Rethinking Migration Through Public-Private Partnerships in the Mediterranean

At this year’s MED – Mediterranean Dialogues in Naples, the Migration Forum which held on October 15 cut to the chase. With public budgets shrinking, participants asked how to turn policy into investable pathways for mobility. Conversations explored in depth serious public-private partnerships and research-guided choices that can improve well-being and integration, address root pressures in places of origin, and protect people en route. 

I was invited to contribute and, listening to colleagues across public bodies, companies and research groups, three threads kept recurring.  

First, financing. Although the general consensus is that we must protect the right to remain and reduce the risks and drivers of irregular migration, especially for youth, the reality is that the financial landscape has dramatically changed, with public funds significantly reduced across the humanitarian and development community. If policies are to translate into real opportunities, private capital needs to step in alongside public mandates. This is not a call to replace the state, UN and publicly funded International Organisations. It is a call for serious public‑private partnerships (PPPs) and coherent humanitarian‑development‑peace collaboration so each dollar funds outcomes, not only activities. Research partners can help de‑risk those choices, pointing to what works, where, and for whom and ensuring that investments do not inadvertently fuel the very pressures that push people to move. 

Second, a two‑front strategy. Migration has always been an adaptation strategy. Our job is to make it safe, regular and dignified, and to ensure that staying is a viable choice. That begins in countries of origin, where land, water and food systems are exposed to compound climate and conflict risks. It also happens in countries of destination, where decent work, fair recruitment and social inclusion determine whether mobility reduces or reproduces vulnerability. There were concrete policy signals. A new decree in Italy will open a quota for 500,000 skilled workers and bilateral agreements are being signed with countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka to better support mobility of skilled workers. Another legal provision in Italy allows entry for already trained workers, and dozens of private‑sector projects have been approved for several thousand people. These instruments matter because they give businesses clarity and workers predictability. 

Third, demand-led skills pathways. Marie-ETS Foundation, working with IPSOS, reported strong growth in demand for energy-transition skills alongside a persistent capacity gap, and is launching a program to train migrants and refugees in these technologies. ETS has established Egypt’s Sector Skills Council for Energy, Hydrogen and Renewables and created the International Network of Experts on Migration to build a skills value chain that works for countries of origin, hosts and migrants. WTC Trieste, together with IOM, presented a concrete public–private partnership that provides on-the-job training for young graduates from the Mediterranean, linking Libya’s fisheries and veterinary services to real market needs in Italy, with localisation as the anchor. In agri-food, Coldiretti and CIHEAM are advancing multifunctional agriculture with a local-market focus in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. In fashion, Burberry and IOM are mapping risks and needs across the Italian supply chain and delivering training at multiple tiers. The pattern is clear: demand-led pathways work when they are specific, ethical and measurable. 

My contribution built on these signals. If public budgets are tighter, we cannot afford trial and error. We should invest in solutions already showing results—and let research set the direction for public–private partnerships so money, mandates, and efforts land where they make a difference. 

Our recent research makes that roadmap practical. We show that climate, security and various forms of mobility connect through a handful of recurring pathways: disaster displacement that strains services; scarcity-driven moves (and traps) that heighten farmer–herder and urban tensions; abundance booms that attract in-migration and can spark low-level competition; and the amplification of pre-existing grievances when shocks hit. We also show how communities come together to support one another in the case of a disaster, particularly in contexts where state capacity is low and/or international funding is dwindling. 

The lessons for solutions are clear: support people’s right to stay or move as they choose, expanding safe, legal pathways for people to migrate while also supporting locally led adaptation initiatives in origin areas. Respect for international refugee law, particularly with regards to the Mediterranean, is critical to preventing pushbacks, refoulement, and drowning.  In addition, plan for mobility and immobility (especially the gendered constraints that leave women and poorer households stuck), and manage thresholds, i.e. those tipping points in food, land and water systems, services, prices and trust where adaptation can slide into displacement or confrontation. 

To move from analysis to action, we use two decision tools. The Climate Security Observatory (CSO) identifies hotspots where climate hazards, food and water stress, conflict incidents, and forced displacement overlap, pinpointing where to prioritize skills, services and protection. The Compound Risk Framework (CRF) integrates climate, conflict and socio-economic indicators to anticipate those thresholds and trigger early action. We have also evaluated interventions with UNHCR and IOM in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mozambique, to understand which approaches actually strengthen resilience and protection in displacement settings, and where course corrections are needed. 

On the market side, we turn findings into investable pipelines. Through A4IP (Accelerate for Impact Platform) we connect CGIAR scientists with investors and industry to co-design, accelerate, and de-risk agri-food and climate technologies and bring them to market. Through agritech innovation challenges and the new RAMP project, it has supported 200+ entrepreneurial scientists, built a 4,000-strong innovator community, and is equipping 100+ scientists across nine CGIAR centers to take discoveries to market. Active in Morocco, Egyptv, Tunisia, and soon Algeria, A4IP backs AI, automation, genetic tools, remote sensing, and digital platforms that boost predictive analytics, soil health, productivity, and climate resilience. Participants get South-South exchange, training, mentorship, technical assistance, partnerships, and targeted finance, plus tailored capacity and go-to-market support, through projects co-designed with public, private, and farmer partners to align with national priorities and deliver investable, scalable solutions that speed smallholder adoption, create jobs, and advance digital agriculture. 

Going forward, we could match our evidence on needs, vulnerabilities, and what works—where and for whom with investable, A4IP-backed local solutions focused on migrants and refugees, from demand-led green-skills pathways and inclusive agri-food/fisheries value chains to service innovations that improve fair recruitment, protections, and basic services. 

The task now is to align capital, public mandates and evidence so mobility is safer and more productive, and remaining is a dignified choice. If we get this right, next year’s story won’t be about shrinking budgets but ratherabout how the Mediterranean built partnerships that turned migration from necessity into opportunity. 

Authors: Grazia Pacillo, Adam Savelli, Claudia Zaccari, Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT. Photo Credit: ISPI MED Dialogues

This work is carried out with support from the CGIAR Climate Action and Food Frontiers and Security Science Programs. We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/