MPI Europe

Policy Briefs

April 2024

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

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

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.

Reports

January 2024

Confronting Compassion Fatigue: Understanding the Arc of Public Support for Displaced Populations in Turkey, Colombia, and Europe

Young Syrian man and social worker in Turkey

Muse Mohammed/IOM

Large-scale displacement can trigger instability and feelings of threat in refugee host countries. But in certain cases, it can also uncover deep wells of solidarity that create space for generous policy responses. This report explores factors that can foster and erode public support for forced migrants, drawing examples from attitudes towards Syrians in Turkey, Venezuelans in Colombia, and Ukrainians in Europe.

Commentaries

December 2023

One Phase Closes for the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Now Another Begins

Image of EU and Member State flags flapping in wind

iStock.com/stormwatch153

The New Pact on Migration and Asylum agreed in December 2023 by EU Member States and the European Parliament after lengthy negotiation will, without a doubt, go down in history as a signal political accomplishment. But will it result in better management of migration and asylum systems in a complex era? The outcome will turn on implementation and communication, this MPI Europe commentary explains.

Policy Briefs

December 2023

What Role Could Digital Technologies Play in the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum?

European Union flag composed of binary code

iStock.com/BirgitKorber

With EU migration systems under strain, many observers have high hopes that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum will be able to help Europe address pressing challenges. This policy brief explores how digital technologies could support the implementation of the pact, should it be approved, as well as areas where caution is merited.

Policy Briefs

October 2023

Why Matching Matters: Improving Outcomes in Refugee Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways

Syrian refugee family in Argentina who were sponsored by a community group

IOM/Muse Mohammed

In community sponsorship and other programs that directly involve communities and individuals in supporting refugees’ arrival and integration, where and with whom refugees are matched matters a great deal. This policy brief explores the ongoing evolution of approaches taken to matching refugees with sponsors or receiving communities, highlighting innovations and opportunities for further improvements.

Policy Briefs

October 2023

From Safe Homes to Sponsors: Lessons from the Ukraine Hosting Response for Refugee Sponsorship Programs

Ukraine flag hanging from an apartment building in the Netherlands

Gert-Jan van Vliet/iStock.com

As millions of people fled Ukraine and sought safety in countries across Europe after Russia's 2022 invasion, community-led projects emerged to help newcomers find temporary housing in private homes. These hosting initiatives have helped quickly address a pressing housing need, fill gaps in official reception services, and engage communities in welcoming refugees. But they have also posed challenges, as this policy brief discusses.

Recent Activity

Multimedia October 22, 2020 COVID-19, the Withdrawal Agreement and Citizens' Rights: No Time to Waste	Commentaries October 2020 The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum—A Bold Move to Avoid the Abyss? By Hanne Beirens
Reports September 2020 Driving Migrant Inclusion through Social Innovation: Lessons for Cities in a Pandemic By Liam Patuzzi	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
Commentaries September 2020 Greece’s Moria Tragedy: The Crash Test for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum By Hanne Beirens	Articles August 6, 2020 Once a Destination for Migrants, Post-Gaddafi Libya Has Gone from Transit Route to Containment By Katie Kuschminder
Commentaries August 2020 When Emergency Measures Become the Norm: Post-Coronavirus Prospects for the Schengen Zone By Hanne Beirens, Susan Fratzke and Lena Kainz	Multimedia July 10, 2020 Enhancing the Social and Economic Inclusion of Refugees through Local Development Strategies

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Reports November 2017 Beyond Transactional Deals: Building Lasting Migration Partnerships in the Mediterranean By Luca Lixi	Reports November 2017 Safe or Sorry? Prospects for Britons in the European Union after Brexit By Meghan Benton
Policy Briefs September 2017 Engaging Communities in Refugee Protection: The Potential of Private Sponsorship in Europe By Susan Fratzke	Reports September 2017 Tracing the Channels Refugees Use to Seek Protection in Europe By Susan Fratzke and Brian Salant
Reports June 2017 In Search of Common Values amid Large-Scale Immigrant Integration Pressures By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Meghan Benton	Reports May 2017 Taking Stock of Refugee Resettlement: Policy Objectives, Practical Tradeoffs, and the Evidence Base By Hanne Beirens and Susan Fratzke
Reports March 2017 Improving the Labour Market Integration of Migrants and Refugees: Empowering Cities through Better Use of EU Instruments By Kate Hooper, Maria Vincenza Desiderio and Brian Salant	Reports March 2017 Strengthening Local Education Systems for Newly Arrived Adults and Children: Empowering Cities through Better Use of EU Instruments By Brian Salant and Meghan Benton

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Flickr UNHCR Abdu finds his voice in Germany

Video, Audio

April 20, 2018

Making Every Encounter Count: Using Peer Support to Improve Refugee Resettlement

This webinar, featuring findings from an MPI Europe report, examines major challenges facing refugee resettlement peer-support projects in Europe and key lessons for Member States.

