The Mediterranean remains the epicenter of efforts by the European Union to manage and govern migration. The region manifests itself in public debate in various guises: as a route, a border, an area of humanitarian distress, a region of intense co-operation. Still, migration dynamics are but one part of the interlocking challenges Mediterranean countries face, with others including international and civil conflict, climate change, and economic vulnerability. Considering recent shifts in migration policy around the Mediterranean, especially the adoption of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, alongside broader initiatives such as the forthcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean, which seeks a coordinated political commitment to shared regional priorities, it is an opportune moment to hold a high-level policy dialogue on migration bridging the coasts of the Mediterranean. The key purpose of the dialogue is to move the debate forward on fair and sustainable migration policies that not only reflect the geographical, political, financial, and societal particularities of States, but also respect the rights and agency of migrants and contribute to social development.

The event will be structured around three key themes:

1. Migration Management and Governance through Partnerships;

2. Labour Mobility and Development;

3. Administrative Governance.

The High Level Policy Dialogue will take place on May 22, 2025, at the Florence School of Transnational Governance.
Attendance at this event is by invitation only, and all deliberations will take place under the Chatham House Rule (no views or positions may be publicly attributed to any participant). Based on the recommendations emerging from the discussion, the organisers will publish a joint EUI-MedMA policy paper outlining the key takeaways from the event, with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean dimension of the discussion.