Focus on Regions: Launch of the Mixed Migration Review 2023

The MMR 2023 offers comprehensive, nuanced, and in-depth insights on mixed migration dynamics, with a focus on regional perspectives and South-South migration. Contrary to the disproportionate attention in policy and public discourse towards migratory routes to the “Global North”, the 248-page report provides a balanced understanding of mixed movements around the world.

“This year we continued to see a need for better migration policies and approaches, and, sadly, many examples of unacceptable violence and actions against migrants, such as the brutal killings of Ethiopian migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border, numerous preventable deaths at sea such as the tragic deadly shipwreck off Pylos in June and mass expulsions and pushbacks. The international community is not doing enough to achieve the agreed objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. We must strive for policies that acknowledge the reality of mixed migration and prioritise human rights and protection for all. With this report, we highlight the unique challenges and opportunities that arise from interregional migration, which are crucial to consider for well-informed debates and policies on mixed migration,” said Bram Frouws, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre.

In its global overview, the report presents a ‘Normalising the extreme’ section: an overview of the increasingly extreme policies, actions and attitudes to mixed migration around the world. Its sister section ‘Resisting the extreme’ presents a more optimistic counterpoint of examples which support and protect refugees and migrants. The report is then divided into sections covering Africa, the Middle East, The Americas, Europe, and Asia, beginning with a summary of the main migration dynamics and policy developments in each region. Thematic snapshots zoom in on specific contexts such as Egypt’s mixed migration, migrant risks and ‘disappearances’ in Mexico, the global rise of border walls and the prosecution of high-profile traffickers. Essays from each region provide in-depth analysis of critical issues such as the US administration’s “carrot and stick” approach to mixed migration in the Americas, temporary protection of Ukrainian refugees, and Bangladesh’s complex mixed migration landscape.

Interviews with thought leaders and key regional experts on migration and displacement, including Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General and Patricia Sellers, Special Advisor for Slavery Crimes for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, explore topics such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, the benefits of migration and the intersection of migration, criminal and human rights law. Each section also features a personal migrant story by people who moved within their region, and alternative perspectives on regional migration issues, written by young essay competition prize winners from and based in the ‘majority world’. The report ends with five book reviews of recommended further reading on migration.

“Each year, thousands of migrants and refugees risk their lives and face violence and abuses on dangerous migration routes as a result of a lack of legal options and inadequate asylum and migration policies. To ensure safer mobility and save lives, we need to have a balanced, nuanced, and evidence-based understanding of mixed migration within regions and countries. This Mixed Migration Review should be mandatory reading for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to facilitate discussions and decisions on mixed migration," said Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.

The MMR 2023 is being launched in an online event on the 29th of November at 14:00 CET with a panel discussion on challenging Western-centric perspectives on mixed migration. Speakers from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America include Sana Mustafa, Chief Executive Officer of Asylum Access, Gaia Vince, Journalist, Author and Broadcaster, Eromo Egbejule, Africa Editor of Al Jazeera, and Guerline Jozef, Founder and Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance.

Read the full report here