E.g., 04/23/2024
E.g., 04/23/2024
Europe

Europe

European Union

Europe faces an interesting set of immigration challenges and opportunities: Demographic pressures as many European societies age, a lively and at times tense policy and political debate over questions of identity and immigrant integration, and a unique policy environment that has knit many European countries together with regards to free movement, the management of outer borders, asylum, and other immigration-related topics. MPI has long conducted research and analysis of European policy on topics ranging from labor mobility and border security to immigrant integration, citizenship, and foreign qualifications recognition, which can be found below.

Iraqi and Swedish families paired in Sweden's community sponsorship program
Policy Briefs

Supporting Self-Sufficiency: Considerations for Refugees’ Transition out of Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways Programs

As more countries launch refugee sponsorship and complementary pathways programs, planning for and supporting refugees’ transition out of these programs is essential. While often receiving less attention than other elements of program design, a clear transition plan can promote refugees’ self-sufficiency, social cohesion, and overall program sustainability. This MPI Europe issue brief explores common transition challenges as well as promising practices.

Image of female worker at the Boqueria market in Barcelona making a crepe
Commentaries

As Europe and the United States Face Similar Migration Challenges, Spain Can Act as a Bridge

Spain and the United States both receive their greatest number of immigrants from Latin America, and have worked collaboratively together on displacement crises and other migration issues. As shared immigration challenges dominate debate on both sides of the Atlantic, Spain can serve as a vital bridge in the policy conversation, this commentary notes.

Passengers wearing face masks at a UK airport
Reports

Coordination Breakdown: The Impacts of COVID-19 on Migration in Europe

The story of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe is chiefly one of challenges to solidarity and coordination. Cross-border movement—even within Europe’s Schengen Area—ground to a halt, and countries took varied approaches to using travel measures in an attempt to slow the virus’s spread. This report explores the pandemic’s impacts on mobility to and within Europe, its challenges to European solidarity, and lessons for future public-health crises.

Recent Activity

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Policy Briefs
September 2020
Brexit on the Backburner: Citizens’ Rights and the Implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement in a Pandemic
By  Aliyyah Ahad and Monica Andriescu
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Commentaries
September 2020
Greece’s Moria Tragedy: The Crash Test for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum
By  Hanne Beirens
The National Museum of History in Tirana, Albania features a large mosaic with nationalist imagery.
Articles
August 25, 2020
Southeastern Europe Looks to Engage its Diaspora to Offset the Impact of Depopulation
By Silviu Kondan
Migrants aboard a rubber vessel are rescued in the Mediterranean
Articles
August 6, 2020
Once a Destination for Migrants, Post-Gaddafi Libya Has Gone from Transit Route to Containment
By Katie Kuschminder
Covid SchengenBorderClosures Falk Lademann Flickr
Commentaries
August 2020
When Emergency Measures Become the Norm: Post-Coronavirus Prospects for the Schengen Zone
By  Hanne Beirens, Susan Fratzke and Lena Kainz
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Multimedia
June 25, 2020
Rethinking and Restarting: What Should the Returns Process Look Like Post-Pandemic?
Measuring Up? Using Monitoring and Evaluation to Make Good on the Promise of Refugee Sponsorship
Policy Briefs
June 2020
Measuring Up? Using Monitoring and Evaluation to Make Good on the Promise of Refugee Sponsorship
By  Hanne Beirens and Aliyyah Ahad
Using Evidence to Improve Refugee Resettlement: A Monitoring and Evaluation Road Map
Reports
June 2020
Using Evidence to Improve Refugee Resettlement: A Monitoring and Evaluation Road Map
By  Aliyyah Ahad, Camille Le Coz and Hanne Beirens

