MPI Europe

Reports

June 2022

The COVID-19 Catalyst: Learning from Pandemic-Driven Innovations in Immigrant Integration Policy

JRS Europe volunteers and young refugees wearing face masks visit a site in Luxembourg

Jesuit Refugee Service

The pandemic and its economic fallout have created a perfect storm for immigrant integration, challenging the well-being and livelihoods of many migrants and refugees in Europe and North America while upending governments’ usual policy toolbox. This report looks at how policymakers and civil society have innovated, and what lessons can be gleaned to strengthen immigrant integration governance going forward.

Policy Briefs

June 2022

Embedding Reintegration Assistance for Returning Migrants in the Local Context: The Role of Referrals

Two women at a Sudanese community center rehabilitated by IOM and a local NGO

IOM/Muse Mohammed

Although European programs to support returning migrants’ reintegration into the communities where they settle have expanded and improved in recent years, returning—at times after years away—is never easy. This policy brief looks at how reintegration programs can adapt the assistance they provide to the local context and connect returnees with longer-term support through referrals, and what it takes to make these referrals successful.

Policy Briefs

May 2022

Leveraging Predeparture Counseling to Support Returning Migrants’ Sustainable Reintegration

A man stands next to a taxi he got with the help of IOM's AVRR program

IOM

As assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) programs proliferate in Europe, there is growing recognition that counseling migrants as they prepare to return to their countries of origin can play an important role in their longer-term reintegration. This policy brief assesses the gaps between counselors in Europe and organizations supporting migrants after return that will need to be overcome to maximize the benefits of predeparture counseling.

Commentaries

April 2022

The UK-Rwanda Agreement Represents Another Blow to Territorial Asylum

Home Secretary Priti Patel & Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta hold asylum accord

Home Office

The United Kingdom’s controversial deal with Rwanda to relocate certain asylum seekers there—not for offshore processing for possible settlement in the United Kingdom but as a permanent destination—will have far-reaching implications, possibly destabilizing the norms and architecture of the post-World War II protection system, this commentary argues.

Reports

March 2022

Promoting the Inclusion of Europe’s Migrants and Minorities in Arts and Culture

Four refugee artists stand with a piece of art they have created together that will be shown at the Venice Biennale

European cities are becoming ever more diverse. Yet migrants and minorities are often under-represented among mainstream cultural venues’ visitors, featured artists, and staff. This MPI Europe report examines strategies for improving the inclusion of migrant and minority communities in culture and the arts, with the aim of boosting integration outcomes, strengthening social cohesion, and making cultural institutions more vibrant.

Commentaries

February 2022

Is Europe Prepared for a Possible Large-Scale Ukrainian Displacement Crisis?

Scene of Ukrainian street with barricades.

Tested by the 2015-16 refugee crisis, are EU Member States better prepared for large-scale displacement of Ukrainians? This MPI Europe commentary examines preparedness for the possible inflow of Ukrainians, who already have visa-free access to the bloc.

Featured

Moving Beyond Pandemic — A Podcast

Catch our new podcast, which examines the challenges facing the world as it seeks to restart travel and migration chilled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The repercussions of this dramatic halt to mobility will be profound, and will almost certainly lead to transformations that will reshape movement for the foreseeable future—maybe even permanently, as we explore.

Recent Activity

Reports November 2020 The Next Generation of Refugee Resettlement in Europe: Ambitions for the Future and How to Realize Them By Susan Fratzke and Lena Kainz	Multimedia November 18, 2020 Welfare States and Migration: How Will the Pandemic Reshape a Complex Relationship?
Reports November 2020 Building Welcome from the Ground up: European Small and Rural Communities Engaging in Refugee Resettlement By Liam Patuzzi, Monica Andriescu and Antonio Pietropolli	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

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Policy Briefs November 2018 The End of the Retirement Dream? British Pensioners in the European Union after Brexit By Helen McCarthy	Reports October 2018 Applying Behavioral Insights to Support Immigrant Integration and Social Cohesion By Meghan Benton, Antonio Silva and Will Somerville
Reports October 2018 Tech Jobs for Refugees: Assessing the Potential of Coding Schools for Refugee Integration in Germany By Ben Mason	Reports October 2018 Jobs in 2028: How Will Changing Labor Markets Affect Immigrant Integration in Europe? By Meghan Benton and Liam Patuzzi
Policy Briefs August 2018 Deciding Which Road to Take: Insights into How Migrants and Refugees in Greece Plan Onward Movement By Katie Kuschminder	Reports July 2018 A Needed Evidence Revolution: Using Cost-Benefit Analysis to Improve Refugee Integration Programming By Meghan Benton and Paul Diegert
Reports June 2018 After the Storm: Learning from the EU Response to the Migration Crisis By Elizabeth Collett and Camille Le Coz	Reports May 2018 Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion Conference Report: Maintaining Momentum and Creating Lasting Change By Liam Patuzzi and Alexandra Embiricos

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Audio

December 5, 2019

Turning the Tide: Addressing the Long-Term Challenges of EU Mobility for Sending Countries

Amid debates about the costs and benefits of free movement, this webinar examines evidence from the REMINDER project on different types of East-West mobility. Speakers examine big-picture trends of East-West migration; consider possible policy responses at regional, national, and EU levels to alleviate challenges; and reflect on actions that could be taken under a new European Commission.

