Migration

Migration and mobility can stimulate development as drivers of social and economic change, but they also pose significant challenges. Our Migration programme wants to help tackle these challenges, making use of the potential of migration for global development and improving cooperation between Europe and Africa.

In the past years, migration has remained high on the agenda of European and African policymakers. But interests and approaches greatly vary between – and even within – the two continents. Moreover, European and African policies and joint cooperation are still often geared towards short-term solutions. Migration merits a much broader discussion, not only on its root causes, but also on its potential to stimulate development and be part of the solution to many challenges the world is grappling with. While the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted mobility and migratory flows, it has also highlighted some of the benefits of migration, such as the importance of migrant workers in both Africa and Europe.

What we do

• We analyse European and African migration policies, practices and interests.
• We look at migration cooperation between Africa and Europe.
• We explore the links between migration and development, the private sector, gender, climate and food security.

Specific topics we focus on include return and reintegration, remittances, legal mobility, migrant protection, diaspora engagement, the new EU Pact on Asylum and Migration, the AU’s Migration Policy Framework for Africa and its Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, and COVID-19.

For more information about our recent activities and projects, have a look at our 2021 work plan or our 2019 annual report.

Get in touch

Do you want to know more about our work or are you interested in partnering with us? Get in touch with one of our team members.

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock.