Athens Migration Policy Initiative (AMPI)

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The Athens Migration Policy Initiative (AMPI) was launched in the summer of 2002 as a joint project of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, and relies on the expertise of over a dozen of the world's leading migration experts. The mission of AMPI is to introduce thoughtful, innovative ideas on migration into the European policy debate. Under the aegis of AMPI, over a dozen of the leading migration experts in the world are advising the Greek government-during its 2003 Presidency of the European Union and beyond-on how best to formulate a harmonized European approach to managing migration flows, integrating legal migrants, and establishing more effective control over the Union's external borders. AMPI is animated by the conviction that a balanced, comprehensive EU migration policy regime is needed to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of migration. Such an approach is vital to the growth, prosperity, and competitiveness aims of the Union, and it must equally contribute to the security of the European Union's borders, to social cohesion in European societies, and to enhanced cooperation between the EU and third countries.

The Athens Migration Policy Initiative (AMPI) assists the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop and pursue thoughtful, constructive, and practical migration policies that can allow the European Union to achieve progress toward a more effective and decidedly more affirmative migration management agenda. AMPI carries out its mission by bringing to the attention of the Minister (and the Ministry) and to relevant EU actors in-depth and knowledge-based policy responses to complex international migration issues.

In doing so, AMPI relies extensively on MPI's well-regarded multinational senior staff, as well as on a world class "brain-trust" of migration experts from leading institutions in Germany (Humboldt University), the U.K. (the Institute for Public Policy Research and Oxford University), the Netherlands (Amsterdam University), France (the Sorbonne), Belgium (the Brussels-based Migration Policy Group), and Greece (the universities of Athens and Patras).

These experts have as sophisticated an understanding of migration as any in the world and enjoy excellent relationships both with key senior officials in their governments and senior European officials.

AMPI has set the following six broad goals for its work in 2003.

Helping to shape a policy environment that kindles interest in-and encourages serious EU-wide and national conversations about-progressive labor-market, economic growth, and competitiveness policies as an essential complement to the Union's border management and security agenda.
Assisting policy makers and policy influencers throughout the EU understand better the complex interactions among immigration, employment, and social policies in the context of Europe's increasing demographic deficits.
Creating space (by managing migration more thoughtfully) for European states to meet their electors' sense of compassion toward those in need of care, as well as their obligations under refugee and humanitarian law, affirmatively and generously.
Advancing Europe's policy agenda toward far-reaching societal (social inclusion) and political integration policies for both citizens and immigrants.
Building, nurturing, and tapping into coalitions of public intellectuals and institutional stakeholders willing-even eager-to assist the Greek Government advance its progressive and affirmative agenda on migration.
Providing analytical and policy-vetting support to coalitions that advocate for thoughtful regional initiatives that hold a better promise of managing migration more effectively through cooperative-even joint-efforts among states that "send" and receive immigrants, as well as those through which migrants transit.

The policy centerpiece of AMPI work in 2003 is the development, presentation, and publication of a series of state-of-the-art policy essays on European migration. These essays will be presented at a major conference, sponsored by the Greek Presidency of the European Union, from May 15-17 in Greece. They will be published at the end of the year in book form.

AMPI also has a robust press and public information component.