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The global displacement crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with over 100 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. This reality challenges existing protection frameworks and tests international solidarity. How can civil society and international organisations best navigate increasingly restrictive migration regimes? And how do international migration frameworks impact this equation?
Drawing on ENSURED's report Transforming Global Migration Governance Through and Beyond the Global Compacts, this webinar brought together academic research and civil society practitioners to examine how the Global Compacts on Migration and on Refugees function, and to explore the gap between implementation and practice.
The panellists included:
- Felix Peerboom, PhD candidate and lecturer at Maastricht University, co-author of the ENSURED report “Transforming Global Migration Governance Through and Beyond the Global Compacts”.
- Stephane Jaquemet, Director of Policy and Chief Operating Officer of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), a global network that aims to protect uprooted people, including refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced people, victims of human trafficking, and migrants.
- Michele LeVoy, Director of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), a network of organisations advocating for the rights of undocumented migrants across Europe and beyond.
- Moderator: Samuel King, CIVICUS
Initial Points
Felix Peerboom presented findings from the ENSURED research report, describing global migration governance as a giant, and as yet unassembled judicial jigsaw puzzle. The 2018 UN Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees were designed to add comprehensive, but non-binding pieces to this puzzle, aimed at enhancing international cooperation. The frameworks were designed to enhance cooperation between states but face five major challenges: limited labour migration pathways, gaps in refugee protection, their non-binding nature, the lack of accountability, and declining funding.
Michele LeVoy also highlighted stark examples of implementation gaps. Although two-thirds of EU member states have adopted the Compacts and the commitment to end child detention, both the 2020 Migration Pact and 2025 Return Regulation still permit it — counteracting the Global Compacts and affecting the most vulnerable groups. In addition, proposed investigative measures would allow authorities to enter homes without warrants to detect undocumented migrants, undermining access to services and social cohesion.
Stephane Jaquemet described the Compact on Refugees’ achievements in increasing cooperation between development actors, civil society, and the private sector. However, he noted a concerning shift: a growing tendency to make fewer references to the Refugee Convention, with many governments remaining unwilling to establish concrete protection frameworks.
The Crisis Facing Civil Society
Following Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, humanitarian aid was frozen, causing a 35–40% reduction in global humanitarian funding. Stephane Jaquemet noted how programs were cutimmediately, with organisations losing both operational capacity and advocacy resources. Migrant-led community organisations face particular challenges amid increased far-right scrutiny of civil society funding.
Without adequate funding, civil society’s ability to influence policy diminishes precisely when it is most needed.
The upcoming International Migration Review Forum in May 2026 faces additional challenges, as lengthy visa processing times are likely to limit diverse civil society participation.
Felix also highlighted how migration cooperation is shifting away from UN multilateral frameworks and towards transactional bilateral arrangements. Examples include the EU-Turkey statement, the US “Remain in Mexico” policy, and Australia’s offshore processing. But there are concerns about whether these anti-migrant policies are even effective in their stated aims. Australia spent AUD 12 billion between 2012 and 2023 to process only around 4,200 people.
The Path Forward
Despite these challenges, the panellists offered concrete examples of effective civil society action. Michele mentioned some examples where coalition-building was key. Sweden’s Right to Health Initiative brought together over 80 organisations to expand healthcare access for undocumented migrants in 2013. During Spain’s regularisation campaign, migrant community organisations mobilised for five years, gathering 800,000 petition signatures and building a broad coalition. The result was government policy changes that could affect up to half a million people.
Stephane stressed the importance of unity and multi-level engagement. He advocated for civil society to maintain its presence in global forums while remaining vocal outside the room and building alliances at the grassroots level. Civil society will need to maintain pressure at the national level as well, where policies are being implemented and have an impact on migrants.
On a final note, Felix urged vigilance about the increasingly common political rhetoric opposing illegal migration,while legal pathways are being eliminated. Michele emphasised implementing existing protections rather than wholesale reform, which risks establishing weaker frameworks. Despite challenges, Stephane observed that civil society was proving resilient: “I have seen a very positive spirit and the sense of responsibility to preserve what still exists and then build from there”. The webinar concluded with calls to stay vigilant and build strategic coalitions while maintaining unwavering commitment to the human rights and dignity of migrants.
Couldn’t Join? Watch the Recording:
About the ENSURED Webinar Series
In Conversation with Civil Society is a year-long webinar series exploring how global governance institutions can become more effective, robust, and democratic. Each session brings together ENSURED researchers, policymakers, and civil society leaders to discuss practical reform pathways across seven key policy areas.
Through a conversational format, the series connects analytical research with civil society experience, identifies political opportunities for institutional change, and highlights where advocacy can have the greatest impact across fragmented governance landscapes and persistent North-South divides.
The series is coordinated and facilitated by CIVICUS.
Photo: Jannik / Unsplash (Unsplash Liscence)
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