European Migration Research Articles

Young North African migrants in Europe: exploring their health and the adequacy of health services

Abstract Background Over five million people from North Africa (NA) lived in Europe in 2019, including youth characterized by intense trans-border mobility, precarious living conditions and high-risk behaviours such as prostitution and illegal activities. This population challenges health professionals and institutions ability to deliver medical care and health information remains scarce. This scoping review aims to better understand NA adolescents and young adult (aged 12-25) health status, access to and use of healthcare. Methods Following the Arksey and ÓMalley process and based on the Population-Concept-Context framework, we searched the CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases for peer-reviewed articles and non-index reports. We systematically tracked references. Results Initial search returned 5319 articles of which we included 13 (2 Spanish, 2 French, 3 German). All reported about observational studies. Nine of 13 papers included males only and 11 focused exclusively on unaccompanied minors. They reported about physical health conditions related to poverty such as dental caries, iron deficiency and dermatological conditions (n = 5) or infectious diseases, notably tuberculosis (n = 7). Trauma-related mental health conditions were frequently reported (n = 7), including post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol, cannabis or benzodiazepines harmful use with frequent overlapping presentations. Three studies discussed multi-pronged barriers to healthcare, emphasizing the importance of transcultural approaches and attention to social factors. Conclusions Embedded into multiple factors of vulnerability, poor physical and mental health is commonly associated with young NA migrants. Evidence is limited in scope and quality notably about females and young adults. There is an important gap about optimal strategies to deliver tailored health services, notably to respond to complex mental health needs. Key messages • The complex health needs and barriers to care of young NA migrants in Europe are not adequately documented, understood, and addressed. • Particular attention should be paid to trauma-related mental health conditions.

Awareness and knowledge about Female Genital Schistosomiasis among European healthcare workers

Abstract Background Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is a gynaecological manifestation of persistent infection with Schistosoma haematobium, which can lead to severe consequences, such as miscarriage and infertility. It is estimated to affect 56 million women globally, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Most migrants in Europe are female, often from SSA and therefore at risk of FGS, hence healthcare workers (HCWs) knowledge of FGS is essential for the provision of adequate care. This study aims to assess awareness and knowledge of FGS among European HCWs to inform strategies to improve the management of migrant health. Methods In June 2023 - January 2024 we conducted a cross-sectional online survey targeting medical doctors (MDs), nurses and midwives (NMs) working in fields of infectiology, gynaecology, urology, family, travel, internal or occupational medicine. The prevalence of FGS awareness and knowledge was estimated, Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with MDs’ awareness of FGS. Results Among 922 surveyed HCWs, 43.7% (CI95%: 39.6-47.9) of MDs and 12.0% (CI95%: 8.8-16.0) NMs have heard about FGS. FGS awareness among MDs was associated with work in clinics for migrants (prevalence ratio (PR)=1.33, CI95%: 1.10-1.59) and specialization, being lower for gynaecology (PR = 0.67; CI95%:0.51-0.88), and family medicine (PR = 0.42, CI95%:0.30-0.59). Among MDs, 7.1% (CI95%: 5.1- 9.5) had medium knowledge, while 25.3% (CI95%: 21.8-29.0) had low, and 67.6% (CI95%: 63.7-71.4) no knowledge on symptoms, complications or diagnostic tools for FGS. FGS knowledge was mostly acquired through academic curricula (34.7%), scientific literature (28.4%) and conferences (25.6%). Conclusions The study shows limited awareness of FGS among European MDs and NMs, and highlights that European HCWs may not be adequately prepared to deal with diseases that are gaining relevance on the European continent due to the global connectivity and the dynamic nature of our societies. Key messages • In Europe, the health specialities that are the first point of patient access to the health system show a low level of awareness and knowledge of Female Genital Schistosomiasis. • Rising knowledge of FGS among European HCWs through academic curricula and continuous medical education is important to ensure adequate diagnosis and management of disease in migrant populations.