Pages

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Reports
March 2015
Not Adding Up: The Fading Promise of Europe's Dublin System
By  Susan Fratzke
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Policy Briefs
February 2015
Understanding Transnational Dynamics in European Immigrant Integration Policy
By  Paul Clewett
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Reports
February 2015
Supporting Immigrant Integration in Europe: What Role for Origin Countries' Subnational Authorities?
By  Özge Bilgili and Ilire Agimi
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Policy Briefs
February 2015
Improving Migrants' Labour Market Integration in Europe from the Outset: A Cooperative Approach to Predeparture Measures
By  Maria Vincenza Desiderio and Kate Hooper
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Policy Briefs
February 2015
Reducing the Risk that Youth with a Migrant Background in Europe Will Leave School Early
By  Ward Nouwen, Noel Clycq and Daniela Uličná
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Policy Briefs
February 2015
Migrant Education and Community Inclusion: Examples of Good Practice
By  Rafael Berger Sacramento
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Reports
January 2015
Mentoring Practices in Europe and North America: Strategies for Improving Immigrants' Employment Outcomes
By  Milica Petrovic
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Reports
November 2014
Aiming Higher: Policies to Get Immigrants into Middle-Skilled Work in Europe
By  Meghan Benton, Madeleine Sumption, Kristine Alsvik, Susan Fratzke, Christiane Kuptsch and Demetrios G. Papademetriou

Pages

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Profile
August 31, 2016
The New Reality: Germany Adapts to Its Role as a Major Migrant Magnet

Although long one of the world's top migrant destinations, only in the recent past has Germany come to acknowledge and adjust to its role as a country of immigration. Its welcoming approach—a relatively new development—has been put to the test amid massive humanitarian inflows beginning in 2015. This country profile examines Germany's history on immigration and highlights current and emerging debates.

RefugeeBoat BenWhite CAFOD
Feature
June 22, 2016
Asylum Seeker and Migrant Flows in the Mediterranean Adapt Rapidly to Changing Conditions

Movements of migrants and asylum seekers in the Mediterranean have shown to be highly fluid, adapting quickly to changing conditions at origin, transit, and destination. This article examines the shifts in flows across the three major Mediterranean routes since 2008 and the complex web of often interconnected factors underpinning these movements.

PolandRefugees DenisBocquet Flickr
Feature
June 16, 2016
Diminishing Solidarity: Polish Attitudes toward the European Migration and Refugee Crisis

While Poland held a generally positive opinion of immigration throughout the early 2000s, public attitudes toward refugees have shifted decidedly rightward since the onset of Europe's migration and refugee crisis. This article explores the complex, intersecting anxieties at play in Poland and the role of political rhetoric in stoking these sentiments

Prime Minister David Cameron speaking outside Number 10 Downing Street
Feature
May 4, 2016
Brexit: The Role of Migration in the Upcoming EU Referendum

Against a backdrop of anxieties about migration, the United Kingdom's government set a referendum for June 2016 on whether to withdraw from the European Union. This article explores the role played by migration in the decision to call the referendum, how immigration might influence the result, and finally the implications of both referendum outcomes (Leave and Remain) in terms of migration policy and regulation.

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Feature
March 23, 2016
Development through Diversity: Engaging Armenia’s New and Old Diaspora

The Armenian diaspora, which significantly exceeds the country's resident population, has played an instrumental role in Armenia's political and economic development since independence in 1991. Yet a picture emerges of divergent currents within the diaspora, often seen from above as a unified entity. Delve into differences in engagement among Armenia's "old" and "new" diasporas with this feature article.

Pages

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Audio
June 18, 2014

Has EU Immigration and Asylum Policy Failed? Can It Ever Succeed?

This MPI Europe telebriefing, releasing the brief "Strengthening Refugee Protection and Meeting Challenges: The European Union’s Next Steps on Asylum," examines Europe's current reality with respect to migration and asylum and assesses the possibilities for future development of EU immigration policy.

EventPH 2014.02.19 A Transatlantic Conversation Managing Migration in the Era of Mobility2
Video, Audio
February 19, 2014

A Transatlantic Conversation: Managing Migration in the Era of Mobility

This discussion explores how the 2014 Greek Presidency of the European Union and the United States can work to address the challenges of managing migration while meeting humanitarian obligations and nurturing economic growth.