Video, Audio

February 8, 2018

Can New Digital and Pedagogical Innovations Help Bridge Education Gaps for Migrant Children?

Amid the arrival of hundreds of thousands of children during the migration crisis in Europe, school systems are increasingly being called upon to find innovative ways to address growing diversity and support children with migrant backgrounds.

flickr welcome to the European Union Dimitar Nikolov 3776066660_0eba667667_z

Video, Audio

January 31, 2018

Migration in Europe: What Trends to Watch in 2018?

Is 2018 the year that the European Union takes leadership on migration on the international stage, or where it focuses inwards on healing internal divisions and delivering on overdue migration and asylum system reforms? This webinar looks ahead at the major external and internal events affecting migration on the continent over the next year.

2018.1.17 State of World on Migration Vitorino_Papademetriou_Collett web

Audio

January 18, 2018

The State of the World on Migration – Vitorino & Papademetriou Discuss Challenges, Opportunities Ahead

This MPI Europe discussion brings together two of the most experienced thinkers on migration policy— António Vitorino and Demetrios G. Papademetriou—to explore what will be needed over the next years to ensure that the properly managed movement of people remains an integral, positive force in the world.

Audio

November 16, 2017

Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: Maintaining Momentum and Creating Lasting Change

Following the arrival of large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe from 2015 onwards, many nontraditional actors—from tech start-ups to social enterprises—pioneered solutions to foster the social and economic inclusion of newcomers.

Recent Activity

Video, Audio, Webinars

June 29, 2020

Climate Change and Migration: Converging Issues, Diverging Funding

This MPI Europe discussion explored different migration policy options related to climate adaptation and the evolving landscape of climate finance tools. Speakers also examined what funding gaps and opportunities exist for collaboration with partner countries and what funding instruments might address the most pressing needs. The conversation also explored the implications of COVID-19 for migration and climate adaptation funding approaches.

Video, Audio, Webinars

June 25, 2020

Rethinking and Restarting: What Should the Returns Process Look Like Post-Pandemic?

This MPI Europe webinar showcases speakers from Belgium's Fedasil, the French Office of Immigration and Integration, and IOM discussing the counselling of (potential) returnees to increase the uptake of voluntary return—a return option that is generally seen as more humanitarian, practical, and less expensive.

Policy Briefs

June 2020

Measuring Up? Using Monitoring and Evaluation to Make Good on the Promise of Refugee Sponsorship

A growing number of countries, particularly in Europe, have piloted or implemented refugee sponsorship programs in recent years. Yet there is limited evidence of how well these programs, which tap community members and civil society to take key roles in refugee resettlement, are working and how they can be improved. This issue brief explores how building monitoring and evaluation activities into sponsorship programs can help answer these and other critical questions.

Video, Audio, Webinars

June 15, 2020

Migrants in Africa & COVID-19: From Emergency Measures to Inclusive Social Protection Systems

This MPI Europe discussion explores what emergency measures have been deployed by African governments and aid actors in response to COVID-19 to assist migrants in need, along with what the health crisis says about social protection systems, the incentives for inclusionary systems for all, and how to make some of these measures sustainable.

Reports

June 2020

Using Evidence to Improve Refugee Resettlement: A Monitoring and Evaluation Road Map

There has been a flurry of activity around refugee resettlement in recent years, with countries in Europe and elsewhere piloting or scaling up operations. To support the sustainability of these programs, particularly in light of the hiatus forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, strong evidence of what works and under what conditions is essential. This report explores how countries can launch or expand their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, and the value this can bring.

Reports

May 2020

European Cities on the Front Line: New and Emerging Governance Models for Migrant Inclusion

As migration transforms cities across Europe—both large metropolises and small cities—there is a thriving debate about how to support immigrants’ integration into communities, labor markets, and health and education systems. This MPI Europe-International Organization for Migration report explores promising approaches that make the most of local governance tools to optimize migrant inclusion, even in the face of challenges.

Articles

May 1, 2020

Under Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Europe Feels the Pinch from Slowed Intra-EU Labor Mobility

Border closures and lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic have put a chill on intra-EU labor mobility, most immediately with the difficulty for European farmers to gain access to much-needed seasonal workers and for health-care institutions to get care workers. This article explores how these workers, who often face difficult situations, may be more vulnerable now. It also takes on implications for intra-EU labor mobility post-pandemic.

Commentaries

April 2020

As COVID-19 Slows Human Mobility, Can the Global Compact for Migration Meet the Test for a Changed Era?

The coronavirus pandemic dramatically reshaped how human mobility is managed just as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration was beginning to move from paper to implementation. As governments face pressing public-health, economic, and other concerns in responding to COVID-19, this MPI Europe commentary explores whether the first comprehensive global agreement on migration can adjust to a changed reality.

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