10.O. Scientific session: Breaking Barriers: Advancing Vaccine Access for Newly Arrived Migrants in Europe

Abstract Health disparities are particularly evident in Europe among Newly Arrived Migrants (NAM), in accessing healthcare systems and navigating vaccination services. The AcToVax4NAM project emerged as a pioneering initiative aimed at identifying solutions to overcome system barriers, following a life-course approach. These solutions consist of a broader strategy to promote organisational vaccination literacy and enhance vaccine uptake among NAM. Employing a participatory approach, the project engaged with professionals FOR health (PFH) and ΝΑΜ to ensure the relevancy of the practices developed, along with the widespread acceptance of proposed solutions and tools tackling access to vaccination services. This workshop is not just about showcasing the outcomes and impact of the AcToVax4NAM project; it’s about equipping PFH with practical tools and strategies that are immediately applicable and will ultimately increase vaccine literacy and uptake. By delving into the challenges encountered, strategies employed, and recommendations formulated, the workshop offers invaluable insights for professionals seeking to address similar issues in their respective contexts. We believe that by sharing our experiences and best practices, we can empower others to make a real difference in their communities. The workshop will contain 5 presentations that follow the functional structure of the project, starting with a presentation on the General Conceptual Framework, the foundational element guiding project activities. Following this, we will discuss the development of a migrant-centered and migrant-sensitive tool aimed at improving the communication skills of PFH by providing definitions of vaccine-related terms in an easily digestible way. The third presentation will detail the development of action-oriented flowcharts across consortium countries validated through focus group discussions with PFH; the flowcharts are linked to a comprehensive repository of 359 tools. The workshop will then explore the consortium’s efforts in providing vaccine literacy and cultural competency training to more than 200 healthcare professionals. Finally, the outcomes of the pilots implemented in consortium countries will be presented, and recommendations will be made that summarize the evidence-based accumulation of improved access to vaccinations for NAM and, consequently, increase vaccine uptake. This workshop fosters dialogue among stakeholders and showcases collaborative efforts to promote vaccination literacy and uptake among NAMs in Europe. Sharing experiences and best practices empowers PFH to address similar challenges in their communities, offering insights into effective strategies for improving healthcare access and promoting health equity. Finally, insights from the presentations and discussions can inform evidence-based policymaking and shape the development of immunization public health strategies at the local, national, and European levels, inspiring real change in communities. Key messages • Equipping Professionals for Health with strategies to Enhance Vaccine Access for Newly Arrived Migrants. • Equity through Collaborative Efforts in Promoting Vaccination among Newly Arrived Migrants.

High-resolution spatiotemporal forecasting of the European crane migration

In this paper we present three different models to forecast bird migration. They are species-specific individual-based models that operate on a high spatiotemporal resolution (kilometres, 15 min-hours), as an addition to radar-based migration forecast models that currently exist. The models vary in complexity, and use GPS-tracked location, flying direction and speed, and/or wind data to forecast migration speed and direction. Our aim is to quantitatively evaluate the forecasting performance and assess which metrics improve forecasts at different ranges. We test the models through cross-validation using GPS tracks of common cranes during spring and autumn migration. Our results show that recordings of flight speed and direction improve the accuracy of forecasts on the short range (<2 h). Adding wind data at flight altitude results in consistent improvements of the forecasts across the entire range, particularly in the predicted speed. Direction forecasts are less affected by adding wind data because cranes mostly compensate for wind drift during migration. Migration in spring is more difficult to forecast than in autumn, resulting in larger errors in flight speed and direction during spring. We further find that a combination of flight behaviours – thermal soaring, gliding, and flapping – complicates the forecasts by inducing variance in flight speed and direction. Fitting those behaviours into flight optimisation models proves to be challenging, and even results in significant biases in speed forecasts in spring. We conclude that flight speed is the most difficult parameter to forecast, whereas flight direction is the most critical for practical applications of these models. Such applications could e.g., be prevention of bird strikes in aviation or with wind turbines, and public engagement with bird migration.

Migrants serving migrants? Representative bureaucracy at the front lines of migration management

Abstract The ways in which minority street-level bureaucrats construe their identities as state representatives and as representatives of minority clients are known to inform their discretionary behavior toward clients, thereby shaping policy outcomes. While existing studies have examined race and ethnicity as shared identities between minority bureaucrats and clients, the role of “migrant” identity has been overlooked. Focusing on the so-called European migration crisis of 2015–2017, this study addresses this gap. Drawing on qualitative interviews with migrant bureaucrats, it examines how being simultaneously a migrant and a migration policy implementer shapes bureaucratic discretion. This article introduces the notion of “migrant representative” and identifies four profiles of migrant bureaucrats, each corresponding to different degrees of identification with the local migration management system and the migrant clients. In doing so, it contributes to the literature on representative bureaucracy and the debate on the linkage between passive and active representation.

