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Promoting fair labour migration and reintegration after return

Centres for Migration and Development (ZME)

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  • Client

    German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

  • Co-financier

    European Union (EU)

    European Union (EU), Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

  • Country

    Global: Egypt, Gambia, Ghana

    Global: Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Serbia, Tunisia

  • Political sponsors

    Global, The national implementing partners in the cooperating countries are the line ministries (e.g. ministries of labour, social affairs or migration) and subordinate authorities (e.g. employment agencies)

    Global - The national implementing partners in the cooperating countries are the line ministries (e.g. ministries of labour, social affairs or migration) and subordinate authorities (e.g. employment agencies)

  • Runtime

    2023 to 2027

  • Products and expertise

    Economic development and employment

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Context

There are more than 281 million migrants across the world who live in a different country other than the one in which they were born. The majority of these people, numbering approximately 169 million, left their country to secure their livelihood elsewhere (IOM, World Migration Report 2022). These migration flows offer considerable potential for development in the countries of origin and destination and for migrants themselves. Safe, orderly, and regular migration can make a key contribution to sustainable development.

Objective

State and non-state cooperation partners are able to provide needs-based and effective support for people engaging in regular migration to Germany, Europe and within their region for work and training purposes as well as for reintegration after return.

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Approach

There are Centres for Migration and Development in the cooperating countries. They act as advisory centres for people wishing to migrate to Germany, Europe or within their region via regular channels so as to work or continue their education outside of their country. The centres also advise people who have returned from Germany, Europe or other countries and need support with reintegration locally.

The advisory services enable people to make informed and conscious decisions on migration. In addition, the centres provide anyone interested in migrating with information on specific measures geared to preparing individuals for regular migration for work or training purposes.

Measures to which the centres draw candidates’ attention include:

  • vocational education and training to enable people to use the existing pathways for regular migration
  • information on the requirements for regular migration and  language courses offered by third parties
  • support for returnees with regard to looking for work or setting up a company
  • psychosocial support
  • references to services offered by the Federal Employment Agency and other stakeholders such as German development cooperation projects

The centres in Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Pakistan are co-funded by the European Union, while the services in Iraq are co-funded by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

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Last update: December 2024

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