GAPs, FAiR, and MORE Projects Spotlight Humane, Evidence-Based Alternatives to Return Policies at Key EU Events

On 18 November 2025, coordinators of the Horizon Europe GAPs project, Soner Barthoma and Zeynep Şahin Mencütek, took part in the EU’s flagship conference, “Ten Years of EU Migration – Research & Innovation.” The event gathered leading researchers, policymakers, and civil society actors to reflect on a decade of EU-funded migration research and shape future directions.

Highlights from the Conference:

  • Barthoma and Şahin Mencütek led the session Irregular Migration, Return & Human Rights, emphasizing the need for return policies that reflect real-life experiences of returnees rather than solely institutional imperatives.

  • They presented new insights into the complex reintegration challenges returnees face across diverse country contexts.

  • From the GAPs consortium, Anna Triandafyllidou chaired the panel on Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement, underscoring the importance of stronger bridges between research, practitioners, and policymakers.

Across the conference, participants stressed that EU return policies must become fair, research-informed, and sensitive to human rights obligations, aligning governance frameworks with the evidence generated by Horizon Europe research.

On 19 November 2025, Representatives from GAPs, FAiR, and MORE engaged with Members of the European Parliament to discuss how return governance can become more humane, evidence-based, and grounded in migrants’ lived realities.

Highlights and recommendations from the panel at the European Parliament:

1. Anchor EU return governance in rights, evidence, and transparent monitoring.

Credibility depends on verifiable data, clear safeguards, and procedures that uphold the Union’s legal and ethical standards.

2. Address non-return as a predictable component of the system through stable, lawful pathways.

Providing structured solutions for those who cannot be returned enhances compliance, reduces administrative burden, and improves policy coherence.

3. Prioritize partnership-based cooperation supported by reintegration and legal mobility.

Sustainable outcomes are achieved when cooperation frameworks are mutually beneficial, development-oriented, and aligned with long-term EU interests.

 
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