Inequalities in health literacy between European population and newly arrived male sub-Saharan migrants in Europe.

Increases in migration pressure from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe have increased in recent years. Despite this trend, the health literacy needs of migrants in host communities have not been sufficiently studied. This research aims to explore the health literacy of migrants newly arriving in Europe and compare it with the health literacy levels of the European population, utilizing data obtained from the European health literacy survey. A convenience sampling cross-sectional study was conducted at the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center in Melilla (Spain) in June 2022 using a validated French and Arabic version of the 16-item European health literacy survey questionnaire. A total of 106 sub-Saharan migrants ≥ 18 years of age were surveyed. The general health literacy index of the migrants was 30.02 points (on a scale of 50), placing it in the 'problematic' level. Of the participants, 57.54% had a limited ability to obtain, understand and apply health information and make appropriate health-related decisions. The largest gap compared to European citizens was observed in skills to understand information related to disease prevention. These results reinforce that migrant status is a social determinant of low health literacy and suggest that health professionals should extend their educational role to this vulnerable group.

A multi-dimensional Sustainable Diet Index (SDI) for Ghanaian adults under transition: the RODAM Study

BackgroundThe sustainability of diets consumed by African populations under socio-economic transition remains to be determined. This study developed and characterized a multi-dimensional Sustainable Diet Index (SDI) reflecting healthfulness, climate-friendliness, sociocultural benefits, and financial affordability using individual-level data of adults in rural and urban Ghana and Ghanaian migrants in Europe to identify the role of living environment in dietary sustainability.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from the multi-centre Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants Study (N = 3169; age range: 25–70 years). For the SDI construct (0–16 score points), we used the Diet Quality Index-International, food-related greenhouse gas emission, the ratio of natural to processed foods, and the proportion of food expenditure from income. In linear regression analyses, we estimated the adjusted ß-coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the differences in mean SDI across study sites (using rural Ghana as a reference), accounting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.ResultsThe overall mean SDI was 8.0 (95% CI: 7.9, 8.1). Participants in the highest SDI-quintile compared to lower quintiles were older, more often women, non-smokers, and alcohol abstainers. The highest mean SDI was seen in London (9.1; 95% CI: 8.9, 9.3), followed by rural Ghana (8.2; 95% CI: 8.0, 8.3), Amsterdam (7.9; 95% CI: 7.7, 8.1), Berlin (7.8; 95% CI: 7.6, 8.0), and urban Ghana (7.7; 95% CI: 7.5, 7.8). Compared to rural Ghana, the differences between study sites were attenuated after accounting for age, gender and energy intake. No further changes were observed after adjustment for lifestyle factors.ConclusionThe multi-dimensional SDI describes four dimensions of dietary sustainability in this Ghanaian population. Our findings suggest that living in Europe improved dietary sustainability, but the opposite seems true for urbanization in Ghana.

“Impacts of neo-banks on North African migrants’ remittances and financial inclusion”

This study examined remittance trends and financial institution preferences among North African migrants in Europe and assessed neobanks' potential to foster financial inclusion and cost reductions. The main objetive was to explore how neobanks can alleviate economic pressures on North African migrants and help achieve the World Bank Group's goal of reducing remittance costs to 5 % and the UN-SDG target of 3 %. Exploratory in nature, both surveys and interviews were used for data collection. The sample consisted of 64 North African migrants from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria (North Africa) residing in France, Spain, and Italy (EU). Key findings revealed that North African migrants had diverse remittance behaviors, with varying frequencies and amounts sent home. Trust in traditional banks remained high due to familiarity, cultural norms, and accessibility issues in rural areas. However, neobanks offered significant cost savings, with potential annual savings ranging from €30 to €134 depending on the monthly remitted amount that ranges between a €100 and a €1000 . Adoption of neobanks was higher among younger, and digitally literate migrants with better access to technology. Barriers to wider adoption of neobanks included limited digital and financial literacy, lack of necessary technology in home countries, and cultural resistance to change. High regulatory and compliance costs for traditional banks also contributed to inflated remittance fees. To address these issues, the paper recommends enhancing market competition, improving access to new payment technologies, encouraging larger remittances through incentives, learning from successful public bank models like France's La Banque Postale, and fostering financial literacy and digital inclusion. Additionally, it suggests building trust and cultural sensitivity, investing in robust cybersecurity measures, and developing offline transaction capabilities to increase accessibility for migrants in remote areas.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Service Use among Undocumented Migrants in the EU: A Systematic Literature Review.

