Context
German development policy on migration is guided by the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. This aims to implement orderly, safe and responsible migration based on the principle of ‘leave no one behind’.
There is also the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This provides for the creation of conditions under which migrants and diaspora members worldwide can contribute to sustainable development. The diaspora includes groups that have left their homeland and live dispersed across different countries abroad.
The Expert Fund therefore supports 22 partner countries through its funding schemes for returning experts and integrated experts, the aim of which is to harness orderly migration and diaspora engagement for the purposes of economic, social and climate-friendly development.
Objective
The fund gives migrants in Germany the opportunity to put their knowledge to use with employers in their home countries.
Approach
The Expert Fund provides financial support to assist migrants with returning to their home countries and with integration into the labour market. Returning experts take up development-related positions with employers in their countries of origin and contribute their professional expertise. The fund supports them with grants for salaries and, for example, workplace equipment, networking and continuing professional development.
In addition, the Expert Fund has supported the administrative and financial processing of integrated experts who became active through the Migration and Diaspora Programme. Integrated experts are placed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Partner organisations were strengthened by deploying experts to assist in developing strategies for diaspora engagement, for example.
Last update: December 2025