Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund - Performance

Programme in a nutshell

Concrete examples of achievements (*)

^{(*) Key achievements in the table state which period they relate to. Some come from the implementation of the predecessor programmes under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework. This is expected and is due to the multiannual life cycle of EU programmes and the projects they finance, where results often follow only after completion of the programmes.}

Budget for 2021-2027

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_01:pie[/notranslate]

Rationale and design of the programme

The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) promotes the efficient management of migration flows and the implementation, strengthening and development of a common approach to asylum and immigration in the EU.

Budget

Budget programming (million EUR):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_02:table[/notranslate]

  Financial programming:
  + EUR 1 051.9 million (+ 13%)
  compared to the legal basis*

^{* Top-ups pursuant to Article 5 of the multiannual financial framework regulation are excluded from financial programming in this comparison.}

• The initial financial programming for the AMIF of EUR 9.882 billion was affected by further modifications. On one hand, a total of EUR 4.3 million under the initial AMIF allocation were transferred to other shared management funds through CPR article 26 (i.e. EUR 1.1 to BMVI; EUR 3.2 to ISF). The fund was also reduced by EUR 48.1 million to finance various legislative initiatives concerning DG Migration and Home Affairs agencies. On the other hand, the AMIF was reinforced by EUR 64 million in the context of different draft budget procedures 2021-2024, the fund also absorbed EUR 57.1 million of unused appropriations from the agencies. Finally, the fund was reinforced by a transfer from the SEAR Emergency Reserve of EUR 74 million and a transfer of EUR 100 million from the Heading’s margin. In 2024, the fund was reinforced by EUR 810 million coming from the midterm revision of the multiannual financial framework.

Budget performance – implementation

Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_03:table[/notranslate]

Voted budget implementation (million EUR)^(*):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_04:table[/notranslate]

Contribution to horizontal priorities

Green budgeting

Contribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_05:table[/notranslate]

• In line with the EU's commitments to work towards achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals, the programme regulation commits (with no specific programme target) to contributing to the achievement of the EU's goal of spending at least 30% of the total amount of the EU budget on supporting climate objectives and of the EU's ambition to spend 7.5% of the annual EU budget on biodiversity in 2024 and 10% in both 2026 and 2027, while considering the existing overlaps between climate and biodiversity goals.
• This could happen, for example, by focusing on green procurement regarding infrastructure assets / information technology systems – subject to specific provisions ensuring the choice of products/services that reduce the climate impact by applying the best available technologies, the use of renewable energy in buildings, enhanced isolation and other items. For the time being, there are no strict conditions set for national programming or project selection, but Member States are rather encouraged to prioritise environmentally-friendly actions.

Gender

Contribution to gender equality (million EUR) (*):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_06:table[/notranslate]

• The programme is committed to the horizontal approach of the EU budget, in which equality between women and men, rights and equal opportunities for all and the mainstreaming of these objectives should be taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation, implementation and monitoring of relevant programmes, as stipulated in Article 6 of the programme regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/1147).
• In the broader context, in order to receive payments from the Commission, Member State programmes for DG Migration and Home Affairs funds will have to comply with a number of horizontal-enabling conditions, one of which concerns the effective application and implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including the equality of men and women. The horizontal-enabling conditions must be fulfilled throughout the entire programming period and Member States have to report on their application to the programme monitoring committee and the Commission.
• The programme regulation specifically stipulates that eligible actions need to take into account the human rights-based approach to the protection of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and should, in particular, ensure that special attention is paid to, and a dedicated response is provided for, the specific situation of vulnerable persons, in particular women, unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking in human beings. At this stage it is considered that all type of actions supported by the programme may have a potential to impact gender equality. Therefore, the whole amount (initial voted budget) is equivalent to the gender score 0*, comprising both direct and shared management.
• In the context of the midterm evaluations, to be carried out by the end of 2024, the potential to impact gender equality of specific types of intervention will be examined in greater detail – and the gender score may be subject to variations.

