Within AEGEE, there has already been a long process of discussing migration issues in Europe. A theoretical approach to the problem was already made in the past few years during three separate conferences, in Passau (Germany), Kyiv (Ukraine) and St. Julians (Malta). These events covered the topics of immigration in general, human trafficking, smuggling and the integration of immigrants. In 2005, a group of AEGEE-members from various countries came up with a more practical project under the name : "Case study trip Migration, Integration and Religion". In order to take steps in changing the situation of young migrants, they decided to go to the places where the process of migration is taking place every day - and examine southern Spain and northern Marocco.

Although this study visit couldn't take place at the time, the topic of migration kept on receiving continuous attention in the AEGEE network. Several workshops about the topic continued at statutory events of AEGEE in Wroclaw (Poland), Sofia (Bulgaria), Warsaw (Poland), Gliwice (Poland) and finally in Valletta (Malta). Still faithfull to the objectives of the initiative, the current team continues the progress for preparing a Case Study Trip. Over the years the situation had changed a lot, as reports were coming in about large numbers of African migrants arriving at Europe's Mediterranean coasts every year. Because of our learnful experiences during the workshop in Valletta, the team decided to plan the study visit to Malta to look at this issue more closely.

We envisage this study visit as an important first step to a more comprehensive project on migration in/to Europe. The aim of the event is to create partnerships between AEGEE and several European and Mediterranean NGO's that are active in the field of migration. Together we hope to bring the issue of migration under European-wide attention and to design projects that will not only improve the situation and integration of migrants in Europe, but which will also bring migrants and other European citizens closer together.