​It is time for an effective and durable policy response to the current ‘migration crisis’ in Europe.

Such a response, however, requires a better and broader understanding of what drives people to migrate in the first place. There is much debate about their motivations, and about possible solutions to the ‘crisis’ – debate that often leads to conflicting messages and theories.

To shine a light on this issue and provide some clarity, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has used a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) approach to assess the quality of the evidence that is already available to identify what drives migration to Europe.

Clare Cummings, Julia Pacitto, Deletta Lauro and Marta Foresti