A knowledge centre grounded in operational reality

MMC is part of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). While its institutional link to DRC ensures MMC’s work is grounded in operational reality, it acts as an independent source of data, research, analysis and policy development on mixed migration for policy makers, practitioners, journalists, and the broader humanitarian sector. The position of MMC does not necessarily reflect the position of DRC and vice versa. 

Our aim and approach

Our aim is to increase understanding of mixed migration, to positively impact global and regional migration policies, to inform evidence-based mixed migration responses for people on the move and to stimulate forward thinking in public and policy debates on mixed migration. MMC’s overarching focus is on human rights and protection for all people on the move.

MMC’s regional and global set-up keeps us close to the realities of mixed migration routes while enabling us to connect trends across regions. This means we produce evidence that is both context-specific and globally relevant. Every day, over 120 enumerators (data collectors) survey people on the move, placing migrants’ experiences at the centre of our research.

Operationally grounded

We are a research centre anchored in the operational reality of DRC, with most staff based in key regions around the world.

Driven by direct voices

A provider of unique primary data based on interviews with people on the move.  

Locally embedded

A network of enumerators working along key migration routes and in communities where mixed migration takes place.

Innovative and agile

Pioneering new ways to collect data and adapting surveys rapidly to crises and emerging trends.

An honest broker

Bringing neutrality to a politicised debate by putting evidence at the centre of policy discussions.

Independent and convening

An actor that connects and brings together different stakeholders working on migration.

Collaborative

Partnering with others to share evidence, exchange knowledge, and co-create stronger responses on mixed migration.

Our Team

MMC has teams in regional hubs in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, with a global team headquartered in Geneva and based in several countries worldwide

Bram Frouws

Director of MMC

Bram Frouws is the Director of the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC), currently based in the Netherlands. Between 2017 and 2021 he was based in Geneva, initially as Policy and Research Coordinator on mixed migration, after which he was appointed to establish MMC in 2018. Before moving to Geneva, Bram was living and working in the Horn of Africa for 5 years, where since early 2016 he was heading the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (RMMS) for East Africa & Yemen in Nairobi. Before that he was working with the RMMS as Migration Specialist and Senior Research Associate. He also worked as a Consultant on mobile populations for UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa as part of the 2014 polio response,and worked on migration research projects for IOM Kenya, the ILO, the European Commission, the Danish Refugee Council Myanmar, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies. Before moving to the Horn of Africa he worked for 5 years as a policy researcher on integration, migration and labour market issues with Panteia, a Netherlands-based consultancy firm. He has authored a range of research publications (reports, papers, articles) on various migration issues, including migration trends and dynamics, irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, migration and development and immigration detention. Bram tweets from @bramfrouws

Roberto Forin

Deputy Director, Head of MMC Europe

Roberto Forin is the Deputy Director of the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) in Geneva, and since 2022 also Head of MMC Europe. Before moving to Geneva Roberto worked as research coordinator for the Vienna-based International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) where he coordinated a research assessment on Anti-Trafficking along migration routes in Europe and acted as thematic expert on anti-trafficking in conflict and other humanitarian settings. Before that he worked in Greece as Deputy Head of Mission for the ICRC during the height of the migration crisis in 2015/2016. Roberto builds on over ten years of experience in the protection and assistance of refugees and displaced populations, having worked for the ICRC and IOM in Sudan, Colombia, Haiti, Gaza and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 2014 Roberto has been extensively covering migration issues in the Mediterranean and North Africa as researcher. He has conducted research on involuntary immobility and migration in countries in crisis at the university of Oxford and has collaborated with the Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute of Florence and the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute on migrant labour exploitation in Italy and lived experiences of migrants transiting through Libya, respectively. He has authored several research publications mostly focused on mixed migration, protection for people on the move and migration policies in the wider Mediterranean. Roberto tweets from @roberto_forin.

Gretel Araya

Finance, Grants and Administration Coordinator

Gretel is the Finance, Grants and Administration Coordinator for the Mixed Migration Centre, based in Copenhagen. She has several years of experience in administration, finance, managing projects at Danish NGOs and in the private sector in Spain. Before joining MMC, Gretel worked at the Danish Refugee Council´s Civil Society Engagement Unit in Copenhagen as project officer and coordinator as well as administration coordinator for several years, and at Global Aktion as project manager involving the Saharawi refugees and advocacy for the Western Sahara cause for many years. She also completed an internship in the European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels. Before that, Gretel worked several years in the private sector in Valencia, Spain in the areas of finance, HR and administration. Gretel holds a double Master´s degree in International Development Studies & Global Studies from the University of Roskilde, Denmark in 2019. Moreover, she holds two Masters´ degrees in Sociology and in Political Sciences & Administration from the University of Valencia, Spain in 2012, and a Bachelor´s degree in business from the University of Jaume I, Castellón, Spain in 2006.