Most EU member states fail to provide essential sexual and reproductive health services to undocumented migrants, a vulnerable population facing limited access, utilization, and worse health-related outcomes. This study systematically reviewed the literature on access to and use of these services, as well as related health, economic, and migratory outcomes for undocumented migrants in the EU-EFTA region. The systematic review is reported based on the PRISMA 2020 checklist and includes 37 studies published between 2017 and 2024. Included studies were based upon original quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods data; conducted in one or more European countries; and published in one or more of the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Romanian. A quality assessment was conducted using the CASP checklist for qualitative studies and the NHLBI Study Quality Assessment Tools for quantitative studies. The findings revealed numerous access barriers, including refusal of care, lack of knowledge about national healthcare schemes, bureaucratic hurdles, and affordability issues. Even when care was available, stigma, fear of deportation, socio-economic precarity, and abuse further hindered utilization. These barriers contributed to generally worse reproductive health outcomes for undocumented migrants in Europe, though the findings may not generalize to all EU-EFTA countries.

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis – update from 2017 to 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health concern. A previous systematic review showed that migrants in Europe are at increased risk of AMR. Since the COVID-19 pandemic there have been rapid changes in patterns of antibiotic use, AMR, and migration. We aimed to present an updated evidence synthesis on the current distribution of AMR among migrants in Europe. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022343263). We searched databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed and Scopus) from 18 January 2017 until 18 January 2023 to identify primary data from observational studies reporting any laboratory-confirmed AMR among migrants in the European Economic Area (EEA) and European Union-15 (EU-15) countries using over 7 key search terms for migrants and over 70 terms for AMR and countries in Europe. Outcomes were infection with, or colonisation of AMR bacteria. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Observational Studies. We meta-analysed the pooled-prevalence of infection and/or colonisation of AMR organisms. Among 630 articles, 21 observational studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The pooled prevalence for any detected AMR was 28.0% (95% CI 18.0%-41.0%, I 2 =100%) compared to a 25.4% seen in the previous review; gram-negative bacteria 31.0% (95% CI 20.0%-44.0%, I 2 =100%), and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus 10.0% (95% CI 5.0%-16.0%, I 2 =99%). Drug-resistant bacteria were more prevalent in community settings in large migrant populations (pooled prevalence: 41.0%, 95% CI 24.0%-60.0%, I 2 =99%) than in hospitals (21.0%, 95% CI 12.0%-32.0%, I 2 =99%). AMR estimates in 'other' migrants were 32.0%, (95% CI 12.0%-57.0%, I 2 =100%) and 28.0% (95% CI 18.0%-38.0%, I 2=100%) in forced migrants. No firm evidence of AMR acquisition with arrival time or length of stay in the host country was found. Studies investigating AMR in migrants are highly heterogenous. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, migrants may be at higher risk of acquiring resistant bacteria, particularly gram-negative bacteria, within community settings such as refugee camps and detention centres in Europe. Our study highlights the importance of infrastructure and hygiene measures within these settings, to mitigate transmission of resistant pathogens. Policy-makers should screen for AMR in migrants prior to departure from countries of origin, where feasible, and upon arrival to a new country to ensure optimal health screening, infection control and effective treatment. There was no funding source for this study.

Internal mobility of international migrants in Europe: A critical literature review and research agenda

AbstractThis paper reviews the literature on the internal mobility of international migrants and their descendants in Europe from an interdisciplinary perspective. Europe is becoming increasingly diverse. Where international migrants live and move to after arriving in their destination country influences both individual life courses and macro‐level population compositions. So far, a comprehensive overview of internal mobility patterns and drivers among migrants is missing. The aim of this paper is threefold: first, to discuss the development of the field across disciplines; second, to present and reflect on the current state of knowledge of internal mobility of migrants in Europe, and third, to conclude by setting an agenda for future research. This paper stresses the importance of studying the internal mobility of migrant populations over their life courses, testing theories across migrant generations, doing more justice to population diversity, strengthening the link between the literature on internal and international migration, and finally, emphasises the need for comparative research.