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Video, Audio
December 12, 2013

Tackling Brain Waste among Immigrant Professionals: Initiatives to Improve the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications

This panel discussion focuses on the circulation of skilled immigrant professionals and the recognition of foreign qualifications in the United States and Europe.

MPI Europe event with five panelists at desk
Audio
November 20, 2013

Effective Labour Migration Management: Creating Checks and Balances while Searching for Talent

This Migration Policy Institute Europe event, organized with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, entitled Effective Labour Migration Management: Creating Checks and Balances while Searching for Talent brought together experts, policymakers, and social partners involved in the management of labor migration to discuss the various options available to policymakers.

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Audio
September 18, 2013

Preparing for the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development

The Chair of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, along with the Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for International Migration discuss what is expected from The UN High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in October 2013 and what impact it may have on the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

Pages

Recent Activity

Commentaries
March 2015

The Potential and Pitfalls of Extraterritorial Processing of Asylum Claims

Much attention has focused recently on the possibility of the European Union establishing processing centers in North Africa or elsewhere to manage asylum seekers and migrants traveling to Europe, despite the fact no policy proposal is formally on the table. This commentary examines the opportunities and drawbacks of extraterritorial processing, and suggests the need for a well-informed discussion.

Policy Briefs
March 2015

The Development of EU Policy on Immigration and Asylum: Rethinking Coordination and Leadership

Despite the European Union's high expectations for effectively resolving migration-related challenges, it has become clear that the policy-making structure in place today does little to support this goal. This policy brief addresses the underlying mechanisms of policy development around migration and asylum and identifies areas where reform to EU institutions is needed.

Reports
March 2015

Not Adding Up: The Fading Promise of Europe's Dublin System

The European Union's Dublin Regulation, the mechanism to assign responsibility to Member States for processing individual asylum claims, has been the subject of intense political debate since its inception. This report examines the key criticisms of the Dublin system on asylum, evaluates the potential of the recently adopted recast, and recommends topics for consideration during the scheduled 2016 review of the system.

Policy Briefs
February 2015

Understanding Transnational Dynamics in European Immigrant Integration Policy

In light of the recognition of the need for a new approach to immigrant integration policy in the European Union, policymakers and other actors are beginning to look at the role that origin countries can play in the integration process. This policy brief explores the transnational dynamics at work behind the scenes of integration policy, including wider sociopolitical factors in origin and destination countries.
Reports
February 2015

Supporting Immigrant Integration in Europe: What Role for Origin Countries' Subnational Authorities?

While a number of major migrant-sending countries like Morocco and Turkey have started to take an active role in the integration of their migrants abroad, the role of subnational authorities has been overshadowed by diaspora engagement initiatives at the national level. This report investigates how the activities of origin countries' regional and local institutions may improve the lives of emigrants to Member States of the European Union.

Policy Briefs
February 2015

Improving Migrants' Labour Market Integration in Europe from the Outset: A Cooperative Approach to Predeparture Measures

While there is growing consensus on the value of immigrant integration support prior to departure, such initiatives generally have not fully realized their potential. This policy brief reviews promising examples of predeparture measures for labor market integration in Europe that are jointly designed and/or run by origin- and destination-country actors, illustrating their potential to help effectively address some of the most stubborn obstacles to successful integration.
Policy Briefs
February 2015

Reducing the Risk that Youth with a Migrant Background in Europe Will Leave School Early

Youth of a migrant background are over-represented among those who leave school early in the European Union. This policy brief discusses empirical findings, theoretical insights, and promising measures that may inform further policy action to address the disproportionately high level of early school leaving among students with a migrant background, which results from socioeconomic and other factors.
Policy Briefs
February 2015

Migrant Education and Community Inclusion: Examples of Good Practice

A number of actors outside the formal educational context, including parents, peers, and other community members, can play an important role in the social and educational development of migrant children. This policy brief reviews current measures to promote the integration of migrant students around Europe, focusing on those initiatives that include the family and community as part of the educational process.

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