Publications

The intensity and pace of climate change is a source of concern worldwide. Weather-related events are taking an increasingly heavy and obvious toll, pressing policy-makers to act decisively to safeguard natural resources and to protect populations from harm.

Against this backdrop, it has become routine for the public discourse to associate climate change and its impacts with migration and mobility. In Europe and the global north in general, climate change is often perceived as precipitating a new stage of large-scale mobility from developing countries. The occurrence of floods, droughts and other natural disasters and the resulting population displacement, contributes to cement the assumption that climate change and mobility are two sides of the same coin.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is facing severe climate risks. In fact, scientific projections indicate that the region is warming up faster than the global average, exposing local populations to a series of threats directly and indirectly associated with climate change. However, the migration and mobility implications of this phenomenon have been contentious. Indeed, measuring climate mobility is fraught with challenges, from assessing people’s propensity to migrate to identifying obstacles to movement.

This study aims to consider the various perceptions and narratives surrounding climate mobility in three different countries: Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. Based on key stakeholder interviews, this work aims to provide policy-makers with pointers to understand how the public discussion on the climate mobility nexus is progressing in these countries. The research focuses on exposing people’s perceptions of climate impacts and how these perceptions shape decision-making mechanisms related to mobility. In doing so it aims to uncover the complex and singular realities that current reporting on climate mobility tends to mask.

This report collects evidence presented on the occasion of the peer-learning event on inclusive local citizenship virtually held by the city of Grenoble in March 2021, in the framework of the MC2CM project, as well as other relevant data existing in this field. The document aims to provide accessible guidance for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders on the topic of local inclusive citizenship as a way to foster the Right to the City for all, as well as to show the policy relevance of the actions herein exposed.

This report explores the key learnings shared at the MC2CM peer-to-peer event on The Link Between Homelessness and Migration: Fostering Inclusive Neighbourhoods, held virtually on 28 – 30 April 2021 and hosted by Municipality of Dortmund. The document further draws from broader learnings from the global homeless services sector and other relevant academic publications and data. The report positions these learnings within the framework of the MC2CM project as well as Agenda 2030, the New Urban Agenda, the Global Compact on Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees. This thematic report shares concrete examples as well as actionable guidance and policy recommendations for how to support migrants out of homelessness and into secure, adequate housing accommodation.

This Thematic Learning Report draws on the results of the regional event of the MC2CM project held online and hosted by the Municipality of Seville and the Andalousian Fund of Municiplities for International Solidarity (FAMSI) from 15 to 18 June 2020 . The digital event convened 82 participants from the Euro-Mediterranean region and beyond, including representatives of 23 cities, 5 local authorities’ network, NGOs, International Organisations, journalists, policy analysts and experts. The interactive sessions tackled rebalancing migration narratives for improved urban migration governance

This Thematic Learning Report draws on the results of the subregional event of the MC2CM project held under the auspices of the Municipality of Tunis on 18–19 September 2018. The event convened 47 participants from 9 city administrations, experts, as well as representatives of international and regional organisations, including the European Union and Swiss Embassy in Tunisia. The event was held in the framework of the flagship Migration Media Award Ceremony and related events on communication. It served as a first step in identifying challenges and opportunities in the field of communication on migration at local level, a work that will be carried forward in the implementation of MC2CM project.

This report collects evidence presented on the occasion of the peer-learning event on cultural policies and migrants’ inclusion in urban contexts held in Casablanca in December 2019, in the framework of the MC2CM project, as well as other relevant data existing in this field. It aims to provide accessible guidance for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders, on the connections existing between cultural aspects and migrants’ inclusion, and their policy relevance.

Among the OECD, Germany has become one of the main migrant-receiving nations. According to statistical data, 20.8 million of Germany’s population of 82 million are statistically recognised as migrants. Statistically the migrant population is divided almost equally between foreigners (Ausländer, 9.9 million), who do not hold German citizenship and those with a so-called migration background (Migrationshintergrund, 10.9 million) (Statistisches Bundesamt 2019). Among the group of foreigners, about half are citizens of another EU country (EU-28). Still, the Turkish constitute the largest nationality among the group of foreigners (1.5 million) (Statistisches Bundesamt 2019). Migration to Germany has a relatively long history. Migrants in Germany are thus a diverse group, reflecting different phases of migration since the post-war period. This publication provides an overview of the main phases and groups.

