Mixed Migration Centre (MMC)

📌 It's out! The Mixed Migration Review 2024 "Migration politics, migration narratives and public opinions" is now live, available in both PDF and e-publication formats. #MMR2024 - Dive into the insights and findings here: https://lnkd.in/gR7nZFBv - Join our webinar today at 2pm with a panel discussion on the politics of migration narratives :  https://lnkd.in/egch52fN - Follow the streaming on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eYQxqik8 🔹 What is the Mixed Migration Review? This year’s Mixed Migration Review explores the interwoven relationship of politics and migration. Almost half the world’s population in more than 80 countries headed to the polls in 2024. The report provides evidence-based counterfactuals to migration myths found commonly in media coverage and political discourse. Based on data from 60,000 surveys conducted through MMC’s 4Mi programme, these counterfactuals challenge misconceptions about the role of smugglers in migration decisions, the perceived pull-factor of generous asylum systems, and the impact of climate change on international mobility. 🔹 What to expect? The Mixed Migration Reviews 2024 features data, analysis, thematic essays, interviews with experts and stories from migrants, in four sections: 1. Regions on the move Provides an overview of noteworthy events and migration policies in 2024 in Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Europe and Asia, and includes thematic articles for each region, and stories from migrants. 2. Alternative perspectives  Features five essays from writers under thirty years old based in and from the Global South who won MMC’s annual essay competition. 3. Policy and politics in a year of election Explores how migration is politicized and instrumentalized, with essays, expert interviews, and data from MMC’s 4Mi surveys that challenge common myths about migration. The section also looks at alternative (local) governance approaches for migration management and integration. 4. Resisting the extreme and normalising the extreme As each year, the MMR charts the positive and negative state-led interventions and policies that directly impact people on the move. We very much look forward to your participation! Danish Refugee Council / Dansk Flygtningehjælp

📢 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗺𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Our latest data shows travel restrictions are such a hurdle that even migrants with legal documents turn to smugglers instead of using regular channels. Full snapshot here: https://bit.ly/4iaheGg 🔍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼? Between May and August 2024, we surveyed 1,980 migrants who used smugglers to understand their evolving role in Central Sahel. Respondents were interviewed across 11 locations in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. 📊 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🔹🛂 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 over the hassle of legal travel. Among 1,913 respondents, 60% had legal documents or were in a regular situation. Burkina Faso: 80% of surveyed migrants reported a regular status—compared to 52% in Mali and 50% in Niger. 🔹🚍 𝗦𝗺𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: While border crossing was the most common service (used by 63% of respondents), their second most common role was dealing with authorities (41% of respondents), followed by helping migrants travel within countries (39%). 🔹🆘 𝗦𝗺𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: Nearly half (49%) of migrants who received help en route said smugglers provided it—more than family/friends (44%), fellow migrants (42%), or local populations (25%). (In Burkina Faso, however, smugglers ranked fourth as assistance providers.) 🔹ℹ️ 𝗔 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Smugglers were reported as a key source of information for migrants in terms of reliability and frequency of use. They became the primary source of information for 64% of the respondents who received information during their journey (n=1,646), surpassing family and friends. 🔹👀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗺𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀: ✔️ 83% of migrants felt their smuggler helped them achieve their goal. ❌ 17% felt they were intentionally misled. A larger paper is also arriving soon on smuggling in Central Sahel. 💬 Comments or questions? Drop them below! ⬇️ 🔎 Read the full snapshot here: https://lnkd.in/ezCZ7Q8u

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁? At MMC, we’ve been running our 4Mi migrant survey since 2014, gathering data from 150,000 people on the move across the world. It’s one of the largest data collection efforts on mixed migration. In this article, Chloe Sydney takes you 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝟰𝗠𝗶 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻—a process that will shape how we collect and interpret data for years to come. Over time, migration trends shift, and so do the lessons we learn from using our own tools. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆? 📖 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂. If you work in migration research or data collection, we'd love to hear from you. What challenges have you faced? What do you think of the questions Chloe raises? At MMC, we want to take you behind the scenes of our work—our research methods, dilemmas, and the key questions that emerge as we study mixed migration. What topics would you like us to explore next?

