The migration-development nexus is increasingly important at both EU and international levels, yet a comprehensive mapping of national policies and initiatives remains largely absent. This inform examines national initiatives in EMN Member Countries and Serbia that implement the migration-development nexus, at strategic and operational/programme level. It highlights initiatives funded and/or implemented through bilateral or multilateral cooperation between these countries and third-country partners, covering activities from 2019 to 2023. It also discusses the good practices and challenges encountered by EMN Member Countries and Serbia in implementing the migration-development nexus.
This inform offers a comprehensive overview of EMN Member Countries and Serbia’s approaches to the migration-development nexus at both strategic and operational levels. Some countries implement this nexus through dedicated strategies, while others incorporate it into broader development or migration strategies. For instance, Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy have specific strategies, while fifteen EMN Member Countries include migration-development links in their national development cooperation strategies, and ten do so in their national migration strategies. These approaches often focus on creating sustainable perspectives in countries of origin and destination to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, improving migration governance structures, fostering regular migration and skills mobility, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration, diaspora engagement, and raising awareness on the migration-development nexus. At operational level, programs implementing this nexus target diverse populations, such as displaced people, migrants, returnees, and local communities, and involve a wide range of partners, including international organizations, NGOs, local authorities, universities, and the private sector.
Geographically, the focus for the implementation of the migration-development nexus is primarily Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa. Other key regions include the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Partnership countries, and Latin and Central America.
To enhance decision-making and coordination regarding the migration-development nexus, six EMN Member Countries have established dedicated cooperation structures, such as joint platforms and working groups. Coordination is also achieved through regular exchanges or participation in broader interministerial platforms.
Funding for these programmes and initiatives often combines national and European Union (EU) resources, with national development cooperation funding being the most common source.
While most EMN Member Countries monitor the implementation of migration-development nexus initiatives through general mechanisms applicable to all development cooperation and/or migration initiatives, Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands have dedicated mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating their contributions at operational and strategic levels.
Several aspects have been highlighted as good practices in addressing the migration-development nexus, including effective coordination among key stakeholders, the inclusion of migrants, diaspora populations, and partner countries in the design and implementation of relevant programmes, the development of specific strategic guidelines/action plans, and the creation of indicators to measure progress.
Despite these efforts, challenges remain, such as coordination difficulties, access to funding, and political sensitivities.
The inform:
- Title: “Migration and development cooperation”
- Subject: The migration-development nexus is increasingly important at EU and international levels. This inform examines national strategies, policies, and specific programmes in EMN Member Countries and Serbia from 2019 to 2023, highlighting initiatives through bilateral and multilateral cooperation with third-country partners.
The EMN
The European Migration Network (EMN) is a Europe-wide network consisting of National Contact Points (NCPs) in the EMN Member (EU Member States except Denmark) and Observer Countries (NO, GE, MD, UA, ME, AM, RS), the European Commission and is supported by the EMN Service Provider, providing information on migration and asylum. The EMN was set up in 2008 by the European Commission on behalf of the European Council in order to satisfy the need for a regular exchange of reliable information on migration and asylum related issues on a European level.