Between State and Market: Migration Intermediaries (“Brokers”) in the German Migration Infrastructure

The project examines the increasing formalization of migration intermediaries (“brokers”) within the context of German migration policy. Whereas brokerage practices were often organized informally in the past, recent years have seen a growing trend toward formalization. State-recognized and regulated intermediaries are appearing more frequently, for example in the context of bilateral labor migration agreements.

The aim of the project is to systematically analyze the role of intermediaries in migration processes and to derive evidence-based recommendations for the design of future regulatory frameworks. It also considers how integration actors - such as the Youth Migration Services funded by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) - connect to and build upon the outcomes and structures of formalized brokerage processes.

The project focuses on regulatory frameworks, institutional structures, funding mechanisms, and the concrete practices of intermediation. Methodologically, it combines the analysis of regulatory arrangements with qualitative field research and data-based administrative analysis. By linking empirical research with policy-oriented synthesis, the project contributes to a better understanding of migration infrastructures and to the further development of more equitable and functional migration governance.