Digital

Contribution to digital transition (million EUR):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_07:table[/notranslate]

It is considered that activities under the following specific objectives of the programme may partially contribute to the goal of digital transition:

• strengthening the Common European Asylum System;
• strengthening and developing legal migration to the Member States;
• contributing to countering irregular migration.

However, since the legal basis for the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework and the programme regulation did not foresee that expenditure contributing to the goal of digital transition should be tracked, it is not possible to develop a tracking methodology to estimate the amount of such expenditure.

Budget performance – outcomes

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_09:progress[/notranslate]

• The approval of the Member State programmes for 2021-2027, which represent the bulk of the resources of the programme, took place in the last quarter of 2022, in line with the timing of most programmes covered by the common provisions regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060). 
• By the end of 2023, it was not yet possible to carry out any meaningful assessment of the progress towards achieving the milestones and targets only recently established by the Member States ⁽³⁾, with just 1 full year of implementation of the Member State programmes.  However, as outlined in the budget implementation section, progress was visible in 2023 from a financial perspective and in relation to the results of operations funded via the Thematic Facility. Overall, operations were selected by the managing authorities across both specific objectives, for a total cost that amounted to over 36% of the Member State programmes’ allocations.
• Overall, in 2023, Member States focused on launching calls for proposals, selecting operations and working on resettlement, humanitarian admission and relocation. As outlined below, reporting on output and result indicators has started for most indicators ⁽⁴⁾, although it is expected to gain momentum at a slightly later stage, especially for the result indicators, once the number of operations being completed reaches cruising speed. 
• Under specific objective 1, on the Common European Asylum System, the rate of selection of operations is rather high, at 44% of the total allocation of Member State programmes, witnessing the significant needs of the Member States in this area. The first achievements recorded relate to non-EU nationals supported, including almost 13 000 vulnerable individuals, but also to the number of staff trained, which amounts to more than 4 000. Additionally, 750 reception places for unaccompanied minors were created on top of 1 159 places refurbished in line with the EU acquis. 
• Under specific objective 2, on legal migration and integration, more than 280 000 non-EU nationals have already been supported in their early integration, including temporary protection beneficiaries fleeing from Ukraine. Longer-term results are expected to take longer to materialise, but over 5 000 participants have improved their language skills by at least one level of the common European framework of reference for languages, and almost 20 000 participants have reported that the activity was helpful for their integration.
• Under specific objective 3, on combating irregular migration, more than 18 000 returnees have returned voluntarily with the support of the fund and almost 5 000 have received reintegration assistance.
• Under specific objective 4, on solidarity among Member States, a significant number of resettlements and humanitarian admissions (almost 40 000) have already taken place.
• As of 2023, there was no clear indication of issues with the implementation of the programmes that suggest that the targets of certain indicators will not be met. However, the impact of external factors, such as the general increase in prices or the significant changes in the needs given the geopolitical situation, along with difficulties with the initial target setting, may lead to duly justified changes to the targets estimated in 2021. A few Member States also report certain problems with their programmes leading to delayed reporting on achievements, along with constraints on administrative capacity due to the overlap of the programming periods, the need to adjust to the new legislative framework and the finalisation of agreements with international organisations. Managing authorities have in any event put in place solutions to address such issues.
• Importantly, the adoption of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and the related midterm review of the multiannual financial framework is expected to be accompanied by a change in the targets for operations benefiting from the additional allocations. The strengthening of the legal framework is also a factor that could favourably affect the performance – and more broadly the effectiveness – of the support provided under the AMIF. The ultimate impact on the targets and the progress of the Member State programmes towards them will become clearer after the adoption of the Commission’s and the Member States’ implementation plans, and will be monitored as part of the amendments to the programmes.
• Overall, the implementation of the programme will inevitably be affected by the energy crisis and the general increase in prices, which vastly exceeded expectations in many Member States. Continued pressure on resources could result in a lower level of achievement of the key performance indicators or a need to revise the original strategy, but could also influence the implementation of transnational actions. For the EU actions in particular, this pressure may be exacerbated due to the use of fixed unit rates for certain types of costs. Despite a partial revision of the underlying legal framework, these rates remain unfavourable, and they may result in insufficient coverage of the real expenditure by the organisations involved in implementing the actions. This, in turn, leads to reduced participation in 2023 calls for proposals, along with project activities that need to be removed from the scope of existing support, having become financially non-viable. Cost increases appear to affect the building sector in particular, with repercussions on the development and maintenance of the reception infrastructure.
• As regards direct management, in view of their specific nature and legislative objectives, the performance of transnational EU actions cannot fully be captured by the key performance indicators, but they effectively complement the implementation of the policy objectives at the national level through Member States’ programmes by developing policy analysis and innovation, transnational mutual learning and partnerships, and by testing new initiatives and actions across the EU. Sixteen actions financed under the 2021-2022 Thematic Facility in the area of information and awareness-raising campaigns and support for the victims of trafficking in human beings started in 2023, and their results are expected to be communicated to the Commission in 2025. For the 2023-2025 Thematic Facility, calls for proposals of strategic importance for integration of non-EU nationals were published and evaluated in 2023. Thirty highly valuable transnational actions awarded under this call are starting in 2024.
• The Thematic Facility has also financed grants for the national contact points of the European Migration Network, which have a pivotal role in the implementation of the efficient management of migration by the Member States.
• The performance of actions concluded in 2023 to provide emergency assistance to the Member States most affected by the mass arrival of displaced persons from Ukraine was examined positively, with beneficiaries achieving the established targets. As mentioned in the budget implementation section, the programme provided essential and timely support to strengthen the capacity to address the most immediate needs of the displaced persons, including information and administrative support, shelter and temporary accommodation, food, basic material assistance, transport and special assistance for vulnerable individuals. In agreement with the Commission, a list of performance indicators and supporting evidence was specified in the grant agreements.
  
