In this project
Project leader
Cathrine Talleraas
cathrine.talleraas@cmi.no
cathrine.talleraas@cmi.no
Timeframe:
Nov 2020 - Dec 2024
Funder:
NordForsk
This project provides policy-relevant research on the effects of EU external migration policy in six countries across Africa and the Middle East
Migration is key for economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It may therefore seem paradoxical that SSA and MENA countries cooperate with the EU on policies to reduce migration and increase returns. While international collaboration has become essential in migration management, the incentives, implementation and broader impact of EU migration measures in partner countries remain largely unexplored.
This project examines the effects of the EU’s external migration management policies by zooming in on six countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana and Libya. The countries represent origin, transit and destination countries for mixed migration flows, and differ in terms of governance practices, state capacities, colonial histories, economic development and migration contexts. Bringing together scholars working on different case countries and aspects of the migration policy puzzle, the EFFEXT project explores the broader landscape of migration policy in Africa and the Middle East.
The summary report for the EFFEXT project provides an overview of each case country and examines the project's cross cutting themes. You can read the report here.
EFFEXT | Ants.media/CMI
Project Objectives
The project's overarching objective is to further the development of theory on global migration management, specifically through research on the effects of EU policies in the MENA and SSA regions. The research is driven by the following sub-objectives:
- Develop an innovative multi-scalar methodology for migration policy research
- Map and analyse national and regional migration policies in MENA and SSA
- Assess national governments’ practices and priorities on migration
- Explore how local migration strategies are influenced by EU-initiated policies
- Identify policymaking opportunities for coherent collaboration
- Ensure impact through continuous and policy-oriented engagement
- Advance theoretical understandings of migration management
Project Team
Director of CENDEP
Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) - Oxford Brookes
Zoë Jordan
Postdoctoral Researcher
Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) - Oxford Brookes
Senior Lecturer in Migration Studies
Global Development Institute (GDI) - University of Manchester
Kiya Gezahegne
Lecturer, University of Addis Ababa and Researcher, GDI
Leander Kandilige
Senior Lecturer, Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana
Rima Rassi
Research Development Manager, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs
Joseph Teye
Associate Professor, Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana
Advisory Board
Our expert advisory board give us important feedback and advice at various stages of the project cycle. They are academics and policy-makers from the researcher countries, the EU, and our countries of research:
- Bram Frouws (Head of Mixed Migration Centre, Danish Refugee Council)
- Joseph Teye (Associate Professor, Centre for Migration Studies, Uni. of Ghana)
- Leander Kandilige (Lecturer, Centre for Migration Studies, Uni. of Ghana)
- Fekadu Adugna Tufa (Assistant Professor, Research Lead for the Migration Industries Thematic Area, Addis Ababa Uni.)
- Nasser Yassin (Director of Research, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American Uni. of Beirut)
- Jørgen Carling (Research Professor, Peace Research Institute Oslo)
- Nicola Piper (Professor of International Law, Queen Mary Uni. of London)
- Sophie Nonnenmacher (Senior Regional Liaison and Policy Officer, IOM Regional Office for West and Central Africa)
- Caroline Njuki (Project Officer, ILO)
- Knut Holm (International Unit, Norwegian Directorate of Immigration and Coordinator, European Migration Network Norway)
- Roberto Forin (Global Programme Coordinator,Mixed Migration Centre)
Project updates
News
Public Anthropologist podcast - Effects of Externalisation: Considering EU Migration Management in Africa
In the 11th episode of the PUAN podcast, Anna Gopsill interviews Dr Cathrine Talleraas (CMI) and Onike Shorunkeh-Sawyerr (GIZ). Their conversations consider the effects of externalisation into Africa – and the challenges of working within and with multinational organisations in achieving common goals related to migration.
10 Mar 2025
News
EFFEXT project concludes: Reflecting on the effects of EU externalisation
The Effects of Externalisation (EFFEXT) project concluded its four-year project period with a stakeholder and academic conference, held in collaboration with Addis Ababa University in December 2024. While the project researchers were gathered together in Addis, we took the opportunity to reflect on the project period and highlight some significant findings and research from the project.
18 Feb 2025
News
Podcast: "You watch the borders, we watch you" - EU migration policy and externalisation
In this podcast, EFFEXT researchers Ida Marie Vammen and Hans Lucht take stock of how the EU's migration policy has actually worked, and how the EU's initiatives affect the countries from which migration is to be prevented.
6 Feb 2025
News
Managing migration in Ethiopia: Complexities of externalisation
In this interview, Anna Gopsill asks Oliver Bakewell and Kiya Gezahegne about their research on Ethiopia. In it, they reflect on the motivation behind including Ethiopia in the project and highlight interesting findings from the EFFEXT project research.
