Meaningful or Marginal: An Integrative Review of Consumer and Community Involvement in Migrant Health Research

Background/Objectives: Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) is increasingly mandated in health research to promote ethical, relevant, and impactful research outcomes. However, in migrant health research, CCI can sometimes be tokenistic. This review aimed to critically synthesise the empirical and contextual literature on CCI in migrant health research to examine how meaningfully migrant communities are engaged across the research process. Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted. A systematic search of six databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science) was performed for peer-reviewed literature published up to January 2026, excluding grey literature. Two independent reviewers conducted screening and quality appraisal (using AMSTAR 2, MMAT, and the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Text and Opinion). Data from 20 included studies were synthesised using systematic text condensation. Results: A total of 20 peer reviewed articles were included. Results identified four themes: (1) the meaningfulness gap—between superficial indicators of involvement and impact-driven measures; (2) the burden of representation—few individuals expected to act as authentic representatives for heterogeneous populations; (3) intersectional power dynamics—participation skewed toward English-speaking, high-socioeconomic status migrants; and (4) limited co-design in research governance—insufficient involvement in funding, ethics, or data decisions. Conclusions: CCI in migrant health research appears more marginal than meaningful. Structural conditions, rather than individual failings, appear to constrain authentic community participation particularly at the stages of priority setting and research governance. Procedural compliance alone appears insufficient; reform across research governance, funding, and ethics appears warranted.