Jennifer Vallentine

Senior Research Consultant

Jen first joined MMC in 2018 where she led the Asia Hub as Regional Manager until 2021. She is now working as a senior research and policy consultant for the global team. Jen has worked in the migration and refugee sectors for over fifteen years in a variety of roles spanning program management, research, strategy development, monitoring and evaluation, and community development. She has worked for grass-roots organisations, national and international NGOs, and philanthropic organisations. Jen holds a European Masters of Human Rights and Democratisation completed in Venice and Vienna in 2016, and a Graduate Diploma in Evaluation from the University of Melbourne completed in 2020.

Francesco Teo Ficcarelli

Global 4Mi and Data Coordinator

Francesco Teo Ficcarelli is the Global Information Management Coordinator based in Kampala. Formerly, he was MMC East and Southern Africa’s 4Mi Project Coordinator and MMC’s Information Management Officer in East and Southern Africa as well as North Africa. Prior to joining the MMC team he worked for a number of NGOs (IPA, REACH, ACTED, ICARDA) conducting impact evaluation studies, needs assessments and M&E in the humanitarian and development sectors. He has substantial experience in data collection methods, data management and analysis. Teo has a background in economics and international relations, holding a BA in European Studies from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a MSc in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics.

Asma Arfaoui

Global Communication Officer

Asma is the Global Communication Officer for the Mixed Migration Center, based in Tunis, Tunisia. Before joining MMC, Asma worked as a local press correspondent in Tunisia, covering subjects related to migration, politics and economics. She also held positions as a Research assistant, working on European and Tunisian projects, and focusing on qualitative research. Her studies took her to Paris where she graduated in Communication (MA, 2020) and in Management (BSc, 2017), spending one semester at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands as an exchange student. She completed her studies with single courses in Migration & Anthropology in 2023 at the Ca’Foscari University of Venice.

Kate de Rivero

Global Communications Coordinator

Kate de Rivero is the Global Communications Coordinator at the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC). With over 20 years of experience in humanitarian work, including 15 years in public communications primarily with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Kate has expertise in developing advocacy and communications strategies on humanitarian and global health issues, as well as crisis communications. She has worked on numerous emergencies and humanitarian crises across different regions of the world, including those linked to forced displacement, migration, and refugees. Prior to this, she worked on conflict resolution and peace building for four years.
Before joining MMC, Kate worked as a consultant, conducting reviews to improve organizational strategies for humanitarian delivery and public communications. She holds a BA in International Relations and Development Studies from Sussex University, an MA in Sociology from the University of Geneva, and an MSc in Epistemology, Ethics, and Mind from the University of Edinburgh.

Sharon Mutende

Global Digital Communications Specialist

Sharon Mutende is a Digital Communications Expert with over eight years of experience in strategic digital engagement, multimedia storytelling, and data-driven digital strategy. Her work spans environmental justice, youth advocacy, and gender, with a strong focus on leveraging digital platforms to amplify underrepresented voices. Sharon has led impactful digital campaigns across Africa, globally and in multilateral spaces engaging in global policy processes working at the intersection of evidence-based policy and advocacy. She holds a BSc in Communication and Journalism and is currently pursuing an MA in Environmental Policy. Sharon is passionate about leveraging digital tools to drive social change and strengthen visibility for mission-driven organizations.

Wassim Ben Romdhane

Project Specialist

Wassim Ben Romdhane is the Mixed Migration Project Specialist for the Middle East at the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC). Since 2017, he has worked on research in migration and internal displacement contexts across North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the Middle East with humanitarian and development INGOs. Prior to joining MMC, he spent five years with IMPACT Initiatives, first as a Project Officer in Tunisia, and later managing country research portfolios in Libya, Burkina Faso, and Moldova. His work focused primarily on mixed migration, protection, disaster risk reduction, and multisectoral needs assessments. Wassim brings strong expertise in project management and applied research, specialising in evidence generation and engagement to inform humanitarian response and policy dialogue. He holds a Master’s degree in International Economics, with a concentration in International Development.

Yara Mehiar

Data & Research Project Officer

Yara Mehiar is the Data & Research Project Officer for the Middle East, based in Jordan. She is a public health and humanitarian professional with experience in research, MEAL, and program coordination. She has worked on displacement, protection, and health-related initiatives, with a focus on data collection, analysis, and evidence generation to inform humanitarian programming and policy. Prior to joining MMC, she served with CRDF Global as a Public Health Program Associate, where she managed regional workshops and coordinated multi-stakeholder initiatives. She also worked with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) as a MEAL and Research Technical Officer, leading data collection and analysis, developing monitoring tools, and building staff capacity in Jordan. Earlier in her career, she worked with UNOPS as a WASH Monitor, overseeing water quality and sanitation projects, and contributed to community outreach and research with local and international organisations.

Learn more about MMC

Our Work

Explore what we do, our areas of research, our strategy, and who are our funding partners.

A women enumerator interviews a migrant, both at a table.

What is 4Mi Migration
Data? 

4Mi is our primary data collection system, based on surveys with people on the move around the world…

People walking on a map path graphic.

What is Mixed Migration?

The meaning of mixed migration and why research on mixed migration matters.

Two people in foil blankets by the sea.
Photo: Espen Rasmussen/Panos