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| Migration Policy Centre | |
|---|---|
| Name | Migration Policy Centre |
| Formation | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Florence, Italy |
| Parent organization | European University Institute |
Migration Policy Centre
The Migration Policy Centre is a research hub based at the European University Institute, focusing on international migration, asylum, and mobility issues across Europe and neighbouring regions. It produces policy‑relevant analysis linking scholars from Italy, Belgium, Germany, France, and other European Union member states with practitioners from institutions such as the European Commission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The centre convenes experts on topics spanning Refugee crisis in Europe (2015–2016), Mediterranean Sea migrant crossings, and external migration partnerships like the Valletta Summit on Migration.
The centre operates within the European University Institute in Florence, engaging with academic networks including the University of Oxford, Sciences Po, Hertie School, Central European University, and Université libre de Bruxelles. Its remit covers comparative studies of migration governance in contexts such as the Schengen Area, European External Action Service missions, and bilateral frameworks like the EU–Turkey Statement (2016). The centre liaises with agencies including the International Organization for Migration, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the World Bank to produce actionable research on migration trajectories, demographic change, and integration policy.
Founded in 2011 at the European University Institute amid debates sparked by events including the Arab Spring and the 2015 European migrant crisis, the centre expanded from an initial project-focused unit to a multidisciplinary hub linking scholars from University of Cambridge, Università di Bologna, King's College London, and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Early initiatives mapped flows across the Mediterranean Sea and informed dialogues at conferences such as the Valletta Summit on Migration and policy forums hosted by the European Commission. Over time, it integrated quantitative teams with qualitative expertise drawn from the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity and the Migration Research Hub.
Research strands include irregular migration and border control studies referencing operations like Operation Mare Nostrum and Frontex deployments, labour migration engaging with Destination countries across Northern Europe and Southern Europe, asylum adjudication comparative work involving the European Court of Human Rights case law, and integration research connecting to urban case studies in Athens, Rome, and Barcelona. Projects have examined smuggling networks linked to incidents in the Central Mediterranean and the role of externalisation in instruments like the EU Readmission Agreements. Collaborative studies have involved partners such as IOM Global Migration Data Analysis Centre, Migration Policy Institute, Illicit Flows Observatory, and research initiatives funded through programmes like Horizon 2020.
The centre issues policy briefs, working papers, and data reports cited in policy debates at the European Parliament and by agencies such as UNHCR and Frontex. Outputs include comparative datasets used alongside releases from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank, thematic analyses on topics featured in journals like the Journal of Refugee Studies and the International Migration Review, and briefing notes referenced during summits such as the Valletta Summit on Migration and meetings of the Council of the European Union. The centre also curates maps and dashboards employed by think tanks including Bruegel and Chatham House.
Formal collaborations link the centre with universities like Leiden University, University of Barcelona, and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, as well as policy organisations including European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and European Council on Refugees and Exiles. It has contributed to consortiums alongside International Rescue Committee, Médecins Sans Frontières, and research bodies such as the European Migration Network and the Global Migration Data Analysis Centre.
Research from the centre has informed debates in the European Parliament on asylum procedure reform, influenced programming at the European Commission and Frontex operational planning, and contributed evidence used by the Council of Europe and UNHCR in protection policy reviews. Analyses have featured in dialogues around the EU–Turkey Statement (2016), the framing of Safe third country concepts in litigation at the European Court of Human Rights, and policy papers discussed during summits like the Valletta Summit on Migration.
Embedded within the European University Institute, governance involves academic directors and advisory boards with members from institutions such as Sciences Po, University of Oxford, and Leiden University. Funding streams include competitive grants from the European Commission Horizon programmes, project support from Open Society Foundations, partnerships with the IOM and UNHCR, and commissioned research from national ministries including those of Italy and Belgium.
Affiliated scholars and alumni have held positions or collaborated with organisations such as the European Commission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, King's College London, University of Oxford, University of Amsterdam, Institut Français des Relations Internationales, and think tanks like Migration Policy Institute and Chatham House. Former researchers have authored work cited in venues including the Journal of Refugee Studies, International Migration Review, and briefing series used by the European Parliament.
Category:Research institutes in Italy Category:Migration studies