Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 on establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

This regulation establishes the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. This fund aims to contribute to the efficient management of migration flows and improve the implementation and development of the common policy on immigration and asylum of the European Union (EU).

The EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) has 4 main objectives:

strengthening and developing all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension;
supporting legal migration to the EU Member States in accordance with their economic and social needs, such as labour market needs, and promoting the effective integration of nationals from non-EU countries;
enhancing return strategies in the Member States, with an emphasis on the sustainability of return and effective readmission in the countries of origin;
enhancing solidarity and the sharing of responsibility between the Member States, in particular for those most affected by migration and asylum flows.

KEY POINTS

All Member States (except Denmark, which is not participating in this fund) prepare national programmes outlining the actions through which they intend to achieve the objectives set out in the AMIF regulation.

Examples of actions include measures to support:

reception and asylum systems (such as improved administrative structures, training of staff dealing with asylum procedures and developing alternatives to detention);
integration measures, with a focus on the local level (such as the provision of training and services to non-EU nationals and the sharing of best practices among EU Member States);
voluntary return programmes, reintegration measures, etc.

While most of the fund’s budget is allocated to the national programmes, part of it is used for EU-level actions (‘Union actions’), emergency assistance, the European Migration Network and technical assistance at the initiative of the European Commission.

Specific actions

In addition to their national programme allocation, Member States may receive an additional amount for the implementation of specific actions. These actions (listed in Annex II), require Member States to cooperate with each other and generate significant added value for the EU.

Union resettlement programme

Each Member State may also receive, every 2 years, an additional amount based on a lump sum of €6,000 for each resettled person, which will be increased to €10,000 for common priorities (such as regional protection programmes) and vulnerable groups of persons.

Budget

The financial envelope for the implementation of the fund for 2014-2020 was initially set at €3.137 billion, which has been more than doubled over the financial period 2014-2020, mainly due to the migration crisis in 2015-2016.

Details regarding the implementation of the fund are to be found in Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 (see summary).

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 1 January 2014.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Asylum, Migration and Integration fund (2014-2020) (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 of 16 April 2014 establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, amending Council Decision 2008/381/EC and repealing Decisions No 573/2007/EC and No 575/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Decision 2007/435/EC (OJ L 150, 20.5.2014, pp. 168–194)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 have been incorporated into the basic text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.