INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MIGRATION POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Their core work

ICMPD is a Vienna-based intergovernmental organization specializing in migration policy research, asylum system evaluation, and integration practices across Europe. They provide evidence-based policy analysis on topics ranging from intra-EU mobility and refugee displacement to combating human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. Their work bridges academic migration research with practical policy recommendations, serving governments and EU institutions with actionable intelligence on migration flows, public perceptions, and integration outcomes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ICMPD's early H2020 work (2017-2019) concentrated on the economic and political dimensions of intra-EU mobility — labour market impacts, fiscal effects, welfare systems, and media discourse around free movement. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted toward more vulnerable populations and operational security: protracted refugee displacement, sustainable integration practices, and combating human trafficking and child sexual exploitation using digital forensics. This evolution reflects a move from studying migration as a policy debate to addressing its most urgent humanitarian and security consequences.

ICMPD is moving from pure policy analysis toward operational security applications and hands-on integration work, making them increasingly relevant for projects combining migration expertise with security technology.

How they like to work

ICMPD operates exclusively as a consortium partner — across all 7 projects they never took a coordinator role, suggesting they contribute specialized migration policy expertise to larger research teams rather than driving project design. With 101 unique partners across 38 countries, they maintain a remarkably broad network for an organization of their project count, indicating they are sought-after specialists who integrate well into diverse consortia. Their consistent participation in mid-to-large research actions (5 RIA, 2 CSA) shows they are comfortable in both research-intensive and coordination-support roles.

Despite only 7 projects, ICMPD has built connections with 101 unique partners across 38 countries — an exceptionally wide network reflecting the transnational nature of migration research. Their geographic spread covers essentially all of Europe plus partner countries in migration origin and transit regions.

What sets them apart

ICMPD occupies a rare position as an intergovernmental organization that combines migration policy expertise with growing security capabilities — few organizations can contribute meaningfully to both a refugee integration study and a counter-trafficking digital forensics project. Their Vienna base and intergovernmental status give them credibility and access that academic institutions or NGOs typically lack. For consortium builders, ICMPD brings policy-level connections and a 38-country network that can open doors across Europe and beyond.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HEROES
  Largest funded project (EUR 371K) and a strategic pivot — combining ICMPD's trafficking expertise with digital forensics marks a significant expansion into security technology.
• TRAFIG
  Second-largest budget (EUR 351K) and most ambitious scope — multi-sited research on protracted displacement across transnational networks, running until 2022.
• PERCEPTIONS
  Bridges migration research with social media analysis and narrative studies, representing ICMPD's capacity to work at the intersection of migration, communication, and security.