Migration and the EU: Creating a Multilateral Approach for Protection and Labor Pathways

As political divisions over migration deepen, European Union (EU) leaders have taken measures to address domestic concerns by strengthening border management, coordinating with neighboring countries to curb migration flows, and promoting legal pathways. However, despite the emphasis on law enforcement, it remains unclear whether these initiatives will effectively reduce irregular migration, particularly as demand for foreign labor in the EU continues to grow. To help address these challenges, the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) asked the Capstone team to develop a mechanism that will encourage safe and lawful migration to the EU by way of labor and protection pathways. In response, the team developed an innovative mechanism, titled the Mobility, Protection & Labor Program (MPLP), which aims to meet the needs of people on the move, reduce irregular migration, and address EU labor shortfalls through a multilateral, scalable, and human-centered approach modeled after the Safe Mobility Initiative, a U.S.-run migration platform in Latin America.

In its initial phase, the MPLP proposed labor and protection pathways to four EU countries – Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain. The team analyzed labor shortages and resettlement frameworks in each of these receiving countries as well as migration routes and demographic data of sending countries. Based on its research, the team strategically identified the most impactful locations for MPLP offices – in Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, and Turkey – with the aim to expand the program in the future in order to serve all EU member states as well as increasingly larger populations on the move.