Political and social sciences, and social movement studies in particular, have produced a growing body of research on migrant, refugee and ethnic minority activism and political mobilization. While these various mobilizations are increasingly visible in the public, they still appear disconnected from each other both in practice and in existing academic analyses. This presentation will survey these disparate academic and practical/political fields and outline a research agenda of ‘minority counter-politics’. Building on empirical insights from transnational migrant struggles in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and in the Ruhr region, it shows how ‘minority counter-politics’ is often, though not exclusively, situated outside of established political frameworks. On the other hand, the analysis will reflect critically on the implications of such positions and practices on the political system, and particularly on issues of advocacy, social justice, and disconnection and fragmentation communication spheres along linguistic and other divides.