New anthology brings together experiences on migration and development cooperation – With contributions from EMN Sweden

In several European countries, development cooperation is increasingly used as a tool to support migration policy objectives, objectives such as reducing irregular migration, strengthening return processes and developing migration cooperation with third countries. A new anthology compiles experiences and lessons learned from Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Norway in areas relating to governance, coordination and outcomes. The report has been produced by the Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA) in collaboration with the Migration Studies Delegation (Delmi) and EMN Sweden. The anthology is a follow-up to the EMN inform “Migration and development cooperation” from 2024.

Development cooperation as a tool in migration policy

Denmark, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands have already implemented similar reforms linking migration and development cooperation. Experience from these countries shows that the question has shifted from ‘whether’ to ‘how’ this linkage can be made effectively, transparently and coherently in line with fundamental development principles.

Interest is growing both nationally and internationally. The link between development and migration is an extremely topical issue at EU level, not least in connection with the introduction of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and its elements concerning cooperation with third countries.

How the idea for this anthology came about

This anthology is a follow-up to the EMN inform on the link between international development cooperation and migration management from 2024. The collaboration between EMN Sweden, Delmi and EBA has developed and taken new forms over the past two years.

• Joint chairship of the EMN working group. EMN Sweden and EMN Belgium jointly chaired the working group that produced the EMN inform “Migration and development cooperation” in 2023/2024.
• Two roundtable discussions. In 2024 and 2025, EMN Sweden, Delmi and EBA organised two roundtable discussions with national and international stakeholders on links between migration and development, particularly in light of the new humanitarian aid reform in Sweden.
• A new form of collaboration in 2025. EMN Sweden was invited, together with EBA and Delmi, to produce an anthology bringing together lessons and experiences on development cooperation and migration management in Europe.

"The EMN forum was a source of inspiration and laid the foundation of the knowledge-intensive efforts that led to the publication of this anthology. As part of our mandate, we at EMN Sweden highlight current and relevant issues linked to dissemination of knowledge and support policy development in this area.", says Cecilia Kotsakidis, EMN Sweden.

About the anthology

The anthology "Linking Migration and Development: European Experiences and Policy Lessons for Sweden" analyses how this linkage has been designed and implemented in practice in other donor countries – Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Norway. The focus is on coordination, governance and outcomes, as well as the lessons Sweden can learn from these countries’ reform efforts. The study also highlights opportunities and limitations, particularly regarding how aid is used to manage irregular migration, support return and reintegration, and promote migration cooperation with third countries.

The editors of the anthology are Henrik Malm Lindberg and Iris Luthman at Delmi. It consists of contributions from researchers and experts in the field of migration and development in Europe.

"One key observation in the anthology is that when migration objectives are linked to development cooperation, decision-makers often justify this by citing a desire to reduce irregular migration, facilitate return, or otherwise manage migration flows. However, the overall effect of using aid interventions for migration objectives appears to be limited, difficult to measure and highly context-dependent – not a quick fix.", says Henrik Malm Lindberg, Delmi.

For Sweden, the conclusions in the anthology may point to a need for:

• clarity in governance and mandates
• a well-defined division of responsibilities between relevant actors as well as long-term collaboration
• realistic expectations of what aid can achieve within migration policy in the long term
• greater coherence between the various components of migration and development policy

These conclusions and comparative experiences may be able to lay the foundation for well-informed choices in the ongoing reform of Sweden’s humanitarian aid agenda.