On 20 October 2020 ICMPD completed a mission to Afghanistan where fruitful meetings were held with His Excellency First Vice President Amrullah Saleh as well as the Ministers and Deputy-Ministers responsible for Foreign Affairs, Labour & Social Affairs, Refugees & Repatriation, and Peace. Moreover, ICMPD met with the Afghan Border Police, the EU Delegation in Kabul, the Aga Khan Development Network as well as the Danish, Dutch and German representations to Afghanistan.
The mission took place at a crucial time, with the Peace Process negotiations under preparation and the Geneva donor conference on Afghanistan coming up in November. The possible outcome of the Peace Process - and especially its impact on migration - were an important part of the discussion.
ICMPD Director Martijn Pluim highlighted that "ICMPD is one hundred percent committed to Afghanistan and we will work closely with the national authorities to empower them to address migration challenges and create new opportunities."
Strengthening national institutions lies at the heart of the support that ICMPD will provide to Afghanistan. Our cooperation will include improving the labour migration system and support for sustainable reintegration. ICMPD’s activities will be shaped by two documents that are being prepared with the Afghan government with support from two EU funded projects (Improving Migration Management in the Silk Routes and the Integrated Border Management in the Silk Routes Countries projects). Both the Comprehensive Migration Policy and the Integrated Border Management Strategy are at an advanced stage of development.
Investment in communities across Afghanistan and reaching out to Afghanistan’s vibrant diaspora is vital in order to create the country’s sustainable future, and contributes to addressing some of the causes of irregular migration. Building a better, safer and more prosperous Afghanistan will benefit the country’s neighbours as well as Europe.
More information on ICMPD’s engagement in Afghanistan can be found here.