The EU-funded and ICMPD-implemented “Support to the Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE 2)” project held its closure event on 18 September 2024, celebrating the achievements and progress made in Azerbaijan's migration management efforts.
Launched as a collaborative initiative between the EU and Azerbaijan, MOBILAZE 2 aimed to enhance the country’s migration governance framework. The project focused on key areas such as legal migration, border management, and the integration of refugees and migrants. By strengthening institutional capacities and fostering cooperation between Azerbaijani and EU institutions, MOBILAZE 2 has made a significant contribution to creating a more effective and sustainable migration system in Azerbaijan.
During the closure event, high-level representatives from the EU and the Azerbaijani Government praised the project’s success, highlighting how it has laid the foundation for future collaboration on migration and mobility. Key stakeholders, including civil society organisations, international agencies, and embassies of EU member states also participated in discussions on the next steps for maintaining and building on the progress achieved.
The outcomes of the MOBILAZE 2 project include improved policies for managing legal migration flows, enhanced training for border management officials, and the establishment of new mechanisms for migrants and refugees, as well as support for academia through the development of the Migration Textbook and migration-related literature in Azerbaijan. The project also prioritised cooperation between various government bodies, ensuring a whole-of-government approach to addressing migration-related challenges.
The objective of the MOBILAZE 2 project was to contribute to the development and implementation of an evidence-based migration and border management policy agenda in the Republic of Azerbaijan. In detail, the project aims at contributing to developing institutional capacities on migration policy development and implementation; to institutionalising migration data collection, analysis and application; enhancing and standardising institutional procedures for capacity building on migration and border management; and developing institutional and public awareness on migration policy agenda and irregular migration threats.