March 2026 – MPG in the Media
EU ministers advance migration pact prioritising enforcement and returns, while Migration Policy Group warns through its MIREX report that return systems remain fragmented, overly coercive and misaligned with fundamental rights, urging stronger safeguards, voluntary return support and alternatives to detention.
Political tensions rise over the EU return law vote, as right-wing parties back stricter measures including external return hubs. Liberal negotiator Azmani is sidelined. Critics warn proposals prioritise enforcement over rights, while NGOs oppose harsher migration policies and detention-like systems. Article contains a link to newly published MIREX report.
This subscription article in major Swedish daily contains a reference to MPG’s Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX).
At the PACT conference in Brussels, Migration Policy Group highlighted stagnating migrant political participation through MIPEX, stressing multilingual education as a democratic tool. The event gathered experts to share practices for strengthening minority inclusion and participation in local governance across Europe.
20 March | ChatEurope| Should foreign residents have the right to vote in local elections?
An article published by ChatEurope examines whether foreign residents should have voting rights in local elections, highlighting growing debates on democratic inclusion across Europe. The piece discusses how several European countries already grant local voting rights to non-citizens under certain conditions, while others remain restrictive. It also references the work of the Migration Policy Group, whose research and policy analysis support broader political participation and representation for migrants as part of inclusive democratic governance.
The article inn the regional news outlet in southern Germany explains where emigrants can most easily gain citizenship, using MIPEX to compare naturalisation rules, requirements, and accessibility across countries.
The EU approved a stricter return law enabling extended detention and offshore “return hubs”, accelerating deportations and affecting migrants, including Indians. The Migration Policy Group warned it could widen safeguards gaps, expand detention, and undermine EU fundamental rights and values.
Since the pandemic, happiness in the Czech Republic has declined slightly, while trust in institutions has improved, though trust in government remains low. A drop in EU ranking is largely due to methodological changes, including updates to the Migration Policy Group’s Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX).
About the Migration Policy Group (MPG)
MPG is an independent think-and-do-tank based in Brussels. MPG’s purpose is rooted in its ability to inspire networks to provide evidence-based projects, research and campaigns in the areas of integration, migration and anti-discrimination.