Europe Key Mixed Migration Updates include: 📉 The total number of registered arrivals in Europe declined in 2024 to 199,200, down from 270,700 in 2023. 👉 Much of this drop was due to migration along the Central Mediterranean route in 2024 being less than half (42%) of what it was the previous year.  ... 📈 On the other hand, movement along the Eastern Mediterranean route to Greece rose by 27% during the year and increased by 16% along the Western Africa/Atlantic route to the Canary Islands. 📖 Read all the latest #MixedMigration Updates here: https://lnkd.in/e2C5dDYZ

MMC's Ayla Bonfiglio, PhD participated in the Khartoum Process meeting in Adis Ababa, and was honoured to moderate a panel on 'Ensuring Sustainable Reintegration and Development for Thriving Communities'. The panel featured perspectives from the Ethiopian government, academia, civil society, and IOM. Speakers included: -𝘔𝘳. 𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘧𝘢 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘢, 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴  -𝘋𝘳. 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘨𝘯𝘢, 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘢 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 -𝘋𝘳. 𝘈𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘢, 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢 -𝘔𝘴. 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘦, 𝘐𝘖𝘔 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢  Panelists discussed good practices for sustainable reintegration, including: • Programming focused not only on returning individuals, but also their communities and broader governance structures.  • Collaboration with local private enterprise and strategies for incentivizing private sector partnerships • Programming that accounts for diverse returnee profiles and experiences, and stigma faced by returnees in home communities. • Any many more!  A big thank you to the Khartoum Process and all participating governments and stakeholders.

📢 Just released : our latest infographic on 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗽, featuring data collected throughout 2024. Measures imposed by the Panamanian government to control migration have forced people to take alternative routes deeper into the jungle to evade official controls, making the journey through the #DarienGap even more dangerous. In 2024, nearly all migrant respondents—96% of those interviewed— reported the Darién Gap as the most dangerous place on their journey, up from 86% in 2023. 📈 A general increase is reported in:  🔸𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗽 ⬆️: Reported by 45% of women interviewed, up from 29% in 2023. 🔸 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 ⬆️ : 98% of those traveling with minors reported dangers in the Darien, up from 84% in 2023. Main risks: injuries, illnesses, and death. 🔸𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 ⬆️ : In Panama, among migrants with unmet needs who did not receive assistance, the share reporting a lack of safe spaces for women and children rose to 51% in 2024, up from 16% in 2023. 🔸𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 ⬆️ : In Panama the proportion of migrants who reported unmet medical needs went up from 69% in 2023 to 85% 🔸𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲/𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁) 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 ⬆️: this unmet need went up in Panama to 46% of respondents in 2024, compared to 3% in 2023, which coincides with an increase in reported robberies in the Darien. 🔗 Find out more about the Security risks in the Darien Gap and assistance needed among migrants: https://lnkd.in/e4GeTqW3

The US funding freeze on aid has significant consequences for humanitarian operations, including for our own organisation, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) that MMC is a part of. We fear that cuts in critical aid will affect over 2 million people DRC serves. We encourage you to read DRC’s statement below on the impact of these cuts.

The Red Sea is a major migration corridor—over 100,000 people cross it each year, mainly from the Horn of Africa with hopes of reaching Saudi Arabia. Media attention on the Red Sea focuses more on geopolitical tensions and risks to commercial ships than on migrants’ journeys. Yet in most years, the numbers of those crossing the Red Sea outstrip those observed on other mixed migration routes originating on the African content.  In this article Bram Frouws and Ayla Bonfiglio, PhD describe how the Red Sea crossing is a major migration route,  and the risks  encountered by people on the move making the crossing. If you are interested on more research on this route, check out our January publication looking at smuggling dynamics on this route, based on interviews with 346 migrants in Yemen: https://bit.ly/4i3wHrU

2024 was a particularly deadly year for migrants on the Atlantic route, although estimates vary widely depending on the source (Caminando Fronteras  reports 9,757 deaths & IOM Data   Missing Migrants Project 1,062 deaths) 📈 #Spain saw a 16% increase in new migrant arrivals in 2024 compared to 2023, with a 47% increase between Q3 and Q4, mainly driven by mixed movements on the Atlantic route. ➡️ Given increasing migration to the Canary Islands, Spain has called on #Frontex to secure agreements with West African countries, raising concerns over potential violations of migrants' rights. 👇 Read all the latest #MixedMigration Updates on West Africa here: https://lnkd.in/eYBKCusb

Half of migrant respondents who settled in 🇬🇷 #Greece originally planned to reach another country.️ Around a quarter of these were initially intending to reach Germany and over half initially intended to reach other countries within the EU or the United Kingdom. Why did they settle in Greece? ➡️ The key reasons beyond safety were relations with the local population and access to official permission to work and stay.  🔗 Read more about destination selection and onward movement among recent arrivals in Greece in our latest snapshot: https://lnkd.in/eqA2EHMn