEF, 1989), the project affirms children’s right to maintain their family language and culture. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s conception of education as an act of liberation (Freire, 1974), the course motivates children to recognize their ancestry and develop agency through their heritage language.

The second presentation focuses on the project Curtindo a Língua Portuguesa na Suécia (Enjoying the Portuguese Language in Sweden), developed in Gothenburg, one of Sweden’s major hubs for Brazilian migration. Adopting a pluricentric approach (Melo-Pfeifer &  Souza, 2021)  to culture and children’s literature, the project positions heritage language as a “precious commodity”. In particular, the presentation explores how the project fosters cultural transmission, strengthens family bonds, and supports migrant children’s identity sustainability. It argues that such initiatives are essential for promoting intercultural education that values diversity not as an add‑on, but as a core dimension of social justice in European schools.

Lastly, the third presentation examines the role of religion for migrant groups, as reported by Brazilian  teachers of Portuguese as a Heritage Language working in complementary schools in England, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Using the concept of religious identity (Hemming & Madge, 2011), the study reveals how teachers’ and learners’ religious backgrounds can affect classroom dynamics, even though religion is often excluded from the host‑country educational policies. The findings suggest that sustainable heritage language learning requires acknowledging religious diversity as part of intercultural education. The presentation proposes collaboration between migrant faith communities and complementary schools to create continuity in learners’ experiences and enhance their well-being.

Together, the three presentations demonstrate how linguistic rights, cultural sustainability, and religious identity intersect in the everyday lives of migrant families. The symposium invites educators, policymakers, and researchers to rethink intercultural education in Europe as a transformative project—one that recognizes diversity, challenges exclusion, and supports the strengthening of migrant communities.

Freire, P. (1974). Pedagogia do Oprimido. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra. Hemming, P. & Madge, N. (2011) Researching children, youth and religion: identity, complexity and agency, Childhood, 19(1): 38-51. Melo-Pfeifer, S.; Souza, A. (2021) Portuguese as a Heritage Language: teaching and learning from a pluricentric perspective. In: A. Souza & S. Melo-Pfeifer (orgs.) Portuguese as a Heritage Language in Europe – a pluricentric perspective. Campinas: Pontes, 23-48. UNICEF (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child (https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text) Accessed on 5.1.2026.