The Fiction of Non-entry in European Migration Law

The Fiction of Non-entry in European Migration Law

Humanitarianism, victimisation, and bordering processes: debating the refugee experience in the classroom

Abstract Set in the peak of the so-called “European Migrant Crisis” and situated in the conflict-affected Cypriot context, this article examines Greek-Cypriot High School students’ representations of Syrian refugees as they were debated in classroom discussion. Drawing on ethnographic research that took place in 2016 in a Lower Secondary School in Cyprus, we analyse the interactional dynamics through which ‘bordering’ processes took place, showing how different types of borders were (re)-negotiated and re-instated in the classroom. Considering the sociohistorical context of Cyprus, we also investigate how teachers’ and students’ understandings of borders and ethnic identity-making were reshaped by local discourses. Our analysis shows that teachers, despite prompting students to take an active stance towards Syrian refugees as part of a peacebuilding stance, mobilised ethnocentric discourses that victimised refugees, portraying them as someone whose agency is taken away from, and for whom we can speak and act. Approaching borders as social constructs, we show how the national border separating “us” and “them” was construed and reaffirmed in such discussions, and how the representation of refugees as ‘the victim’ functioned as a way of narrating the ‘cultural fantasies’ of the national self.

European migration governance in the context of uncertainty

European migration governance in the context of uncertainty

The affective economy of removal: ethnographic perspectives on deportation and (In)voluntary return

ABSTRACT The removal of undocumented migrants has become a widespread preoccupation of current European migration politics and one of the most emotionally contentious state practices of our times. Not only right-wing populists and their constituencies demand an increase in expulsions, but also mainstream society. Others accuse these positions of being racist or lacking humanism and instead promote solidarity to help people seeking protection in Europe. These divisive views and migrants’ often long-term experience of being ‘unwanted’ and deportable provoke strong and often irreconcilable emotions. The ethnographic explorations assembled here zoom in on the ‘affective economies’ inherent in the arbitrary processes and unpredictable experiences of removals of people from Europe to different parts of the world. This special issue puts forward a twofold argument: First, conceptually, we argue that a focus on affects is indispensable in order to fully unearth the complexities of removal processes. And second, methodologically, we contend that an ethnographic approach, with its deep and often long-term commitment of researchers to their respective field(s) including multiple actors, is essential to comprehensively grasp the affective economy of removal.

Central and Eastern European Migrants in the United Kingdom: A Scoping Review of the Reasons for Utilisation of Transnational Healthcare.

An estimated 2.2 million people from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) live in the United Kingdom. It has been documented that CEE migrants underutilise health services in the United Kingdom and, as an alternative, seek healthcare in their home country. However, reasons for seeking healthcare abroad are not always clear. This review aims to identify the reasons for the uptake of transnational healthcare among CEE migrants resident in the United Kingdom. Informed by discussions with community members, medical stakeholders and academics, a systematic scoping review was undertaken following the nine-stage Joanna Briggs Institute framework for scoping reviews. A search strategy with MeSH terms, where relevant, was used and adapted in five academic databases, two grey literature databases and Google Scholar. Included records encompassed four concepts: migration, CEE nationalities, UK nations and healthcare utilisation, which were written in English and published between May 2004 and 2022. Data from the literature were coded, grouped and organised into themes. A total of 16 publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There is evidence that some CEE migrants exclusively use healthcare services in the United Kingdom. However, many CEE migrants utilise healthcare both in the United Kingdom and their country of origin. Four themes were identified from the literature as to why migrants travelled to their country of origin for healthcare: cultural expectations of medical services, distrust in the UK NHS, barriers and transnational ties. Push factors led CEE migrants to seek healthcare in their country of origin, facilitated by ongoing transnational ties. CEE migrants frequently combine visits to their country of origin with medical appointments. Utilising healthcare in their country of origin as opposed to the United Kingdom can result in fragmented and incomplete records of medications, medical tests and surgeries and risk of unnecessary treatments and complications. This review highlights the need for more targeted health outreach with CEE groups within the United Kingdom, as well as the need for further research on the impact of national events, for example, COVID-19 and Brexit, on transnational healthcare-seeking behaviours. The concept for this scoping review was informed by discussions with community members, medical professionals and academics, who identified it as a current issue. The results of this scoping review were discussed with healthcare stakeholders.

