03 February 2026 European Movement Ireland have released a briefing on Migrant Integration in the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The paper analyses the risk of deprioritising support for migrant integration in the EU and in Ireland particularly at a time when restricting access to asylum and externalising responsibility for refugee protection dominate the policymaking agenda in Brussels and member states.
The paper looks at the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in the EU’s next long-term budget, and the reduction in emphasis on integration when compared to its predecessor. The paper also examines support for integration at national level and the impacts of the delays in developing a successor national Migrant Integration Strategy in Ireland.
European Movement Ireland Acting Co-CEO Lorna Hayes said; “Across Europe, migration and integration are among some of the most debated issues. With the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, set to enter into force in June, migration will come under even greater scrutiny in the months ahead. At a moment of rising anti-migrant sentiment, integration must be placed at the heart of migration policy, not as an afterthought, but as a central pillar, to foster understanding, build social cohesion, and promote greater acceptance and inclusion within our communities.”
The briefing underlines that support for integration is more crucial now than ever and recommends that lawmakers ensure adequate and comprehensive funding is allocated in the next MFF budget for integration, alongside effective consultation with refugee and migrant communities.
European Movement Ireland Acting Co-CEO Lorna Hayes said; “Against this backdrop of persisting challenges regarding integration in the EU, with racist sentiment and hate crimes against migrant communities on the rise, it is crucial that under the next MFF, the AMIF prioritises adequate funding and support for integration and inclusion.”
A collection of all European Movement Ireland policy papers and reports can be accessed on our website europeanmovement.ie/policy-briefings.