More than 60 migration officials from 20 different EU Member States came to Clingendael over the past two months for intensive negotiation skills trainings tailored to their context.

The participating migration practitioners negotiate on a daily basis with migrants, foreign embassies and third country delegations and often face a unique set of challenges. Whether they are trying to obtain temporary travel documentation from hostile third-country diplomats or attempting to convince a migrant that has exhausted appeal procedures to opt for voluntary return, strong negotiation skills are essential.

Over the course of three days, the participants sunk their teeth into half a dozen new simulations focusing specifically on their working context. The aim of such a tailored course is to offer practical techniques which allow the migration officials to recognize different types of negotiations, learn how to break deadlocks and develop strategies to achieve their objectives. 

The training project was funded by and co-organized with the European Integrated Return Management Initiative (Eurint), with input from the European Agency for Border Protection (Frontex).

Building on this first cycle at Clingendael, the Academy’s trainers are now running capacity building trainings on behalf of Frontex in Moldavia and the Western Balkan.

For more training opportunities, check our training page or get in touch with one of the trainers.