Black Marxism, Racial Capitalism, and Greek and Balkan Coloniality Studies: Toward an Abolitionist Perspective

The end of the Cold War marked the beginning of the Balkan and Greek postcolonial and de-colonial studies. The Yugoslav ethnic wars, the Greek “financial crisis,” and the European migration crisis generated a body of critical studies on regional nationalism, coloniality, and racialism and the Balkans and Greece's ambiguous relation to Europe. Cedric J. Robinson's Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition was missing from the large spectrum of postcolonial literature. This absence is surprising given that the book historicizes the simultaneous occurrence of colonialism, capitalism, racism, and modernity in the Balkan and the East Mediterranean during the late feudalism. The absence of this history from the Balkan's post and de-colonial studies deprives these studies of an abolitionist perspective; rather than opting for “provincializing Europe” empowered by this history of the native enslavements and colonization, these studies, much as Black radicalism should mobilize the region for the political culture for the abolition of “Europe.”

From 2008–2011 Great Recession to COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of resilience metrics in European regions

AbstractWe aim to clarify the usefulness of different measures of economic resilience in the context of global shocks. In relation to the Great Recession, Oil&amp; European migrant crises, and COVID-19, we compute and validate from a statistical point of view, then characterize five metrics on 317 NUTS2 regions and 21 years. ROC curves and Cox regression compare them by the capacity to predict the post-shock state. Heterogenous behavior characterizes resistance, recovery, and loss. Furthermore, the non-linear resistance performs best in future state prediction, while the composite index has the lowest efficiency as a predictor of the regions’ recovery.

Epilogue: ‘Claiming Time’ Special Issue

This paper offers an epilogue to a special edition of articles employing a temporal lens to examine the politics of European asylum and reception systems. From camps to courts to casework, the papers explore a range of temporal matters arising in relation to attempts to manage human mobility. In this epilogue, I identify three temporal themes that arise across the different papers and that are dominant in contemporary Euro-American migration governance. These are: 1) the tempos (the strategic, often contradictory, employment of fast and slow speeds); 2) synchronicity (the multiplicity of times in European migration systems, and the alienation caused by disharmony); and 3) the tenses (from thwarted and inaccessible individual futures, to political representations of the past and future, and the enduring reverberations of past events). The prologue goes on to argue the importance of avoiding allochronism and identifies ways the authors avoid temporally ‘othering’ people, including by recognising people’s autonomy in acts of timing and in reclaiming and recalibrating their own timelines and rhythms. The paper ends with a call for the migration sector to ‘widen our gaze’ and to draw out the underlying colonial and capitalist temporalities so as to situate migration governance in broader temporal bordering and dispossession. After all, themes of limbo, impermanence, insecurity, temporal poverty, negated futures, temporal dissonance, and other temporal governance mechanisms that hierarchise, marginalise and discipline us, are increasingly evident across the globe, whether or not we cross a border.

Making (in)formality work in a multi-scalar European border regime

ABSTRACT The European migration control regime claims to strife for ‘orderly’ and safe conditions of migration, yet systematically generates the opposite. This paper explores the role of informality in creating solutions to enable control and produce order in the European migration control regime by examining two areas of border policy characterised by high degrees of regulation and contestation : the implementation of the Dublin III Regulation (2013) and transnational negotiations over readmission agreements between European states and deportable people’s assumed countries of origin. We focus on Sweden and Switzerland, two countries perceived as having high degrees of ‘formality’ in their migration control regimes, and draw on ethnographic material generated between 2015 and 2018 in Swiss and Swedish migration control agencies. We demonstrate the central role of informality in making formal regulations 'work'. The Dublin Regulation necessitates tacit toleration of informality to be enforced, and readmission agreements rely on informal, transnational politics that neither follow migration law nor respectthe rights and lives of people on the move. The article underscores the importance of debunking the myth of an ‘orderly’ migration control regime, informality is what makes European migration control ‘work’, often to the detriment of people on the move.