Migration Research Foundation

Migration Research Foundation
Name	Migration Research Foundation
Type	Nonprofit research institute
Founded	1989
Headquarters	Geneva
Region	Global
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Dr. Amina Rahman
Focus	Migration, refugee studies, human mobility

Migration Research Foundation

The Migration Research Foundation is an independent international think tank and research institute dedicated to the study of human mobility, refugee movements, diaspora communities, labor migration, and policy responses. Founded by scholars and practitioners with ties to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, World Bank, European Commission, and academic centers such as Oxford University, the Foundation combines quantitative analysis, fieldwork, and policy engagement to inform debates across multilateral forums, regional bodies, and national legislatures. Its staff and fellows have backgrounds at institutions including Columbia University, London School of Economics, Harvard University, Sciences Po, and Australian National University.

History

The Foundation was established in 1989 following conferences that convened experts from UNHCR, IOM, International Labour Organization, Council of Europe, and regional organizations such as the African Union. Early projects examined displacement linked to the Yugoslav Wars, the Rwandan Genocide, and migration flows after the Soviet–Afghan War, producing reports cited in debates at the United Nations General Assembly, European Parliament, and national parliaments in countries including Germany, Canada, Australia, and United Kingdom. During the 1990s and 2000s the Foundation expanded research on irregular migration, collaborating with think tanks like Migration Policy Institute, Brookings Institution, and Chatham House, and advising legal cases heard at courts such as the European Court of Human Rights and national supreme courts. In the 2010s it broadened work on climate-induced mobility following conferences connected to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and contributed to frameworks discussed at the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Mission and Objectives

The Foundation’s mission centers on rigorous, evidence-based research to improve policy responses to displacement and mobility. Key objectives include producing peer-reviewed studies for outlets such as Journal of Refugee Studies, briefing policymakers at United Nations Security Council side events, and training professionals from ministries like Ministry of Interior (France), Department of Homeland Security (United States), and Ministry of Home Affairs (India). It seeks to strengthen protections in instruments like the 1951 Refugee Convention and to provide operational guidance aligned with standards of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and humanitarian law as discussed at forums including the International Criminal Court.

Research Programs and Publications

Programs span thematic units: Forced Displacement and Protection; Labor Migration and Remittances; Migration and Climate Change; Integration and Social Cohesion; and Data and Technology for Migration. The Foundation publishes working papers, policy briefs, and reports distributed to bodies including World Health Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and African Development Bank. Signature publications have been cited in commissions such as the European Migration Network and journals like International Migration Review and Global Policy. It also maintains datasets used by researchers at Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and the Pew Research Center and hosts annual conferences with partners such as International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and Médecins Sans Frontières.

Policy Influence and Advocacy

Through evidence synthesis, testimony before legislative committees in parliaments of United States Congress, House of Commons (UK), and Bundestag, and advisory roles on task forces convened by United Nations High-level Panels, the Foundation has shaped policy on asylum procedures, family reunion, and labor mobility agreements between states like Germany and Turkey, or Canada and Philippines. It provides training modules used by agencies such as European Asylum Support Office and contributes to operational guidance for Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Foundation also engages in public advocacy by submitting amicus briefs in strategic litigation before tribunals including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Governance is through a board composed of former officials from UNHCR, academics from University of Oxford, Yale University, and civil society leaders from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The director leads a secretariat with research fellows, policy analysts, and regional coordinators for Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Funding derives from a mix of philanthropy and grants from foundations such as Open Society Foundations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and research funding agencies like European Research Council and national development agencies including United Kingdom Department for International Development (predecessor bodies) and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Foundation maintains partnerships with academic centers like University of Oxford Centre on Migration, University of California, Berkeley, and Australian National University, and operational links with NGOs including International Rescue Committee, CARE International, and Norwegian Refugee Council. It collaborates on consortia funded by Horizon Europe and participates in networks such as the Global Compact Civil Society Network and the Schengen Area-adjacent policy platforms. Joint projects have involved institutions like World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and regional commissions such as the Economic Community of West African States.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics have challenged the Foundation on perceived proximity to donor agendas, citing funding ties to Open Society Foundations and contractual work for multilateral agencies like World Bank and UNHCR. Some advocacy groups including Citizens for Secure Borders and scholarly critics at University of Cambridge have questioned methodological choices in studies on irregular migration and returns. The Foundation has faced scrutiny in media outlets such as Le Monde and The Guardian over specific policy recommendations tied to labor mobility schemes; inquiries prompted internal reviews and external audits by firms like KPMG and panels of independent experts from International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Category:Migration studies organizations