Growing importance of diplomacy for international migration policy

Diplomatic relations are an increasingly important part of international migration policy. They usually involve bilaterial agreements, but strategies vary per country. While diplomacy can promote cooperation on migration, success depends on several factors. 

> Read the full EMN-OECD study (comparison between 23 EU Member States and 2 EMN Observer Countries*) and the two-pager of EMN Netherlands (comparison with other Member States and Observer Countries from a Dutch perspective)

Migration diplomacy is an important part of the EU foreign policy. Diplomatic talks, special envoys, bilateral treaties and partnerships can all fall under the umbrella term ‘migration diplomacy’. 

Diplomacy often deployed 

Seventeen countries (AT, BE, CY, CZ, DE, ES, FR, HU, IE, LT, MT, NL, SE, SI, SK; GE, UA) already integrate diplomacy into their international migration policies. The 6 EU Member States (EE, FI, LV, LU, PL, PT) where there is little migration diplomacy find it, due to limited national capacities and/or low diplomatic networks, more effective to participate in the comprehensive EU approach, rather than independently pursue bilateral agreements.

Strategies for migration diplomacy 

Bilateral agreements are the most commonly used means, but countries have different strategies for migration diplomacy. The Netherlands links agreements on migration (as do AT, FI, FR, HU, IE, LT, SK; GE) to other international policy topics, such as development cooperation, visa policy, and foreign trade. Ministerial visits to partner countries can, for instance, focus on both economic opportunities and cooperation on migration.

Belgium, Germany, Spain and Finland choose a different approach. These countries encourage or sanction compliance or non-compliance with bilateral agreements. Germany emphasises honouring agreements and mutual cooperation. Finland applied a more coercive approach in its 2023 government programme, in which cooperation on return by countries of origin was a condition for development cooperation. Belgium has a ‘flexible incentive approach’, which focuses more on promoting cooperation than imposing sanctions.

Measuring success is a challenge 

The success of migration agreements and partnerships depends on several factors, including political stability and effective coordination. Tangible results such as jointly drafted agreements and migration partnerships are successful practices for the Netherlands. But just like 7 other countries (AT, DE, ES, FR, MT, SK; GE), the Netherlands also sees opportunities for improvement, such as more effective coordination, more efficient implementation and using clear standards of success.

*Participating countries: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Cyprus (CY), Czech Republic (CZ), Germany (DE), Estonia (EE), Spain (ES), Finland (FI), France (FR), Hungary (HU), Ireland (IE), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Latvia (LV), Malta (MT), Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Sweden (SE), Slovenia (SI), Slovakia (SK); Georgia (GE), Ukraine (UA)