The problem

Recent decades have seen Europe rapidly change its status from being a continent of emigrants to one of immigrants, i.e. whereas in the past emigration outstripped immigration, now it is the other way around in many EU Member States. This makes it all the more pressing to create coherent and cohesive immigration policies. This will require coordination and harmonisation of national policies. Such a policy has to appreciate the economic factors that motivate migration from south to north, east to west and how effective forecasting can be used to manage future migration patterns.

Overview:

The IDEA consortium will analyse the causes, characteristics and impact of migratory flows into and across Europe – typically from south to north and east to west, but also into these ‘traditional’ emigration countries and regions.. The strategic objective of the project is to provide support for the European and national immigration policies.

It will:

• Compare migration pathways and national policies to identify common challenges and opportunities for the exchange and transfer of good practice
• Address the historical, political and economic background of migration processes
• Prepare a model of future migratory trends in selected parts of the EU

Contribution to policy development:

• IDEA will develop policy proposals for harmonisation of and co-operation in immigration and asylum policy across the EU.
• It will identify good practice for immigration and asylum policies.
• The project will identify weaknesses in EU border control and develop proposals for the effective management of illegal immigration. 
• IDEA will develop models and ideas for identifying the sources and scale of illegal immigration.

Project deliverables

• Annual progress reports – January 2008/2009
• Report on immigration in established destination countries – February 2008
• Report on immigration in Mediterranean countries and from eastern Europe – February 2009
• Project conference proceedings – June 2009
• Report on the activities of the Advisory Committee – June 2009
• Project results and policy recommendations – June 2009

Dissemination

• Project website – from March 2007
• Project brochure – June 2007
• Newsletter – quarterly
• Communication with stakeholders – ongoing
• Media releases and articles in peer-review journals – as required

Technical information

Project acronym: IDEA
Project’s official full title: Mediterranean and Eastern European Countries as new immigration destinations in the European Union
Research priority: Comparative research of factors underlying migration and refugee flows, including illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings
Specific webpage: http://www.idea6fp.uw.edu.pl/
Proposal/contract no: 044446
Start date: January 2007
Kick off meeting: January 2007
Completion date: December 2008
European Commission scientific officer: Marc Goffart, Marc.Goffart@ec.europa.eu

Coordinator: Professor Marek Okólski
Name: Warsaw University (Centre of Migration Research)
Abbreviated name: WU (CMR)
Address: ul. Banacha 2B, 02-097 Warszawa
Country: Poland
Tel.: +48 22 659 7411
Fax: +48 22 822 7405
Website: http://www.migracje.uw.edu.pl

Partners

Name: Université Paris X Nanterre (Institut Sciences du Politique)
Abbreviated name: UPX (ISP)
Country: France

Name: Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Department of Social Geography and Regional Development
Abbreviated name: UKP-DSG
Country: Czech Republic

Name: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies)
Abbreviated name: CNR (IRPPS)
Country: Italy

Name: Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
Abbreviated name: ELIAMEP
Country: Greece

Name: Instituto Universitario de Investigación Ortega y Gasset
Abbreviated name: IUIOG
Country: Spain

Name: International Organisation for Migration (Central European Forum for Migration Research, Warsaw)
Abbreviated name: IOM (CEFMR)
Country: Poland

Name: Magyar Tudomanyos Akademia (Centre for International Migration and Refugee Studies, Institute of Ethnic and National Minority Studies)
Abbreviated name: MTA (CMRS)
Country: Hungary

Name: Centro de Investigaçao em Sociologia Económica e das Organizaçoes
Abbreviated name: SOCIUS
Country: Portugal           

Name: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Laboratoire Méditerranéen de Sociologie)
Abbreviated name: CNRS (LAMES)
Country: France

Name: Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Das Institut für Stadt- und Regionalforschung)
Abbreviated name: OEAW (ISR)
Country: Austria