Re:Match is an innovative matching project that rethinks solidarity in the EU and the distribution of protection seekers in a new and participatory way: In contrast to conventional processes Re:Match takes the individual profiles and preferences of people seeking protection into account and matches them with the infrastructural framework conditions and capacities of cities. As a result, Re:Match opens up better future prospects for people seeking protection and offers local authorities better planning options.
Matching is carried out using a preference- based algorithm to bring both sides together in the best possible way. In the 2023 pilot phase, the data and preference-driven process already successfully matched 78 Ukrainian asylum seekers who were in Poland with six German municipalities and supported their relocation. In 2024, further asylum seekers are to be matched to German municipalities.
sustainable paths for solidarity in Germany and with other EU member states can be created in close cooperation with welcoming cities sustainable ways for solidarity-based municipal reception of people seeking protection in Germany and other EU member states. Through this approach, Re:Match provides protection seekers and cities with opportunities for participation and thus fosters their agency in the relocation process, ultimately paving the way for successful integration.
Re:Match is created in close cooperation with international partners, municipalities and people seeking protection and presents a innovative contribution to a fair and effective distribution, reception and integration of persons seeking protection in the European Union (EU). The aim is to relieve the burden on external EU border states and support local authorities as well as protection seekers themselves in their reception and integration at the same time.
Pilot phase
09/2022 – 10/2023
Follow-up project since
11/2023
During the pilot phase, the Berlin Governance Platform, together with project partner Pairity, conducted a participatory process with protection seekers and municipalities to develop the matching criteria and processes which was based on results of international research .
Together with municipalities, relevant criteria were defined for matching them with people seeking protection. These include municipal infrastructure and current capacities as well as needs on the local labour market.
The relevant criteria for matching municipalities and protection seekers were developed in close cooperation with people with lived experience seeking protection. The criteria include both individual needs and preferences.
Salam Lab, our partner NGO in Poland, informed people seeking protection from Ukraine about the possibility of relocating to a German municipality. Needs and preferences were assessed in interviews.
The data of participating asylum seekers and the municipalities were recorded and transmitted in accordance with data protection regulations.
People seeking protection were individually matched with the participating municipalities according to their needs using an algorithm.
The people seeking protection were informed in detail about the match and decided whether to accept or reject it. The transfer and reception were organised.
The project then used the window of opportunity provided by the European Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainian refugees to apply the newly developed criteria and processes for the first time to the matching of Ukrainian protection seekers in Poland with German partner municipalities. Following the successful matching, the Berlin Governance Platform team supported the journey of the asylum seekers from Poland, an EU border state, to German municipalities.
The project is being evaluated in detail and closely monitored through advocacy work at local, national and European level. The initual evaluation results as well as findings and recommendations for decision-makers are presented in two reports published in January 2024 and available for download here.
In the summer of 2024 a second matching and relocation phase with Ukrainian asylum seekers and (new) project municipalities is being implemented. In this way, we want to put the findings from the first phase directly into practice and gather further experience and data in order to further develop the process for possible scaling.
Re:Match will place a stronger focus on relevant partnerships. In particular, a sharpened focus will be on targeted cooperation with protection seekers, local authorities, politics and administration, academia and other civil society organisations. The aim is to consolidate the positive impact of Re:Match in the long term by sharing knowledge and working together on a further improvement of the matching criteria, the algorithm and the relocation and admission processes. We will also examine how the processes need to be adapted in order to be able to apply the matching system for different groups of people seeking protection.
Through close dialogue with political decision-makers at European, national and municipal level, the aim is to identify potential scalabillites for further application and generate support for the idea.
The Re:Match project is currently being implemented. You can find more detailed information and updates on the implementation on the multilingual project website. For the latest updates, you can also subscribe to our newsletter.
