The EU Global Diaspora Facility

The EU Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF) is the first EU-funded project to take a global approach to consolidate efforts on diaspora engagement for development. EUDiF supports all actors in the diaspora-development ecosystem to engage and collaborate more effectively with each other.

Diaspora – meaning for EUDiF those emigrants and their descendants who actively maintain links with their country of heritage – can be powerful agents of development thanks to their unique transnational understanding and mobility. This potential has long been acknowledged, but until now dialogue and collaboration between diaspora organisations, countries of origin and the EU and its member states have been fragmented, often focusing on bilateral cooperation.

Through a combination of research, dialogue, capacity building and a diaspora expertise pilot project, EUDiF is working to maximise the potential of diaspora for global development by learning from, complementing and amplifying existing initiatives.

The EU Global Diaspora Facility's objectives

The overall objective is to support governments of countries of origin and diaspora organisations to engage and collaborate more effectively with each other and with the EU.

EUDiF will:

• Consolidate and build knowledge on diaspora-development policies, priorities and projects
• Highlight opportunities, needs and challenges for diaspora-development cooperation
• Enhance dialogue between and among diaspora organisations, countries of origin and the EU
• Inform the global narrative on the potential of diaspora for development
• Build capacities of diaspora organisations in Europe and governments of partner countries
• Support mainstreaming of diaspora expertise in development actions
• Promote diaspora-led initiatives

Results so far

So far, EUDiF has:

• Mapped diaspora engagement policies, priorities and projects in 50 partner countries
  • 15 have a diaspora policies (2 in draft stage)
  • 34 have an institution dedicated to diaspora
• Organised diaspora consultations with 24 diaspora organisations based in 9 European countries
  • Initiated a pan-European network of diaspora organisations
  • Generated diaspora recommendations on needs & challenges as development actors
• Started a diaspora youth internship programme

Coming soon

• Mapping diaspora engagement of 50 more countries
• 5 case studies (including one study on diaspora and crisis response)
• Capacity building for diaspora organisations and countries of origin
• Diaspora expertise pilot project
• Diaspora consultations to cover 18 more European countries
• Regional thematic meetings with national authorities covering Africa; Asia; Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and Gulf; Latin America and Caribbean; and the Pacific.
• Inaugural EU Global Diaspora Forum
• Diaspora youth internship opportunities.

www.diasporafordevelopment.eu

www.diasporafordevelopment.eu

Funding instrument

DCI GPGC MIGR

Implementing organisations

International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)