News

On 8 July 2021, ICMPD held a virtual senior expert roundtable to discuss how migrants and policymakers can make better use of information in the context of irregular migration. The meeting brought together a diverse range of senior experts from EU and ICMPD Member States, international organisations, research centres and other relevant bodies for a lively conversation on this evolving and increasingly popular topic within migration management. Participants discussed the role of ICT and social media in particular for migrants’ decision-making as well as for governments’ monitoring and forecasting.

ICMPD’s ENHANCER Project held a press conference in Ankara to announce three different grant calls for proposals to support entrepreneurship and job creation through various means. The press conference once again markets the excellent collaboration among ICMPD, EUD and the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

On 22-25 June 2021, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) organised a training for the recently appointed forced-return monitors from the Republic of Moldova. This activity took place as part of joint efforts of the EU funded project “Forced-Return Monitoring III” (FReM III) and the project “Development of a Forced-Return Monitoring System in the Republic of Moldova” (FReMM) funded by the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration.

On 23 June 2021, a webinar was convened within the framework of the C2CMMD to launch the study on Return, Readmission and Reintegration (RRR) Programmes in Africa. In their opening remarks, the AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, HE Amira El Fadil, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ms. Ylva Johansson, and ICMPD’s Director General, Mr. Michael Spindelegger reiterated the importance of strengthening cooperation in line with respective agendas and priorities, reinforced by contributions from Managing Director at the European External Action Service, Ms. Rita Laranjinha, and Mme. Mariama Cisse, Director for  Social Affairs of the African Union Commission.

A new policy brief by the ICMPD Country Office in Turkey looks into ongoing cooperation between the EU and Turkey on migration matters, including the implementation of the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement.

The Counsellors at the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Kabul, operated jointly by ICMPD and the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation funded by the European Union, have seen a significant rise in migration related inquiries since the beginning of 2021. Currently, the MRC team counsel about 1,000 Afghans on a monthly basis, in-person, by phone and over message services. This is how they assess the current migration situation in Afghanistan.

On 19 June, Michael Spindelegger, ICMPD Director General, attended the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and took part in the high-level panel “Humanitarian Approach towards Refugees and Migrants”. On the panel, he was joined by Mr Antonio Vitorino (IOM Director General), Dr. Kerem Kinik (Red Crescent/IFRC) and Dr. Savaş Ünlü (Director DGMM Turkey). Andrea Sanke moderated the panel.

2020 will go down as a year that upended lives, systems and the modus operandi of the entire world. This past year saw severe public health and economic crises coupled with unprecedented changes in global mobility. Borders were closed, visa processes frozen and exceptional travel restrictions imposed – all overnight. The exponential loss of resources and livelihoods suddenly suffered by tens of millions of migrant workers has impacted well-being across the board.

The Ghana Immigration Service made an important step towards a new accountability system, in order to improve internal ethics and transparency with staff and citizens. The draft Code of Conduct for the Service was prepared during a workshop held between 14 and 18 June, in Accra.

ICMPD, under the framework of the MIgration EU expertise+ (MIEUX+) Initiative organised the High-Level Panel ‘Human capital and mobility at the service of the green economy’ as part of the official programme of the 14th edition of the ‘European Development Days.

The Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana) project, funded by European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), has launched its second Demand Driven Facility (DDF) Call for Proposals - Support to innovative approaches and best practices on mobility and border management.

The MOBILAZE 2 project started in Azerbaijan in June 2021 to support the implementation of the Mobility Partnership with the EU. The project is funded by the EU and supports the implementation of an evidence-based migration and border management policy agenda in Azerbaijan, and will run for 36 months.

On 11 June 2021, ICMPD completed the delivery of two-day training sessions for the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) and the State Customs Service (SCS) of Ukraine on business process reengineering.

To celebrate the World’s Day against Child Labour (12 June) and the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour (2021), ICMPD joins the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Action Pledge 2021 to eliminate child labour. 

On 2 June 2021, ICMPD held a virtual senior expert roundtable to discuss means of addressing irregular migration along migration routes. The meeting brought together senior experts from EU and ICMPD Member States, international organisations, EU institutions and other relevant bodies. Participants zoomed in on ways that partnerships and policies can better address irregular migration by looking along entire migration routes and considering the perspectives of countries of origin, transit and destination.