Pathways: Empowering Informed Migration Choices Across the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkan Routes
A multi-channel campaign to shift mindsets on irregular migration
The Pathways project was designed to address irregular migration by equipping potential and transit migrants with facts, alternatives, and options for safer, legal migration. Implemented by Seefar under the AMIF, Pathways deployed an integrated strategy across five countries along the Eastern Mediterranean (EMR) and Western Balkans Routes (WBR) – regions where misinformation and risky migration journeys are common.
Through a combination of social media outreach, one-on-one counselling, referral networks, and online training, the project reached millions and engaged thousands in conversations that changed the way people view their migration options.
The Challenge
Potential and transit migrants along the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans Routes often make life-threatening decisions based on misinformation, with little access to accurate information about risks, legal pathways, or local alternatives.
Our Approach
Seefar deployed a multi-channel strategy combining personalised remote counselling, rigorously tested social media campaigns, referral networks, and online training to shift migration mindsets and behaviours across five countries.
Project Details
| Timeline | September 2023 – August 2024 |
| Countries | Türkiye, Pakistan, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Egypt |
| Target Audience | Potential and transit migrants (ages 18–35), including Syrians |
| Beneficiaries Reached | 11,298 consultations; 37M social media reach; 22M engagements |
How the Project Worked
Transforming Information Into Action Through Remote Counselling
Central to Pathways was its remote counselling service, which provided accurate, personalised information to over 11,000 migrants. Counselling sessions delivered by The Migrant Project (TMP) reached Afghans, Pakistanis, Iraqis, Syrians, and Egyptians who were considering or actively planning to migrate irregularly.
The results found that 95% of consultees reported increased understanding of migration risks, 93% gained clarity on the realities of life in Europe, and 89% learned about legal migration alternatives and how to access them.
These conversations didn't just inform – they shifted behaviours. Shortly after consultation, only 5% of consultees still saw irregular migration as crucial to their future, compared to 31% beforehand. More than three-quarters reported abandoning their irregular migration plans, a change that remained consistent over time.
"One beneficiary was about to take a perilous migration journey. I persuaded him to stay, and tragically, his friends who went didn't survive. He later thanked me, sharing his parents' blessings for saving his life."
– Nabil, Counsellor in Afghanistan
Migrant along the Eastern Mediterranean Route
Rigorous Social Media Testing and Research for Migration Communications
The campaign's digital reach was extensive. Across platforms and languages, over 37 million people were reached and 22 million engagements recorded. Strategic A/B testing helped optimise messages for different audiences – risk-oriented posts resonated with men in transit, while family-oriented, hopeful messaging performed better with women at home.
Critically, those most committed to migrating were also the most engaged. Rather than avoiding hard truths, they interacted deeply with the content, looking for validation or alternatives. Exposure to Pathways' media materials significantly increased knowledge retention, especially among those uncertain about their plans.
The Pathways project didn't just use social media – it studied it. Informed by over a year of experimentation, the project produced a flagship publication: the Compendium of Proven Social Media Guidelines for Migration Communications. This compendium consolidates findings from dozens of campaigns and three case studies to answer a vital question: what works online when you're trying to inform migration choices?
Key Findings from the Compendium
1. Negative messaging focusing on risks is most effective for reaching transit migrants.
2. Positive, family-focused content drives engagement among women in their country of origin.
3. Testimonials consistently outperformed fact-based posts in building trust – three out of four users in Pakistan trusted testimonial content over any other type.
4. Short, emotional video content was more influential than images or text, particularly when it featured real-life stories.
5. A two-step marketing funnel, starting broad and narrowing to highly engaged users, cut campaign costs by over 90% in some countries.
6. Social media exposure led to statistically significant improvements in knowledge retention, especially among well-educated users and those unsure about their migration plans.
The full compendium is now publicly available and stands as a resource for EU member states, migration actors, and communicators looking to maximise the reach and effectiveness of their digital campaigns.
Referral and Follow-Up: Creating Pathways Where There Were None
Where possible, counsellors referred beneficiaries to local service providers for psychosocial, legal, and livelihood support. While logistical challenges limited immediate impact – especially in remote areas – the referrals contributed to greater long-term stability. Those who received services were more likely to abandon irregular migration plans in the medium term.
However, the referral network also surfaced critical gaps in access and coordination. These insights informed recommendations to hire in-country coordinators, build more localised partnerships, and integrate face-to-face engagement where possible in future projects.
Learning That Lasts: A Shift from Legal Migration to Local Opportunity
In the short term, most consultees focused on legal migration options. But over time, many realised the barriers – bureaucracy, cost, language – and pivoted to local opportunities instead. Those who explored local options were more likely to see real-world results: 24% secured employment, 18% started a business, and 11% gained a new skill.
This organic shift showed that even when legal migration isn't immediately accessible, Pathways helped participants reframe their future in constructive, proactive terms.
Key Achievements
37,000,000 people reached via social media
22,000,000 engagements across all platforms
11,298 remote consultations conducted
95% reported better understanding of migration risks
78% abandoned irregular migration plans shortly after consultation
70% maintained this decision 3–6 months later
52% of consultees actively explored legal migration alternatives
43% shifted toward local job and business opportunities
190 referrals to local service providers; improved medium-term outcomes
Learning and Looking Forward
Pathways demonstrated that remote counselling, when delivered with empathy and backed by psychosocial support, can produce lasting behaviour change – even among individuals deeply committed to irregular migration. The combination of digital reach and personalised engagement proved to be a powerful model for influencing migration decisions at scale.
The project's social media research produced evidence-based guidelines that are now available to the wider migration communications field. These findings will shape how Seefar and other organisations approach digital outreach in future programmes.
Future iterations should invest further in referral infrastructure, in-country coordination, and longer follow-up periods to deepen the impact of behaviour change and help consultees access the local and legal opportunities they identify during counselling.