Policy Brief 6 - Mapping Asian migration to Europe: policy insights from two-step focus group discussions

Drawing on 21 focus group discussions with 139 migration experts and practitioners across Asia and Europe, the last AspirE Policy Brief offers a comprehensive look at the evolving drivers and realities of Asian migration to Europe. The analysis shows that while motivations are diversifying, economic opportunity, family welfare, and children’s education remain the core factors shaping mobility decisions. The brief highlights the decisive influence of social networks and intermediaries, which can provide crucial support but also create dependency and spread misinformation. Across European destinations, migrants continue to encounter slow administrative procedures, fragmented governance, and opaque digital systems, all of which fuel uncertainty. Sudden policy changes, such as abrupt visa adjustments or new recruitment rules, further destabilise mobility plans. Persistent language barriers remain a major obstacle to employment, integration, and social participation, while remigration within Europe is becoming increasingly common as migrants seek career advancement, family stability, or better long-term prospects. In response, the policy brief calls for predictable legal reforms, stronger administrative coordination, ethical recruitment oversight, recognition of diaspora infrastructures, and expanded language and integration pathways.