Migration Trends and Scenarios

Fast-changing dynamics, constant media, public and political attention, and considerable impact on societies make migration a phenomenon that must be continually monitored and reflected on. This enables us to spot patterns, anticipate potential future developments and, ultimately, be better prepared to tackle challenges.

Featured publication

When the extreme is normalised: shifting boundaries in ‘acceptable’ migration policy

This “normalisation of the extreme” illustrates how ideas once outside the mainstream can enter the realm of political acceptability. Published in the Mixed Migration Review 2025.

Read the article

People near crowded border fence with barbed wire. — Photo credit: David Peinado Romero / Shutterstock.

How we track mixed migration trends and future scenarios

MMC work under ‘Trends and Scenarios’ focuses on understanding how mixed migration is evolving — and where it may be heading. Through our Quarterly Mixed Migration Updates (QMMUs), we monitor emerging patterns across regions, covering both movement dynamics and policy developments.

Our annual Keeping Track, featured in the Mixed Migration Review (MMR), provides an overview of key events, developments, and policy shifts in mixed migration across Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, and Asia over the past year.

We also regularly publish articles and opinion pieces with rapid analyses on the implications of major events as they unfold exploring how they may affect migration dynamics. Finally, we conduct scenario exercises — from reports to workshops — to help decision-makers anticipate and prepare for future mixed migration dynamics.

View the latest Quarterly Updates