A three-month professional programme in the Netherlands where flights, accommodation, visa fees, meals, daily living expenses, insurance and field trips are all covered.
The Migration Management Diploma Programme (MMDP) is a three-month, full-time capacity-building programme offered by United Nations University through UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University.
The programme is designed for government officials, civil servants and policy practitioners working in migration and asylum.
The 2027 cohort runs from 5 April to 24 June 2027 in Maastricht, Netherlands. Applications for scholarships are currently open, with the deadline on 1 October 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Quick Facts
- Opportunity type: Fully Funded Professional Development Programme
- Host: UNU-MERIT / Maastricht University
- Funding partner: European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility
- Location: Maastricht, Netherlands
- Duration: 3 months
- Programme dates: 5 April–24 June 2027
- Study mode: Full-time, in person
- Funding status: Fully funded
- Participant cost: None
- Flights: Covered
- Accommodation: Covered
- Visa fees: Covered
- Meals: Covered
- Daily living expenses: Covered
- Health insurance: Covered
- Field trips: Covered
- Age: None
- Nationality:
- Southern Neighbourhood Countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine*, Syria and Tunisia.
- Sub-Saharan African Countries: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Comoros; Congo (Republic); Côte d’Ivoire; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Eswatini; Ethiopia; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Republic of Malawi; Republic of Rwanda; São Tomé and Príncipe; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; The Gambia; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe.
- Silk Route: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
- Degree: None
- Work experience: Professional experience in migration management/civil service required; exact minimum years: Not specified
- Target applicants: Government officials, civil servants and policy practitioners working in migration and asylum
- Fields/themes: Migration management, migration studies, migration and development, migration policy
- Application fee: None
- Application deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:59 CEST
The official UNU-MERIT page explicitly states that the scholarship covers all expenses for the duration of the training, including flights, accommodation, visa fees, meals, daily living expenses, health insurance and field-trip costs.
Programme Structure
The programme consists of three core courses:
- Introduction to Migration Studies
- Migration and Development
- Migration Policy
Each course runs for approximately four weeks.
Topics include:
- Migration data
- International migration law
- Labour migration
- Diaspora engagement
- Policy coherence
- Global migration governance
- Migration scenario building
Participants commit approximately 40 hours per week to contact hours and preparation.
What Is Covered?
The official scholarship package covers:
- Return flights
- Accommodation
- Visa fees
- Meals
- Daily living expenses
- Health insurance
- Field-trip costs
This makes the MMDP one of the strongest currently verified zero-cost international professional-development opportunities for eligible migration professionals.
Eligibility
The programme is designed for:
- Government officials
- Civil servants
- Policy practitioners
- Professionals working in migration management and asylum
Applicants must work in the migration-management field and be from one of the programme’s eligible countries/regions.
Application Process
- Confirm that your country is included in the eligible-country list.
- Confirm that your current role is connected to migration management or asylum.
- Review the official programme information and application requirements.
- Prepare your CV and required supporting documents.
- Complete the online scholarship application.
- Submit the application before the deadline.
- Await the selection decision, expected in mid-October 2026.
- If selected, prepare for the April 2027 programme in Maastricht.
Important Notes
- This is a professional programme, not a conventional university degree.
- It is particularly relevant to government and public-policy professionals working on migration and asylum.
- The programme is full-time and requires approximately 40 hours per week.
- The official programme page states that the scholarship covers all listed participation-related expenses.
- The programme is funded by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.
Exact Deadline
1 October 2026, 23:59 CEST
Official Application
UNU-MERIT MMDP 2027 — Official Programme & Application
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