   

^{(3) As is standard practice for shared management programmes and in line with the legal framework, the milestones and targets have been established by the Member States based on their strategy and needs assessment, and in line with the available resources indicatively planned in the programmes across predefined types of interventions. The Member States are indeed best placed to tailor the design of the programme to their national context and needs. The methodology for target setting was shared with the Commission, which also provided methodological advice to the Member States. The milestones, targets and related methodology can be adjusted during the programming period in duly justified cases, such as a revision of the programme’s strategy, relevant external contextual factors and changes in the distribution or volume of the available resources, and following a review by the Commission. An overall assessment of the relevance of the strategy and its targets compared to the evolving needs at both the Member State and the EU level will be part of the midterm evaluation of the programme.}

^{(4) The performance assessment section is based on the latest available data for the key performance indicators. For those indicators that are based on the data transmitted by the Member States in the Annual Implementation Reports, the cut off date is 2022. This is clarified in the meta data annexed to the Programme Performance Statements, and due to the fact that information on the achievements in 2023 will only be included in the Final Implementation Reports, due by the end of 2024.}

MFF 2014-2020 – Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

The programme is achieving its objectives, especially considering the volatile and challenging migration situation throughout the 2014-2020 period. The programme provides the financial means to push forward the EU’s agenda on migration. The Commission is working to establish a comprehensive approach on this agenda, developing legislative proposals to establish and improve common EU action, and monitoring and enforcing the correct implementation of applicable rules by the Member States.

Budget implementation

Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_08:table[/notranslate]

Performance assessment

[notranslate]AMIFWeb:budg_10:progress[/notranslate]

