4.12.2. Collaborating on producing accurate information

Cooperation and information-exchange among COI researchers are essential to produce accurate, reliable and up-to-date information on the situation in countries of origins.

Various training sessions, seminars, briefs and study visits were organised in 2022 with COI units and immigration authorities to share best practices. For example, Germany participated in COI briefings for EU Member States under migration pressure, within the framework of the Bilateral Mentoring Scheme (BMS).The new qualification tool, BMS, is supported by the EUAA and was launched on the initiative of national COI units. It aims to improve cooperation between COI experts, foster personal development and strengthen methodology. Experts from the COI units of France, Germany and Greece actively participated in the BMS.

Switzerland focused on improving cooperation with countries outside of the EU and it organised study visits for the Turkish Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) to the Swiss COI unit, in the framework of the EUAA/PMM roadmap.955

Finally, strengthening cooperation with local organisations and local activists was an objective for Austria, which, for instance, launched quantitative surveys to strengthen COI methodology such as assessing the socio-economic situation of urban populations in countries of origin, and quantitative surveys of residents of selected cities.