Summary The definition of social justice as a special realization of justice is considered from the point of view of an educational concept that is not based on competence acquisition: the capabilities approach, where capabilities are taken to be opportunities which have been successfully ″converted″ into particular forms of action. In this frame of reference, the importance of educational channels is highlighted, in particular, of channels that allow the articulation of life interests. On the basis of this theoretical background, it is shown that the high importance of quality education for young people with a migration background produces individual strategies of coping with capability deprivation – despite their experiences of disrespect at school. In the case of indignational migration (a new form of migration resulting from the EU crisis in Southern European countries), there is a need for a change in perspective of the scientific research on migration and Bildung. The pivotal point of the envisaged change is to look at justice issues globally, taking into account the causesof migration in the neoliberal world order, and working for ethical responsibility within migration discourse