Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe) is a nonprofit, independent research institute devoted to providing a better understanding of migration in 21st century Europe. Founded in Brussels in 2011, MPI Europe provides authoritative research and practical policy design to governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders who seek more effective management of immigration, immigrant integration, and asylum systems as well as successful outcomes for newcomers, families of immigrant background, and receiving communities throughout Europe.
MPI Europe also provides a forum for the exchange of information on migration and immigrant integration governance within the European Union and across Europe, building upon the work of its parent, the Migration Policy Institute. The Institute, which draws upon a strong bench of exceptional thinkers and researchers within the broader International Program of the Migration Policy Institute, has a unique vantage point due to its ability to pair deep quantitative and qualitative research expertise with real knowledge of the policy-making world.
MPI Europe helps governments to understand the potential impact of the policy options available, make balanced policy choices on the basis of rigorously analysed evidence, and develop coherent immigration systems that are both robust to shocks, but respond to necessary change. The Institute helps publics and immigrants access information and knowledge about immigration trends, immigrants themselves, and their role in society; understand the complex trade-offs that immigration and diversity can entail; and build strong and equal European societies for both current and future generations.
MPI Europe recognises that well-reasoned and evidenced policy design is necessary, but may be insufficient if not accompanied by committed implementation and consistent monitoring of outcomes. As a result, the organisation focuses on the whole of the policy cycle, from conception to evaluation, and seeks to promote a coherent, well-governed and comprehensive immigration system capable of addressing the economic, social, and security challenges of the 21st century.
In Brussels, analysts focus on comparative research within Europe on a broad range of issues, as well as policy development on the level of the European Union. Some of MPI Europe’s current projects include:
EU Asylum: Towards 2020: This multiannual project, launched in 2014 in collaboration with the International Migration Initiative (IMI) of the Open Society Foundations, aims to generate far-reaching, yet practical ideas to help ensure that the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) will continue to develop in a way that is consistent with EU interests, values, and international obligations. The project will assess the character and changing nature of international protection, evaluate the challenges Member States and EU bodies face in protecting those at risk while maintaining effective migration management systems, and explore thoroughly the views of different actors on how to strengthen and improve the CEAS.
Developing Effective Strategies for the Mainstreaming of Integration Governance (UPSTREAM): Following on from successful previous research on the mainstreaming of integration policies in Europe, MPI Europe has partnered with five other leading research institutes to expand the research on why and how governments in Europe are reforming existing immigrant integration approaches to better serve diverse communities. The project looks at integration policy design, governance, and practice in France, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as well as at the EU level, and is funded through the European Integration Fund.
Researching Third Country Nationals’ Integration as a Three-Way Process – Immigrants, Countries of Emigration and Countries of Immigration as Actors of Integration (INTERACT): This research project investigates how, and to what, extent governments and nongovernmental organizations of origin countries play a role in the integration trajectories of immigrants in EU Member States. It takes into account the crosscutting dimension of immigrant integration, and aims to identify the more promising areas for enhanced cooperation between destination and origin countries in the governance of integration. The INTERACT project is co-funded by the European Integration Fund, and is led by the European University Institute (EUI).
MPI Europe's offices are:
155 Rue de la Loi, 5th Floor
+ 32 (2) 235 2113