Audio

October 23, 2019

Legal Migration Pathways to Europe for Low- and Middle-Skilled Migrants

This event hosted by MPI Europe and the Research Unit of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration featured a discussion on research into legal migration pathways for work and training for low- and middle-skilled migrants.

flickr EUCivilProtectionHumanitarianAidOperations Refugee crisis in the Western Balkans

Video, Audio

July 15, 2019

On the Wrong Path? Protecting the European Union’s External Border in the Western Balkans

With thousands migrants potentially traveling through the Western Balkans this year, this MPI Europe webinar explores the implications of the buttressed EU border on the bloc’s neighbors, the migrants transiting these routes, and the local communities.

FLICKR UNMigrationAgencyIOM LearningGeography

Video, Audio

June 12, 2019

Embarking on the Next Journey: Innovations in Predeparture Orientation Programs for Refugees

This MPI Europe webinar examines innovative ways to better design and implement predeparture orientation programs for resetttling refugees. The discussion features observations from a refugee who went through an orientation program before being resettled in the Netherlands, and a resettlement agency official in Norway.

Audio

January 25, 2019

Building the Foundations for Inclusion: What Does the Future Hold for Immigrant Integration in Europe?

This meeting highlighted lessons from MPI Europe’s flagship Integration Futures initiative, which seeks to develop creative and strategic approaches to addressing today’s most difficult and pressing integration challenges—and to better plan for those around the corner.

Recent Activity

Reports

November 2020

The Next Generation of Refugee Resettlement in Europe: Ambitions for the Future and How to Realize Them

In recent years, the European Union and some of its Member States have taken on a greater role in global refugee resettlement, expanding or launching new programs and experimenting with creative approaches to providing protection to those in need. This report looks ahead to how these efforts, investments, and lessons learned can be built upon, even in the face of the uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video, Audio, Webinars

November 18, 2020

Welfare States and Migration: How Will the Pandemic Reshape a Complex Relationship?

This MPI Europe webinar reflects on the implications of this current moment for European economies and societies and the role of immigration and immigrant integration policy, and highlight research from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre on the fiscal and demographic impacts of migration.

Reports

November 2020

Building Welcome from the Ground up: European Small and Rural Communities Engaging in Refugee Resettlement

Small towns and rural areas within Europe have become more active in receiving resettled refugees in recent years. How is resettlement to these communities different compared to urban areas? And what can be done to make good on the promise of “rural welcoming”? This report explores these questions, drawing on interviews with resettled refugees and receiving-community members in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Video, Audio, Webinars

October 22, 2020

COVID-19, the Withdrawal Agreement and Citizens' Rights: No Time to Waste

This webinar explores how governments’ implementation plans for the Brexit withdrawal agreement have been affected by COVID-19, and the potential implications for citizens’ rights at the end of the transition period and beyond. Among the topics covered: which mobile populations are most at risk at the intersection between Brexit and the pandemic, and what contingency measures might mitigate these vulnerabilities and keep timelines on track.

Commentaries

October 2020

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum—A Bold Move to Avoid the Abyss?

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum represents a last-gasp effort by European leaders to devise a plan that keeps all 27 countries at the table, at a time when growing numbers are refusing to accept asylum seekers under the existing redistribution mechanism. Can the pact’s concept of solidarity à la carte work? The pact may well be the last step before an abyss in which each country determines the fate of migrants and refugees, practically guaranteeing future conflict.

Reports

September 2020

Driving Migrant Inclusion through Social Innovation: Lessons for Cities in a Pandemic

Since COVID-19 hit cities across Europe, many have struggled with how to sustain support for migrant inclusion in a time of social-distancing orders and likely budget cuts. This report explores how municipalities and their partners used social innovation to meet the challenges of the 2015–16 spike in arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants, and how those experiences can help localities weather the pandemic and put communities at the center of recovery efforts.

Policy Briefs

September 2020

Brexit on the Backburner: Citizens’ Rights and the Implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement in a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic hit just weeks after the United Kingdom formally left the European Union, delaying plans to implement the withdrawal agreement’s provisions on citizens’ rights. This policy brief assesses the progress countries have made in setting up systems to adjust the status of mobile EU and UK nationals, as well as steps countries can take to make up for lost time.

Commentaries

September 2020

Greece’s Moria Tragedy: The Crash Test for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

The fires that devastated the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos have further raised the stakes for the soon-to-be unveiled EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. If Moria persists as a concept—with asylum seekers prevented from onward movement elsewhere in Europe—this becomes an integral pillar of future EU asylum practice, whatever is written on paper, as this commentary explores.

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