MigFund Dataset

MigFund tracks over 1,700 EU-funded measures related to migration and asylum policy between 2000 and 2023. It covers internal and external instruments, coded by sub-policy area, target group, geography, and level of restrictiveness. 

It includes both "internal" and "external" EU funding programmes, across four EU Multiannual Financial Frameworks (MFFs).

The Excel file includes three sheets:

• Internal Dimension
• External Dimension
• Data Labels

## 🧾 What the dataset includes

Each row in the dataset represents a *measure* (an objective associated with a committed amount) with information on:

• Budget commitments (in €)
• Sub-policy area (e.g. protection, return, legal mobility)
• Target group (e.g. irregular migrants, asylum seekers)
• Region and country of implementation
• Restrictiveness score (-1 to +1)
• Funding programme and MFF cycle
• Source documents and URLs

## 📈 Why it matters

MigFund allows users to:

• Track shifts in EU migration priorities over time
• Compare funding trends across internal vs. external instruments
• Analyze how budget allocations shape migration governance
• Provide a baseline to link financial commitments to expenditures 

Zardo, F. (2025). Following AENEAS’ Route: Unpacking Two Decades of Migration-Related Measures in EU Development Funds. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 23(1), 16–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2024.2424163.

Zardo, F., Tservenis, R., Two Decades of EU Funds for Migration and Asylum: The MigFund Dataset (2024). Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. 2024/32, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4941371 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4941371

For questions or suggestions, contact: federica.zardo@donau-uni.ac.at