The city of Grenoble has experienced many arrivals of migrant populations during the 20th century (coming in particular from Italy, due to the proximity of the Franco-Italian border, but also from Armenia, Algeria and more generally from the Maghreb, Chile, etc.) and has developed a strong tradition of hospitality and solidarity as well as an excellent community dynamic. At the end of 2015, the city of Grenoble reaffirmed this tradition of hospitality and set up a mission "Grenoble Terre d’acceuil” (“Grenoble where welcome is assured”), supported by the elected representatives of the municipality and led by the Directorate of International and European Action. "Grenoble Terre d’accueil" has led to an integrated and unconditional approach, making the reception and inclusion of migrants residing within the city, whatever their administrative status, a mission shared amongst each of the municipality's departments. The aim is to take into account migrants residing within the city through all the undertakings it supports and to foster partnerships with the various actors within the region in order to strengthen local action.

The framework for local policies and integration initiatives is provided by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.In this regard, the City Council approved its 2030 Strategic Plan, the central objective of which is a shared city that advocates for more inter-related, better connected contexts, with an awareness of its advantages and opportunities.In addition, the central focus of the Strategic Plan relates to equity and participation.The migrant issue is dealt with in the Strategic Plan specifically in Strategy 5.1 on the promotion of the role of the tertiary sector and partnering with a view to providing aid, among other things, to migrants.The Plan also assumes the characteristic of inclusive multiculturalism for the city, paying specific attention to the inclusion of migrants and refugees. The migration policies of the city of Seville are implemented under principles of political and social consensus, as well as cooperation between administrations and public and private sector institutions.

A Baseline Study on Migration Data Management in Azerbaijan has been published by the EU-funded MOBILAZE 2 project. The study was conducted by ICMPD and EU member states’ experts. The main objective of this study is to provide comprehensive insight into the current state and practices of migration data management in the Republic of Azerbaijan, with a particular focus on the existing procedures and tools available for data collection, analysis, and application. The particular gaps and needs observed in this regard are then laid out and recommendations for improvement are given. The MOBILAZE 2 project team would like to thank all participating Azerbaijani state institutions who gave their valuable insight and recommendations for this study. 

New displacement in 2022 pushed the number of people forcibly displaced globally to more than 108 million – more than the populations of Italy and Spain combined. Many forced migrants find themselves in ‘protracted displacement’ situations, where they experience long-term vulnerability, dependency, and legal insecurity, lacking or denied opportunities to rebuild their lives. The EU-funded Transnational Figurations of Displacement (TRAFIG) research project investigated why people fall into protracted displacement situations and what coping strategies they use, with a focus on networks and mobility. Over the course of three years, the TRAFIG team engaged with more than 3,100 people, including displaced persons, policymakers, and practitioners in 11 countries across East Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. This included a survey of 1,900 displaced persons: Congolese persons displaced within the DRC and people who moved from their countries of origin to Ethiopia, Greece, Italy, Jordan, and Pakistan.

TRAFIG research findings underscored the importance of networks for displaced persons looking to secure a sustainable future and for policymakers and practitioners looking to support them, including when it comes to their integration. This paper highlights the role of local networking in settling in and shares how humanitarian, development, and integration actors can take these findings on board in the search for more sustainable solutions to global displacement.

Employment is a vital strategy for refugees from Ukraine seeking to rebuild their lives abroad or sustain themselves until it is safe to return. To this end, the first-ever activation of the EU Temporary Protection Directive provides for immediate access to the EU labour market. However, this is not the only innovation that has emerged since the seismic events of spring 2022, and represents but the first step in facilitating the employment of refugees from Ukraine.

Civil society organisations, private sector actors, and individual volunteers are all playing an active role in helping newcomers to find employment. For their part, many national, regional, and local governments from across Europe have responded with creative approaches. This briefing note details government approaches to boosting employment adopted or adapted in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It focuses on receiving countries in Central and Eastern Europe, which have received a large share of Ukrainian refugees, but, in many cases, have limited recent experience with receiving humanitarian migrants.

