When countries outside the EU encourage or organise the movement of migrants to put pressure on the Union or its Member States, this is called the instrumentalisation of migration. This position paper from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) explains what this means, why it matters, and how the EU can respond. It highlights the need to balance measures against political manipulation with the obligation to respect people’s fundamental rights. The paper warns that some responses risk undermining the right to asylum and other protections at the EU’s external borders.

This conference will draw on international and Irish expertise on integration to support an understanding of Ireland in a European policy context and to share evidence about what works in integration policymaking. Included will be both national and local perspectives on Irish integration.

The term “instrumentalisation of migrants” describes a strategy where countries outside the EU use the movement of people to put political pressure on the Union or one of its Member States. This has happened at several borders in recent years and has had real human consequences. A new paper from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) explains what the phenomenon is, the dilemmas it creates, and why responses must strike a careful balance.

Last year, Fedasil’s mobile and multilingual Reach Out team provided information to 1.702 migrants in precarious situations in Brussels and Flanders. Representing more than 75 nationalities, these individuals received counselling on a wide range of topics, from international protection and reception to healthcare, employment, and voluntary return.