Researchers are working with policy-makers and civil society to identify challenges and develop action strategies for European asylum and migration-related policies.
Answers to Pressing Questions
For many years to come, refugees and migrants, as well as intra-EU mobility of workers will remain fiercely-debated topics in Europe. How these challenges are addressed will impact Europe’s cohesion and capacity to act. The Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) is a three-year research and consultation project which will aim to answer the most relevant research questions and pressing concerns of policy makers.
The Research Alliance
The core research partners in MEDAM are the the Migration Policy Centre (MPC) at the European University Institute, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a Brussels think tank. Through MEDAM, we develop solutions for asylum and immigration policies in the EU and its member states that
- allow the EU to meet its humanitarian obligations towards refugees;
- harness both intra-EU mobility and immigration from third countries for growth and development in countries of origin and destination;
- recognize the role of labor migration in promoting integration with EU accession and neighborhood countries;
- address the migration implications for Europe of population growth and demographic change in developing countries;
- promote the social and labor market integration of immigrants and their descendants, increasing their contribution to Europe’s economic growth.
In doing so, our researchers focus on economic issues in three broad areas:
- EU asylum and migration policies;
- the social and economic integration of immigrants and their contribution to the EU;
- the impact of migration on countries of origin and countries of first asylum.
Combining Research and Dialogue
MEDAM is at the interface between academic research and policy-making. Both, rigorous research and a regular dialogue with decision makers at national and EU levels through a variety of formats are key elements of the project.
We will disseminate our findings and research-based policy recommendations through our core output, the annual Assessment Report, as well as policy briefs and research papers.
In addition, we will share policy-relevant insights at major conferences like the CEPS Ideas Lab and the Think 20 Summit – GLOBAL SOLUTIONS. We plan to form a CEPS-MEDAM Task Force to involve administrators, policy-makers, and researchers in developing implementable proposals for asylum and migration policy reforms.
MEDAM researchers are also participating in the T20 Task Force on Forced Migration. The T20 (Think20) is a group of think tanks from the G20 countries which have been entrusted by the German Federal Government with developing recommendations for the G20 during Germany’s G20 Presidency in 2017. The Kiel Institute is co-chairing the task force to develop proposals with a view to the G20 Summit in July 2017 in Hamburg.
The MPC hosts the first MEDAM’s authors’ meeting on 13-15 February 2017
This meeting is dedicated to bringing together and reviewing the researchers’ findings, sharing policy-relevant insights and developing science-based, implementable proposals for asylum and migration policy reforms.
MEDAM presents its first Asylum and Migration Report at the Think 20 Summit in Berlin, setting out challenges and priorities as the EU and its member states shift from emergency responses to discussing a more durable asylum and immigration regime.
Official website: www.medam-migration.eu
The Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) is funded by Stiftung Mercator.
