15 years of achievements: the MIEUX Initiative

The MIgration EU eXpertise Initiative started operations in 2009 and ran until April 2024. During its fifteen-year lifecycle, new challenges and pressing responsibilities in terms of migration management and governance pushed partner countries across Asia, Africa, the European Neighbourhood and Latin America and the Caribbean to look for practical and adaptable solutions.

Many wished to enhance their capacities, be it at the level of government, institutions or professional competencies of staff through an on-demand and tailor-made assistance. This context provided ample opportunity for the Facility to thrive.

15 years of MIEUX in a nutshell

Since 2009, MIEUX received 188 requests for assistance from a wide range of institutions in partner countries, including ministries of interior and foreign affairs, directorates of diaspora, regional organisations, parliamentary and judicial bodies and civil society organisations. Operating across Eastern and Central and Western Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the EU Neighbourhood, MIEUX implemented 138 Actions in more than 100 countries.

To match the expertise needed from the European side, up to 48 EU MS Focal Points were involved at some point during the 15-year tenure, deploying 465 experts from Europe and beyond. This platform for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange reached an estimated 15,000 participants.

Beyond key figures: impact around the world

Beyond the figures, MIEUX played a pivotal role in building bridges between the EU and partner countries by deepening the understanding of migration. It brought together diverse stakeholders to formulate national and regional migration goals, supported the establishment of institutional cooperation frameworks, and empowered partners with tailor-made practices, solutions and policies.

Additionally, MIEUX was instrumental in initiating and developing new opportunities for cooperation for partner countries, the EU and its Member States. Working side by side with other organisations, EU Delegations and EU programmes running in partner countries, the Facility contributed to reinforcing links between authorities, civil society and other groups, depending on the context of each particular partner.

Here are a few examples:

Before the relationship between migration and climate change became prominent in policy agendas, MIEUX created a link between West African authorities and European academics to analyse this phenomenon and feed future regional action plans.
In Costa Rica, the National Integration Plan of Costa Rica 2018- 2022 advanced participatory policy making by giving civil society the reins to conduct the analysis of context and needs. In the following Action, MIEUX+ incorporated local-level government to formulate the policy.
As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the COMESA Secretariat and MIEUX+ experts developed a training course for border officials about safe mobility of people and goods during a health crisis. The development of the course entailed dialogue among COMESA Member States at technical level and awareness raising in border communities, as well as the inclusion of migrants, small-scale cross border traders and cross-border transport professionals in contingency planning and response – following a whole- of-society approach. The content of the training course helped officials during a new cholera outbreak in 2022-23.
Government bodies from Georgia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tajikistan enlisted MIEUX support to develop strategies for the protection of nationals abroad, drawing from lessons learnt during the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) project, active between 2015 and 2019.
In Mexico, following a series of training sessions about international protection standards in the EU using the curriculum from the former European Asylum Support Office, Child Protection Officers put in place a series of improvements to foster a greater sense of trust among unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the Mexican border.
In Thailand, authorities adapted EU practices on victims’ protection by reviewing existing legislation and initiating a pilot project based on lessons learnt from EU MS.
In Madagascar, Malawi and Moldova, MIEUX supported authorities in developing comprehensive and inclusive diaspora engagement policies involving diaspora groups in main countries of destination.
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic extended throughout the world, MIEUX launched a renewed capacity development strategy that pushed for ownership, sustainability and impact. This translated into the creation of a new unique capacity development tool that has been rolled out across Brazil, Cameroon, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan and Uganda to an estimated 80 participants, who will in turn multiply the effects of the training received within their institutions.
European practices from nine EU MS in the field of migrant integration were incorporated into the comprehensive online course “A Holistic Approach to the Integration of Migrants and Refugees”, drafted in collaboration with the University for Continuing Education Krems, Austria and the ICMPD Research Unit. To date, an estimated 200 participants were enrolled as part of a MIEUX Action and completed the course.

A lasting legacy

Between 2009 and 2024, owed to the commitment of experts in public administrations in Europe and partners all around the world, MIEUX contributed to improving the knowledge base on migration. Hundreds of individuals and institutions came together to share expertise, experiences, and perspectives, gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with migration.

Owing to this exchange of knowledge, participants to these MIEUX projects were able to identify promising practices, highlight areas for improvement, and work together to develop more effective solutions, while building bridges across countries, cultures, and disciplines. The legacy lives on in the form of improved services, protocols and policies that will shape migration governance for the years to come.

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