In 2025, the world grapples with profound political shifts, a strained humanitarian system, widening inequality, an accelerating climate crisis and technological transformation. This year's Mixed Migration Review (MMR) delves into migration amidst this intensified geopolitical turmoil, featuring insights from policymakers, UN leaders, academics, and activists to stimulate debate. 

The report highlights persistent and intensifying drivers of migration, from escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the Sahel, and Sudan, to instability in Myanmar, climate shocks in South Asia, and economic crises in Venezuela and Lebanon. "Keeping Track" sections offer regional overviews of shifting routes and risks, while "Voices on the Move" shares personal stories of five migrants, illustrating how geopolitical events shape their lives and offering suggestions for improving migration systems. As 2025 draws to a close, the outlook for global migration governance is bleak, with hardening policies and an alarming trend towards viewing migrants as threats rather than rights-bearing individuals, a trajectory that risks the inevitable erosion of their rights.

This report explores the close links between climate-related loss and damage and displacement. Drawing on case studies from Bangladesh, the study shows how climate-related losses and damages negatively impact livelihoods, force people to move, and deepen social vulnerability. The report highlights promising ‘good practice’ interventions led by Bangladeshi civil society that help people living in protracted displacement to progress towards a durable solution. The report shows how stronger recognition of the rights and needs of displaced persons in climate and development policy can strengthen sustainable responses to the climate crisis.

More in Common’s new study shows that a constructive migration debate in Germany is possible—if it is solution-oriented, nuanced, and moves beyond political divides. Based on a survey of over 2,000 people, the findings reveal a strong public desire for clear rules and effective governance, combined with empathy and recognition for the contributions of migrants, especially in essential professions. Instead of polarisation, people seek trust in the ability of politics and society to shape the future. This paper offers five guiding questions to help reframe migration as a shared societal task. (Text in German)

For the european perspective click Europe talks migration.

What challenges do particularly vulnerable Afghan refugees face when arriving in Germany? And how can municipalities effectively support them? In this report, the International Rescue Committee presents the results of a participatory evaluation of the implementation of the Federal Admission Program for Afghanistan (Bundesaufnahmeprogramm für Afghanistan). It highlights the crucial role municipalities play in organizing accommodation, counseling, and integration, often under significant pressure and with limited resources. The report emphasizes the need for early involvement of and sustainable support for municipalities, as well as reliable structures and strong collaboration between federal, state, and civil society actors to ensure a safe arrival for refugees. (Text in German)

Ever wondered how migrants and asylum seekers navigate the complex ID requirements in Europe? This insightful report from our partners at Caribou Digital provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by migrants and asylum seekers in navigating the European Union's complex identification procedures. Using real-world scenarios, the report highlights the discrepancies between national and EU regulations, examines the human rights implications, and explores the intersection of digital identity management and migration policy. We encourage you to read this important contribution to the ongoing dialogue on identification systems in migration.

As Kenya embraces digital identity solutions, are refugees and migrants being left behind? In their new report our partners at Caribou Digital analyze historical and current challenges faced by foreign nationals in accessing identification documents, both physical and digital. Read how these legal and bureaucratic barriers impact integration and access to essential services and discover the possibilities for a more inclusive and sustainable approach to refugee integration in Kenya and beyond. A must-read for anyone interested in equitable access in a digital age.

In view of the current shortage of skilled workers and the urgent challenges of climate change, the immigration of skilled workers with “green skills” from climate-vulnerable countries will be crucial over the next 20 years. In this brochure, our expert Hannes Einsporn and our partner the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) describe concrete measures that the next German government can take to harness the potential of skilled labor immigration and shape a sustainable future for Germany and the countries of origin. In German language. 

As international climate negotiations unfold, the conversation often focuses on three key areas: adaptation, loss and damage, and mitigation. However, one critical issue remains underexplored - climate mobility. This policy brief examines why climate mobility is essential to a people-centered action agenda and its relevance to discussions at the UNFCCC. It demonstrates how migration can serve as a proactive strategy to adapt to environmental change, provided that rights protections and enabling conditions are in place. The paper discusses why governments must facilitate movement and empower individuals to make informed choices, and the urgent need for accountable mechanisms and financial resources to support communities facing displacement due to escalating climate impacts. Finally, it considers the pace of emissions reductions and how this will affect ecosystem stability and influence migration drivers, highlighting the need for skilled labor through migration in the transition to a decarbonized economy.

The Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs), established by the United States in Latin America, represent an innovative approach to addressing the challenges of irregular migration. Launched in April 2023, these offices aim to provide safer alternatives for vulnerable migrants and demonstrate the potential of political will and international cooperation. Since their inception, SMOs have facilitated the resettlement of 9,000 individuals to the US, with a further 11,000 approved for resettlement. This study examines the objectives and functioning of SMOs, their influence on migration decisions, and the lessons that can be learned for managing mixed migration in Europe. While SMOs offer a promising model, addressing their limitations is crucial to fully realize their potential to provide safe alternatives for migrants.

The Mixed Migration Review (MMR) is the Mixed Migration Center's flagship annual report, first published in 2018. This year's Mixed Migration Review delves into the complex interplay between politics and migration, highlighting how nearly half of the world's population in over 80 countries faced migration-related issues during the 2024 elections. The Review features essays on the instrumentalization of migration for political agendas, the rise of populism, and the influence of modern media on public opinion, as well as unique regional perspectives from young authors and a look at how authorities are responding to mixed migration.