German activities Supporting development work by people with a migration background in Germany

On behalf of the BMZ, the GIZ programmes Migration & Diaspora (External link) and Shaping development-oriented migration (External link) support the active engagement of people with a migration background in Germany in order to boost social and economic development in partner countries long-term.

The BMZ makes it possible for professionally experienced “diaspora experts (External link)” to contribute their knowledge and skills through short-term voluntary assignments at institutions in partner countries or the surrounding regions. Since 2016, more than 425 institutions in the BMZ’s partner countries have been supported in this way. Diaspora experts have been involved in areas such as healthcare and social issues, for instance, and have used their specialist knowledge to contribute to infrastructure projects.

Skilled experts who would like to return to their home country long-term and work for local employers can receive support as Returning Experts (External link) through the Migration & Diaspora programme. Since 2019, more than 970 employers in the BMZ’s partner countries have benefited by employing Returning Experts. These include universities and research institutes, government institutions and civil society organisations.

The programme also supports diaspora organisations (External link) that are actively engaged in development with planning and implementing non-profit, development-oriented projects which are carried out in partner countries in collaboration with local organisations. The domains are highly varied, ranging from gender equality training programmes for young people to improving sanitation. Thanks to ongoing collaboration with a total of 190 organisations since 2011, the projects continue to have an impact even after the funding period has ended.

With its Business Ideas for Development (External link) scheme, the BMZ assists people with a migration background who are looking to start a company in their country of origin and contribute to local economic development with the skills they have acquired in Germany. Since 2010, about 700 prospective founders have received support and the scheme has facilitated the foundation of around 180 companies. These companies bring innovative ideas to the market and create jobs in sectors ranging from tourism to IT to food.

Alongside these activities, the BMZ is bolstering the diaspora’s involvement in political decision-making processes. To this end, the BMZ began a strategic dialogue with the diaspora in 2021 in order to create a space for constructive discussion and exchange of ideas. The BMZ also provides funding to enable the diaspora to organise its own events, such as the German Diaspora Summit 2022.

Furthermore, there are an increasing number of projects commissioned by the BMZ that actively involve members of the diaspora. These include initiatives for shaping regular labour migration and mobility between North Africa and Europe (THAMM (External link)) and programmes for combating female genital mutilation (External link) in East Africa.