In a year full of European, national, and regional elections, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) expects migration to be a pivotal topic. While many governments implement quick fixes ahead of their electoral cycles, opposition parties are tying their campaigns to migration-related promises. ICMPD’s 2024 Migration Outlook report forecasts record displacement levels resulting from war and conflict, leading to a further securitization of migration and offshoring of asylum procedures, as well as a rise in secondary movements. These developments are taking place while labour migration is ‘coming of age’ in Europe.

ICMPD’s Migration Outlook presents a brief analysis of recent migration and policy trends and provides an outlook on developments and events to watch out for in 2024.

As part of the Awareness Raising and Information Campaigns on the Risks of Irregular Migration in Pakistan – II (PARIM-II) project, this report explores the role of returnees in migration decision-making processes and investigates their potential engagement in the design and implementation of migration information and awareness raising campaigns.

The results of PARIM-II project, which are discussed in this report, draw not only from extensive qualitative and quantitative research conducted in the field between August 2023 and January 2024, but also from the previous project (PARIM-I), which looked instead at the migration intentions and information needs of Pakistani nationals wishing to migrate out of the country, including through irregular channels.1 By outlining the results of the current project and combining them with the previous one, this report aims at bringing together, analysing, and discussing the entire research component in a targeted way, providing insights for the potential information campaigns and communication strategies in this area. 

This publication provides a regional perspective to ICMPD’s Migration Outlook 2024, delving into key current and emerging migration trends in the Mediterranean region, with a focus on North Africa and the Middle East.

Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programmes have emerged as a migration governance tool used by many national governments and supranational organisations in the 21st century. They fund—typically irregular or stranded—migrants to return to their origin countries whereafter they provide support aimed at “sustainable reintegration”. AVRR reintegration support is classified by the International Organization for Migration, which administers around 95% of AVRR programmes globally, as “economic”, “social”, and “psycho-social”. However, AVRR programmes have received several criticisms from academics and activists. The academic literature on measuring reintegration, identifying the causes of reintegration success, and identifying the causes of AVRR participation are nascent but provide a basis by which policymakers can understand how to improve AVRR outcomes. Therefore, this study identifies how communication can contribute to AVRR objectives.

The Regional Migration Outlook for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) presents an analysis of the key events and trends that shaped migration in the EECA region in 2023. Simultaneously, it offers a cautious outlook into areas and issues that may affect migration and mobility to, within and from EECA in 2024. In a non-exhaustive way, the publication addresses developments in the twelve EECA countries (based on ICMPD’s regional division) – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The analysis is based on ICMPD’s regional expertise and desk research from official and public data sources.

This policy brief considers the displacement and forced migration inside and outside Ukraine’s international border, the dynamics of these movements, the individuals’ aspirations and the possible future developments in migration trends while reassessing scenarios developed in 2022.

This document has been created following the discussions among - and inputs from - participants of the Prague Process Workshop held in Tbilisi in October 2023, highlighting best practices, key success factors and stumbling blocks to digitalising the various aspects of the migration management cycle, as well as providing some recommendations for next steps. The Workshop focused on the increased role of digitalisation, and how this can be deployed to assist in migration management.

The Ukrainian diaspora emerged as a crucial and proactive force in responding to the crisis following the Russian military attack on Ukraine in February 2022, playing a pivotal role in various aspects of humanitarian aid and support efforts. The Ukrainian diaspora was quick and efficient, mobilising resources, both financial and organisational, to provide immediate assistance to Ukrainian refugees who sought shelter in different parts of the world, particularly in European countries. Through establishing numerous organisations and collaborations with international entities, the diaspora engaged in activities such as humanitarian aid, legal assistance, healthcare provisions, educational support and social integration initiatives for displaced Ukrainians. The report on the Role of Ukrainian Diaspora in Crisis Response, Future Return and Reconstruction of Ukraine: Case Study from Germany, Czech Republic and Poland aims to analyse the activities of Ukrainian diaspora organisations and migrant communities in the three destination countries as well as demonstrate the diaspora’s role as a cornerstone for shaping a hopeful and prosperous future for Ukraine. The report was completed by Dr. Valeria Lazarenko (PhD) and edited by the project implementation team.