9 Jan 2025
News
Externalisation of migration policy and its complex consequences
For years, European nations have sought to control migration flows before they reach European borders, often in cooperation with so-called third countries. However, research reveals that these initiatives rarely go as planned.
5 Jan 2025
News
Europa først?
Arbeiderpartiets nylige åpning for å diskutere etablering av asylsøkersentre utenfor Europa signaliserer en radikal endring i norsk migrasjonspolitikk. Forsøk på å gjennomføre europeisk migrasjonspolitikk i Midtøsten og Afrika – også kalt eksternalisering – er ikke nytt i europeisk sammenheng: I samarbeid med såkalte tredjeland har Europa lenge prøvd å kontrollere migrasjonsstrømmene før de når våre grenser.
6 Jan 2025
News
Framing climate change-induced displacement: Attributing disasters to natural causes
In the Horn of Africa, 2023 was characterised by numerous devastating extreme weather events, a trend that is expected to intensify in the coming years. Although the countries of the region contribute only marginally to global greenhouse gas emissions, they bear the brunt of climate change-induced disasters that lead to the destruction of livelihoods and displacement from their homes.
13 Dec 2024
News
Funding the Journey: How Western Aid Became a Ticket to the Gulf
Migration is not merely a response to hardship, but a complex and strategic process shaped by a range of local and global factors. Understanding this complexity is crucial for designing policies that genuinely support the rights and aspirations of migrants while addressing the broader challenges of migration governance in an increasingly interconnected world.
12 Dec 2024
News
The Unseen Workforce: Formalizing Ethiopian Seasonal Labor Migration in Sudan
Located in eastern Sudan, El-Gedaref State is an agricultural powerhouse serves as a critical crossroads for migration, particularly during regional conflict. Known for its fertile land and diverse range of crops, El-Gedaref faces unique challenges and opportunities that intertwine agriculture with human migration, both internal and cross-border, in ways that are central to understanding the dynamics of this part of the world.
29 Nov 2024
News
Managing African migration governance: EFFEXT final conference
The EFFEXT project team hosted their final conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 2 to 3 December. The conference was co-hosted with Addis Ababa University. The conference welcomed a number of academics and policy-makers travelling from countries such as Norway, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Italy, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco, and Ghana to discuss issues related to African Migration Governance.
5 Dec 2024
News
EFFEXT researchers visit the EU Commission
EFFEXT project researchers, Cathrine Talleraas (CMI); Kiya Gezahegne (Addis Ababa University); and Oliver Bakewell (GDI, University of Manchester) visited the EU commission in Addis Ababa on Friday 6th December. They discussed some of the EFFEXT project’s key findings and the ways forward for EU initiatives on migration and migration governance in Ethiopia.
6 Dec 2024
News
Externalisation in Senegal: Balancing competing interests
In this interview, Anna Gopsill asks Ida Marie Savio Vammen about her research on Senegal – reflecting on the interesting findings from the country and highlighting the importance of including Senegal in the EFFEXT project.
12 Dec 2024
News
EFFEXT final conference: African Migration Governance
The EFFEXT project's final workshop and seminar will be held at the start of December 2024. We look forward to concluding the project with interesting discussions at our in-person meeting in Addis Ababa. The workshop is being organised in collaboration with the Department of Social Anthropology at Addis Ababa University.
22 Oct 2024
News
Implementing migration policies in Ghana: navigating externalization and local realities
This analysis delves into the web of actors and processes involved in implementing migration policy in Ghana. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with practitioners and bureaucrats, the political tensions that emerge at the intersection between externally driven policies and local realities are uncovered.
13 Aug 2024
News
Comparative Perspectives on Migration Policy Impact: Insights from Ghana and Jordan
16 May 2024
JHB 205 and online (hybrid event), John Henry Brookes Building, Gipsy Lane, Headington
News
EFFEXT Final Conference: Policy-Research Dialogue: Ways Forward in African Migration Governance
3 Dec 2024
Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa
News
EFFEXT final conference: Understanding African Migration: Evidence-Based Insight
2 Dec 2024
Addis Ababa University
News
The effects of European migration policy in Africa and the Middle East
11 Sep 2023
University of Manchester - Ken Kitchen Committee Room, John Owens Building, Old Quadrangle, Oxford Road, M13 9NR and online
News
EFFEXT project survey in Northern Ghana
After several rounds of qualitative fieldwork across the case countries, the EFFEXT team is currently conducting a survey in Ghana. The survey builds on the qualitative data collection and preliminary findings from the area, and tries to get deeper insights on the effects of specific migration policy initiatives. We are particularly interested in how specific policy initiatives are perceived in local target communities.
8 May 2023
News
The EU Trust Fund for Africa and implications for Norwegian Aid
The Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS) recently hosted a policy exchange examining the lessons learned from implementation of the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF for Africa) and the implications for Norwegian aid.
