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Labour Migration and Demographic Change in CESEE
A Blueprint for Shaping Immigration Societies in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (2026-2028) Mapping & Research Labour Migration and Demographic Change. A Blueprint for Shaping Immigration Societies in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (2026-2028) is a project by ERSTE Foundation and THE CIVICS Innovation Hub, with partners in Croatia (Znanje na djelu), Hungary (Power of Humanity Foundation, Alternative Communities Association, ELTE Budapest & Periféria Policy and Research Center), Poland (The New Community Foundation & University of Warsaw), and Romania (Tech and Tonic).
Through mapping, field research, multi-stakeholder consultations and community-building workshops (civic labs), it develops a solid evidence base on labour migration and demographic change as interlinked processes that are decisive for the economic prosperity and social wellbeing in the four countries. The goal of the project is to foster stronger alliances between academic research, the private sector, policymakers, and civil society, and co-create an integrated research report and policy blueprint. The blueprint offers decision-makers a practical orientation for shaping sustainable, inclusive immigration societies across CESEE
The international research consortium is coordinated by Caroline Hornstein Tomić (Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb), who also leads the research activities in Croatia. The country research leads are Dóra Gábriel (ELTE Budapest) for Hungary, Agnieszka Fihel (Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw) for Poland, and Remus Gabriel Anghel (National School of Political Science and Public Administration, Bucharest) for Romania.
Alternative Communities Association
Alternative Communities Association (AKE) is a non-profit civil society organization based in Debrecen, Hungary, founded in 1998. Its mission is to support grassroots initiatives, informal groups, and local communities by providing community spaces, capacity-building programs, and professional support. AKE works to strengthen civic engagement, participatory democracy, and social inclusion while fostering cooperation among citizens, community groups, and other social actors. The organization also operates community projects, training programs, and initiatives that empower young people and local communities to actively shape their environment.
AKE is committed to addressing local challenges and supporting community initiatives, acting as a bridge between institutions and citizens. Over the past four years, Debrecen has undergone significant changes with the establishment of major industrial investments, including battery manufacturing plants and the BMW factory, which have attracted a growing number of migrant workers to the region. While their presence has become an integral part of the city’s development, fostering their inclusion and participation in local community life is essential for building social cohesion and a peaceful, welcoming society.
Power of Humanity Foundation, Pécs
The Power of Humanity Foundation works for a liveable society that respects human rights and equality and where democracy prevails, through developing civil society, citizenship and human rights education, and building democracy. Our mission is to play our part in creating a democratic society for all.
The Foundation human rights education programmes are characterised by a developmental approach, a belief in learning and change, and a significantly expanded toolbox of online games and board games in the spirit of gamification. We work with nearly half a hundred elementary and secondary schools, hundreds of professionals and thousands of students in the framework of our human rights education programs. We are always looking for ways to address topics such as equal opportunities, democracy, active citizenship, social responsibility, and solidarity in an entertaining yet serious way. We are based on the principle of think global, act local: we focus on innovation, adaptability and multiplication in our education/learning programmes.
Migration, as a human rights issue, is an integral part of our educational program: we regularly welcome international students into our internship programs, and in our human rights education programs, we promote diversity and reinforce inclusive attitudes.
ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies
The Institute for Regional Studies of the ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies (CERS) is a leading Hungarian research institute in the field of regional science, with a long-standing tradition of interdisciplinary and empirically grounded research. Its work addresses a broad range of social, economic and spatial processes, including regional inequalities, social and spatial mobility, migration, rural and urban transformations, and territorial development. With research departments operating across several regions of Hungary, the Institute combines extensive academic expertise with strong local knowledge and a distinctive sensitivity to the spatial dimensions of social change. Its researchers have an established record of national and international collaboration, contributing to major research programs and advancing regional science in Central and Eastern Europe. Within the DELMIG project, the Institute provides a strong interdisciplinary research environment and valuable expertise for examining labor migration and its wider social and spatial implications.