• The programme focused on the three areas: asylum schemes, migration and integration. Whereas in the first year a stronger focus was placed on asylum schemes, for example via resettlement and relocation, the latter years focused increasingly on legal migration and integration.
• In terms of the overall programme performance, most of the indicators set out for the programme have achieved their targets or are on track to do so by the end of the programming period, which was extended by one year due to the Russian war of aggression to Ukraine. Some difficulties remain visible in the returns area, which was particularly affected in the last three years by COVID-19-related travel restrictions. Differences in performance across Member States also exist, either due to changes in the existing needs, specific implementation issues and the impact of inflation. In 2022, the flexibility provided by the revised regulation to use unspent resources allowed several Member States to increase their efforts on first reception and early integration to offer crucial support in view of the mass arrival of displaced people from Ukraine.
• On the strengthening of the Common European Asylum System, the number of asylum applications continued to increase in 2023, surpassing the threshold of 1 million first time applicants, more than double the average by over 60% in 2022, on top of a 30% increase between 2020 and 2021. The figures surpassed pre-pandemic levels after a drop that was largely driven by COVID-19 and the related travel restrictions. Member States have been therefore confronted with a markedly increasing pressure on their reception systems in 2022. As regards the programme actions, in 2022 the fund provided over 3 million people ⁽⁴⁾ in target groups with asylum assistance, exceeding its target of 1.26 million, and nearly 90 thousand people were trained in asylum-related topics compared to a target of approximately 25 thousand. Inflation is reported as a factor particularly impacting the building sector and the possibility to further improve the performance of the indicators related to new or improved accommodation infrastructures. However, Member States made use of the flexibility provided by the revised regulation to cope with the joint effect of increased prices and increases in demand of reception services due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition, as described in the section covering the implementation of the 2021-2027 programme, emergency assistance ⁽⁵⁾ was used to reinforce the efforts of the Member States most affected by the mass arrival of displaced people from Ukraine to offer first reception services. 
• On effective integration and legal migration, the Commission supports the Member States in integrating non-EU nationals through the use of EU funding, some of which is provided by the programme and the rest by the European Structural and Investment Funds. Under the programme’s national programmes, the target of 2.6 million people having participated in integration assistance projects was greatly exceeded. In particular, in 2022, a marked increase was measured in the volume of assistance provided, as a testimony of the efforts of the Member States to offer early integration support to displaced people from Ukraine. However, as regards the number of persons who participated in pre-departure measures, the results fell below the target set (176 998 people supported versus a target of 240 920). Reaching the targets depends on the Member States and their estimates, with some exceeding their targets and others still at a distance from them. Travel restrictions and delays due to COVID-19 also played a role, and so did the fact that sometimes, based on national strategies, similar measures are offered upon arrival and are therefore not captured by this indicator.
• On effective return policies, with migrants who have no right to stay in the EU needing to be returned, the area needs further improvement and additional efforts, which will depend on better cooperation from non-EU countries and on Member States’ effectiveness in implementing returns. As from 2020, the rate of effective return from the EU-27 to non-EU countries dropped significantly, reflecting that actual return operations were affected by COVID-19 related travel restrictions whereas return decisions were much less affected during COVID-19. Despite some progress, return-related indicators directly linked to the support provided by AMIF are also not fully on track to achieve their targets. The Commission put forward a number of new initiatives to improve the effectiveness of return policies, including its first strategy on voluntary returns and reintegration⁽⁶⁾, additional cooperation with key countries of origin and the strengthening of flights coordinated by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (up by approximately 50%). Furthermore, in March 2022, the Commission appointed a Return Coordinator in DG Migration and Home Affairs. Based on the reporting from the Member States, travel restrictions continued to affect the volume of returns especially in the first part of 2022, with lasting effects on the cumulative values achieved.
• On strengthening solidarity and sharing responsibilities between Member States, several Member States, notably Greece, Spain and Italy, have benefited from emergency assistance from the programme. The number of relocations supported by the AMIF across the different management modes is on track to achieve its target.
• The main lessons learned during the 2014-2020 programming period include the following:
  • there has been insufficient cooperation, coordination and strategic steering in the implementation of the programme with other EU-level initiatives;
  • there is a need for simplification;
  • there is insufficient flexibility to respond to changing needs during the programming period;
  • there is a need to strengthen the quality of performance monitoring, with more regular and reliable data for the result indicators.
• These lessons learned are being fed into the programming and implementation of the 2021-2027 programmes.

^{(4) In the case of person-related indicators, it is possible that the same individual receiving support under different operations or in different years, is counted multiple times.
(5) Emergency assistance is the Commission’s main tool for providing urgent and specific support in emergency situations.
(6) COM(2021) 120 final of 27.4.2021.}

Contribution to the sustainable development goals