3 Feb 2023
News
Changing migration policy in challenging settings
In this blog post, Hadi Zeatir and Mariam Awada reflect on the discussions at the workshop on the Effects of the Externalisation of EU borders. We highlight some of the main and recurring discussions from the day and draw some key points and avenues for future research.
1 Mar 2023
News
Effects of Externalisation workshop
Project members from the EFFEXT project travelled to Beirut to take part in a two-day project workshop. The workshop was organised in close collaboration with Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University Beirut.
13 Dec 2022
News
Cooperation on mobility in the Levant: What are the future directions?
9 Dec 2022
American University Beirut
News
Project members participate in impact workshop
Three of the EFFEXT team travelled to Stockholm to participate in a workshop organised by Nordforsk. The mid-term project workshop aimed to provide an arena for sharing knowledge and learning experiences between the seven projects that were funded by the Nordforsk call in 2020.
21 Sep 2022
News
Event on African perspectives on European migration policies
Our PI Cathrine Talleraas appeared in a panel on African perspectives on European migration policies. The panel was organised by Fellesrådet f Afrika (The Norwegian Council for Africa).
21 Sep 2022
News
EFFEXT Background Paper – National and international migration policy in Ethiopia
This EFFEXT Background Paper provides a brief presentation of migration and migration policy dynamics in Ethiopia. It presents an overview of key national and international migration policies, and outlines the key migration governance structures in Ethiopia. In terms of international relations, the paper primarily focuses on regional and European collaboration.
15 Sep 2022
News
Breakfast Seminar: What are the effects of EU migration policy in Jordan?
In this talk, Dr Zoë Jordan gave her perspectives on how competing national and international priorities shape migration, refugee policy making, and implementation processes in Jordan. If you missed the talk, you can watch it on YouTube.
1 Sep 2022
Bergen Global / Online
News
Interview: How the EU is shaping migration policy in Ethiopia
The EU has an interest in ensuring refugees settle in Ethiopia rather than seeking asylum in Europe and spends millions on this and other migration aims, says researcher Kiya Gezahegne. But what impact is this having on Ethiopia’s domestic migration politics and on migrants themselves?
15 Feb 2022
News
Jordan: How the EU is using trade deals to curb migration
Migrants drowning in the English Channel and freezing to death at the Belarus-Poland border have captured public and media attention across Europe, but these events only tell part of the story of EU attempts to block migration to its member states, says researcher Zoe Jordan.
13 Jan 2022
News
EFFEXT project video
Part of our innovative communications strategy, the video introduces the project to our audience of policy-makers, academics and the interested public. The short video explains the motivation behind the project, and highlights the global dimension of migration.
10 May 2021
News
Webinar - Effects of Externalisation
Our recent successful webinar launched the new research project ‘Effects of Externalisation: EU Migration Management in Africa and the Middle East’ (EFFEXT). If you missed the webinar, you can watch via this page.
6 May 2021
News
Effects of EU Externalisation - perspectives from Africa and the Middle East
The webinar will launch the new project. Join us as for a discussion on how EU externalisation policies impact migration management in the Middle East and Africa, and how this can be studied through the perspectives of stakeholders in the Global South.
27 Apr 2021
News
Understanding the effects of the EU's migration management: Interview with Cathrine Talleraas
Migration management is a major global challenge. But how can we ensure that policies made in the EU are also in the best interests of countries outside of Europe? In this short interview, project leader Cathrine Talleraas explains the motivation behind the project and what the project will achieve.
15 Mar 2021
New Project
New project on migration management in Africa and the Middle East
Effects of Externalisation: EU Migration Management in Africa and the Middle East (EFFEXT) is a new interdisciplinary research project (2020-2024). The project produces knowledge on the dynamics of migration and the effects of the EU’s external migration management in Lebanon, Jordan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana and Libya.
17 Feb 2021
Publications
Journal Article
Externally Driven Border Control in West Africa: Local Impact and Broader Ramifications
Nov 2024
Journal Article
Implementing migration policies in Ghana: navigating externalization and local realities
Aug 2024
Project Dissemination
EFFEXT Background Papers – National and international migration policy in Jordan
Jul 2023
Project Dissemination
EFFEXT Background Papers – National and international migration policy in Ghana
Mar 2023
Project Dissemination
EFFEXT Background Paper – National and international migration policy in Lebanon
Dec 2022
Project Dissemination
EFFEXT Background Paper – National and international migration policy in Ethiopia
Sep 2022
Facts
Project leader
Cathrine Talleraas
cathrine.talleraas@cmi.no
cathrine.talleraas@cmi.no
Timeframe:
Nov 2020 - Dec 2024
Funder:
NordForsk