Integrating Migration in Development Aid

Almost two years have passed since the Swedish government introduced its reform agenda for development cooperation, followed by a strategy for global engagement on migration, return, and readmission. As a result, questions about how migration policy objectives are integrated into development aid have gained renewed relevance—both as matters of governance and of values. Which goals are prioritized? How is the content, direction, and legitimacy of aid affected?

At the same time, several other European countries—such as Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany—have already moved further in linking migration with development cooperation. What lessons can Sweden draw from their choices?

This session presents preliminary findings from a forthcoming research anthology that explores how such reforms have been implemented and governed in practice. Following a short introduction by the editors, one chapter author will present national insights, followed by a panel discussion with researchers and representatives from EBA, Sida, and the Swedish Migration Agency.

The discussion aims to make a complex policy area more accessible by offering concrete examples and fostering informed dialogue.

Participants:

Henrik Malm Lindberg, Deputy Head of Secretariat at Delmi
Johan Schaar, Associate Senior Fellow at SIPRI
Jesper Bjarnesen, Senior researcher at The Nordic Africa Institute
Mats Hårsmar, Deputy Head of Secretariat at The Expert Group for Aid Studies

Photo: Salah Darwish, Unsplash

Integrating Migration in Development Aid – Lessons from Europe

Participants:

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