Migration and Development

The European Union is supporting the Ecuadorian Chairmanship of the 2019 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) through the MIgration EU eXpertise (MIEUX) Initiative, implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in hosting the two-day regional workshop “Harnessing Migration for Rural Development”, on 14 and 15 August in Kingston, Jamaica. The second of a series of four regional workshops ahead of the Quito Summit in November will gather representatives from academia, national and local-level governments, International organisations and civil society to exchange experiences. 

The European Union is supporting the Ecuadorian Chairmanship of the Global Forum on Migration and Development through the MIgration EU eXpertise (MIEUX) Initiative, implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in hosting the two-day regional workshop “Facilitating social and economic inclusion”, on 24 and 25 July in San José, Costa Rica. The first of a series of four regional round-tables ahead of the Quito Summit in November will gather representatives from academia, national and local-level government and civil society to exchange experiences in how to deliver services and apply innovative and rights-based approaches for the social and economic inclusion of migrants. 

Veronica Schaffer was placed with the MIEUX team in a 5-week internship programme organised within the framework of a joint summer school "Brussels Programme on European Foreign Policy" between the University of Southern California and the Institute for European Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. During her time, she assisted with the preparations for the Project Lab MIEUX organised during the European Development Days, held over the course of two days last June in Brussels.  

This article describes some of the most recent Actions in the area of diaspora engagement that MIEUX is currently supporting in Ghana and Madagascar.

During the 2019 European Development Days, held on 18 and 19 June under the theme “Inequalities: building a world which leaves no one behind”, MIEUX, along with other ICMPD projects, organized a panel of experts who spoke about the various challenges and inequalities faced by migrants along various points of the migration journey.

This week we were in Praia for the closing of the 4^th MIEUX Action in Cabo Verde, presenting the Municipal Action Plans for Immigration and Integration (MAPII) we have helped to develop alongside with local authorities and the Direction General for Immigration (DGI). 

In light of the forthcoming UN Capacity Building Mechanism (CBM), MIEUX publishes a new Thematic Factsheet "Enhancing migration governance through capacity building " to describe how the programme has approached this subject since 2009 and to extract some of the key elements associated with it. 

As part of the official programme of the 11th Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit, the Republic of Moldova and the joint EU-ICMPD MIgration EU eXpertise Initiative will co-host the side event “What role for capacity building in turning the Global Compact on  Migration into action?” on Friday 07 December at the Orangeraie Room, Palmeraie Conference Center in Marrakesh, between 08.30 and 09:45am. Working language will be English with French interpretation.

In this edition of Expertise, published on World Cities Day, both expert and partner authority discuss their insights around local-level integration and the central role of municipal services and government in easing immigrants’ transition into their country of destination. 

The joint EU- ICMPD Migration EU eXpertise Initiative (MIEUX) gathered 20 participants, composed of a mix of partner authorities, experts and MIEUX staff, for a two-day workshop in Cotonou, Benin about Migration and Environment. The event is the last of a series of activities executed after the request from the Ministry of Environment of Benin, the Office of Secretary of State of Guinea-Bissau and Ministry of Planning, Development and Land Use of Togo back in 2015.

In the latest edition of Expertise, MIEUX Expert Dr. Martin Russell, co-founder of the forthcoming DiasporaLab, gives his viewson the evolution and current trends in diaspora engagement, one of the areas that governments, especially across Africa, are developing as part of comprehensive migration and development strategies.

Today MIEUX publishes two new Regional Factsheets on Eastern, Central and Southern Africa and on Latin America and the Caribbean. In total, 37 Actions across these two regions have supported governments on important areas of migration such as data collection, migration and development, irregular migration, THB and smuggling of migrants (SOM). 

Mr. Pelayo Castro Zuzuarregui is the resident Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to Costa Rica. In this interview, first published in MIEUX's Annual Report 2017, he discusses his involvement in the MIEUX Action assisting the Government of Costa Rica in drafting the second phase of the National Integration Plan.

In this interview, first published in the 2017 MIEUX Annual Report, Ms. Lanto Rahajarizafy, Director in charge of the Diaspora for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Madagascar, discusses her experience receiving support from MIEUX in the formulation of an inclusive and sustainable diaspora engagement policy that will provide a framework for the government to harness its potential for development. 

The 2017 Annual report describes the year’s activities; provides a wealth of data about MIEUX Actions; and features interviews from some of the main players involved in the programme.

As part of the ongoing 10-year celebrations, on 05 June 2018 MIEUX organised the Project Lab “Gender in migration policy-making: between protection and empowerment” during this year’s European Development Days (EDDs).

As 2017 draws to an end, it is time to reflect on what we have accomplished. What have our Actions achieved during these past 12 months in order to advance migration cooperation between EU and partner countries? Here is a selection of five main achievements and nine Actions that illustrate our progress.

On 22 November 2017, a MIEUX delegation will attend the presentation of the new National Migration and Development Policy, prepared with support from MIEUX, in Port Louis, Mauritius.

In this edition of MIEUX Reflections, Pauline Dunoyer de Segonzac, MIEUX’s Coordinator for West Africa, shares her insights about her mission in September, when she accompanied a delegation of Nigerian Maritime Border Management officials on a five-day study visit to Malta. The study visit is part of a six-step ongoing Action designed to assist the Nigerian Immigration Service in this area.

MIEUX Reflections is an ongoing series that provides a space where our Project Staff can share their insights on their recent missions.

On any given week, a member of the MIEUX team, together with a group of experts, can be deployed around the world to support EU partner countries in reviewing, transforming and improving their migration policies.

These missions provide opportunities to interact with the full range of local, regional and/or national actors that are involved in  MIEUX’s activities.

Once on the ground, the many months of preparation come alive, inspiring the Project Staff to go forward and apply Lessons Learnt into new activities.

As part of MIEUX’s ongoing support to the Government of Mauritius in drafting a new National Migration and Development Policy and Action Plan, a MIEUX delegation travelled to Port Louis 29 August-1 September 2017 to convene a two-day workshop with 30 participants from national ministries, representatives from international organisations, the business sector and local NGOs. A complementary series of 15 bilateral meetings with State and non-State actors ensued over the following two days.