AMIF: Awareness raising and information campaigns on the risks of irregular migration in selected third countries and within Europe

The EU Action plan against migrant smuggling (COM(2015)285) states that raising awareness of the risks of smuggling and irregular migration is crucial for preventing prospective migrants and asylum seekers, including people in more vulnerable situations such as children, from embarking on hazardous journeys towards the EU. To this end, the Action Plan foresees the launch of information and awareness-raising campaigns in key countries of origin or transit for migrants. It points to the importance of creating a counter-narrative in the media to oppose misleading information provided by migrant smugglers, including through social media and with the involvement of diaspora communities in the EU.

Objectives

This topic aims at funding projects of information and awareness-raising campaigns in the area of migration in the following third countries: Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia with a focus on preventing irregular migration and, in particular, migrant smuggling, as defined in the AMIF work programme for 2019. The campaigns in third countries may be complemented by components in Europe that focus on engaging the target audiences’ network connections.

The general objective of this topic is to contribute to the change of perceptions and behaviour of third country nationals pondering irregularly migrating to the EU and key influencers of their decisions.

The goal of this topic is to support actions that pursue the following specific objectives:

• to provide trusted, factual, balanced information on the risks of irregular migration – during the journey (dangers of migrating irregularly) and after arrival (hardship of living in the EU irregularly and return), as well as on relevant legal alternatives of migration and on available economic opportunities in the country or region of origin;
• to empower credible voices in countering migrant smugglers’ narratives on irregular migration and the diasporas’ narratives on living irregularly in the EU;
• to strengthen multi-stakeholder cooperation between actors such as civil society organisations, researchers, media outlets, local state actors, diaspora and where relevant other stakeholders;
• to enhance the sustainability of communication activities and results of the campaign.

Project proposals submitted under this topic should build on the lessons learnt from the past and on-going information and awareness raising campaigns and activities in the area of preventing irregular migration and migrant smuggling, including those implemented by the EU, Member States and International Organisations. The projects should seek synergies with ongoing communication activities being implemented under actions funded by the EU.

Each project proposal should target a single third country, unless the target communities are established in or transiting across several countries. The reasons behind these choices should be clearly explained and justified in the application.

This topic does not aim to fund information and awareness raising campaigns targeting only diaspora within EU Member States and lacking engagement with third country stakeholders.

Actions

• Preparatory research, in view of developing a tailored communication strategy for the project, in particular to identify the migration context, target audience(s) of the communication activities, its (their) characteristics, motivations, information needs and gaps as well as communication channels and tools, as to design the most effective approach to influence its (their) behaviour. The preparatory research should also rely on results and lessons learnt from previous campaigns and communication activities carried out in the same country and should use available primary and secondary data and own analysis.
• A tailored communication strategy based on the outcome of the preparatory research.
• The production and implementation of the communication campaign.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the results and impact of the campaign, in particular:
• A strategy for the sustainability of the campaign activities.

More information

Call

AMIF