Topics for EMN publications in 2026 have been finalised
The process of selecting topic proposals for EMN to carry out in the form of reports and studies in 2026 has been completed. Upcoming publications will address issues related to legal migration, return, unaccompanied minors, labour migration, integration, migration management, protection and reception. This year, Sweden’s proposals were narrowly excluded from the group selected. Meanwhile, last year’s Swedish proposal, which examines the accessibility of digital services in the migration procedures across EMN Countries, is expected to be published during the autumn 2026.
A total of 23 topic proposals were submitted, two of which were from EMN Sweden. Three of the forthcoming publications deal with integration and local government issues. A new theme is the design of voluntary return programmes and support measures for people from Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. The topic proposals approved for 2026 came from the Netherlands, Austria, France, Lithuania, Poland and a joint proposal from Germany, France and Ireland. Last year’s Swedish contribution “Bridging the digital divide - Digital services in legal migration procedures for accessibility and inclusion” will be presented at an expert meeting in Sweden this autumn.
The topic proposals selected for implementation in 2026 and for eventual publication are as follows:
- EMN study “Return and reintegration assistance programmes as part of return policy: aims, policy rationale and monitoring” (the Netherlands).
- EMN inform “Unaccompanied minor migrants in the EU: legal, social and institutional challenges” (Poland)
- EMN inform “Staying or moving on? Drivers and policies to retain global talent” (Austria)
- EMN inform “From policy to practice: implementing a whole-of-government approach in migration management” (Austria)
- EMN study “Local infrastructures of integration: assessing the state of play of local governance’s migrant integration policies, measures, and strategies” (Germany, France, Ireland)
- EMN inform “The use of automated border control tools for third-country nationals in the EU” (France)
- EMN inform “Migration and demographic sustainability in peripheral regions of EU Member States” (Lithuania)
- EMN inform “Voluntary return support programmes for displaced persons from Ukraine” (the Netherlands)
- EMN inform “Reception Unlocked: An Overview of the (Re)Organisation of Reception Systems” (Lithuania).
Sweden will participate in working groups for the EMN study “Return and reintegration assistance programmes as part of return policy: aims, policy rationale and monitoring”, as well as the EMN inform “Staying or moving on? Drivers and policies to retain global talent”. These topics are covered by government assignments, inter-agency common assignments and priority areas at the Swedish Migration Agency.
Brief information on forthcoming EMN publications
EMN publication | Theme | Aim and focus |
|---|---|---|
EMN study “Return and reintegration assistance programmes as part of return policy: aims, policy rationale and monitoring” | Return | It focuses on support measures for voluntary return of people who no longer hold a residence permit within the EU. The study aims to provide a better overview and understanding of how voluntary return works within the EU and the role played by reintegration programmes. |
EMN inform “Unaccompanied minor migrants in the EU: legal, social and institutional challenges”
| Unaccompanied minors | It aims to identify common challenges and working methods for processing applications from unaccompanied minors. This comparative report can help to identify solutions to prevent absconding and safeguard the best interests of unaccompanied minors, as well as to increase procedural efficiency. |
EMN inform “Staying or moving on? Drivers and policies to retain global talent” | Labour migration | It focuses on current measures to attract and retain international talent and takes into account developments from 2023 (European Year of Skills) to 2026 to examine ongoing initiatives within the framework of the European Skills Agenda. These insights may contribute to tailored reforms and initiatives aimed at retaining global talent in the EU. |
EMN inform “From policy to practice: implementing a whole-of-government approach in migration management” | Legal migration | It focuses on gathering information and mapping cross-agency approaches in EMN Member and Observer Countries before the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum enters into application in 2026. This report aims to provide a detailed picture of how whole-of-government approaches are defined, institutionalised and operationalised in different contexts across EMN Member and Observer Countries. |
EMN study “Local infrastructures of integration: assessing the state of play of local governance’s migrant integration, policies, measures, and strategies” | Integration | It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of local integration infrastructures and to highlight challenges and opportunities in the work on integration carried out by local authorities and organisations. |
EMN inform “The use of automated border control tools for third-country nationals in the EU” | Migration management | It aims to provide an overview of national regulatory frameworks, technological developments and how EMN member states use e-gates. This comparative report can then be used to identify best practices with a view to standardising the use of these tools within the EU and Schengen area in connection with the movements of third-country nationals. |
EMN inform “Migration and demographic sustainability in peripheral regions of EU Member States” | Legal migration | It aims to provide an overview of national and local strategies, mapping policies to attract and retain migrants in rural or declining industrial regions. In addition, it aims to provide an overview of how access to housing, healthcare, education and integration measures contributes to the success of retaining migrants. These findings will complement other publications concerning issues relating to labour migration, integration and legal migration. |
EMN inform “Voluntary return support programmes for displaced persons from Ukraine” | International protection | It aims to provide an overview of how EMN Member and Observer Countries address voluntary return for beneficiaries of temporary protection and the support measures that are provided to those wishing to return to Ukraine. The Temporary Protection Directive has been extended until 4 March 2027. |
EMN inform “Reception Unlocked: An Overview of the (Re)Organisation of Reception Systems” | Reception | Migration flows and applicant profiles have changed in recent years, and EU migration policy is entering a new phase with the adoption of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. This inform aims to analyse access, distribution, types of facilities and responsible authorities in order to provide an overview of how reception facilities are organised and coordinated, as well as how this relates to broader ongoing changes in this area within EMN Member and Observer Countries. |