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2022 was defined by a new chapter of interstate war in Europe – with far-reaching consequences for Ukraine itself as well as neighbouring countries and even those on the other side of the globe. The war has shaped, and will continue to shape, ICMPD’s work and support to Member States and partners. 

Michael Spindelegger, Director General of ICMPD, on the war in Ukraine and its consequences for neighbouring countries, the European Union and the present and future of ICMPD.

The Border Management Programme in Central Asia – Phase 10 (BOMCA 10) selected nine actions for the benefit of border communities within its first Call for proposals among Central Asian NGOs.

On 22 – 25 May 2023, ICMPD organised a training for Libyan officials on assisting citizens abroad during times of crisis. The training was conducted within the framework of the EU- and Swiss co-funded Libya’s Migration Technical Assistance Facility (LIBMITAF) project. 

Within the EU, there are growing concerns about the ever-increasing numbers of displaced persons globally on the one hand, and the ever-increasing need for workers in all sectors on the other. While displacement and labour shortages are treated as separate policy areas, their potential solutions might be well connected. Complementary labour pathways are a promising solution for both challenges, and the EU Talent Pool could support their expansion in Europe if accompanying measures help it to meaningfully include displaced persons and support employers.

On 13 - 14 June 2023, the MOBILAZE 2 project in cooperation with the Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan organised training on Ensuring the Rights of Vulnerable Migrants, Migration and Asylum Management and Monitoring Mechanisms in Nakhchivan for the law-enforcement agencies involved in migration management.

On 6 July, ICMPD organised a workshop with Moldovan stakeholders as part of the project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor) to update the national migration data indicators’ framework. The data indicators on migration and asylum require adjustment to European standards, especially after Moldova recently gained the candidate status and became an observer to the European Migration Network.

Diaspora engagement is one of the core components of the RRR-MFA/SMS UA project. Ukraine has a well-organised diaspora, actively engaged and motivated, with a high level of participation. Therefore, the project considers close cooperation and collaboration with prominent Ukrainian diaspora organisations as an integral part of the programme and supported several recent events carried out precisely for diaspora empowerment.

On 19 July, ICMPD organised a training for the relevant staff of the recently-established Moldovan Inspectorate for Migration as part of the project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor). The training also gathered communication specialists from other agencies such as the Border Police and the Ministry of Interior's central apparatus.

On 17 – 18 July 2023, ICMPD organised a training for Libyan officials on the practical steps in preparation for a Migration Dialogue. The training was conducted within the framework of the EU- and Swiss co-funded Libya’s Migration Technical Assistance Facility (LIBMITAF) project.

On 3 August, the project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor) presented the preliminary results of the ex-post evaluation of the mechanism for combating irregular stay in Moldova. The evaluation is a priority of the national sector programme and is to yield lessons learned and recommendations for the ongoing reorganization of the Inspectorate-General for Migration.

On 5 September, the CareFor project delivered a psychology training for the administrative staff of the reception centres of the Inspectorate-General for Migration and the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova. As part of the project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor), the event was aimed at equipping the beneficiaries with an understanding of the psychology essentials required when working with migrants. 

A delegation led by ICMPD's Director General Michael Spindelegger was on mission in Pakistan and met with high-level gouverment partners in Pakistan. He met Mr. Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Faisal Nisar, Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Jawad  Sohrab Malik Special Assistant to the Prime Minster on Overseas Pakistanis and Mr. Mohsin Butt, Director General, Federal Investigation Agency.

Takeaways from Vienna Migration Conference 2023, ICMPD’s annual flagship event, held 10-11 October 2023.

On 13-17 November 2023 in Milan, Italy, the EU and Swiss co-funded Libya’s Migration Technical Assistance Facility (LIBMITAF) project organised a training for Libyan representatives on the topic of “Forensics and Identifying Deceased Persons”, including missing migrants and internally displaced persons.

On 15 November, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) held an official reception in Tashkent marking the 20th anniversary of the EU flagship initiative for the region. The hallmark event gathered over 150 participants representing donor institutions, national counterparts, implementing consortium, and international stakeholders. The occasion provided the opportunity to reflect on achievements and success stories as well as to thank programme partners for their cooperation over the years. The event was held together with the Central Asia Drug Action Programme, the second flagship initiative for the region launched jointly with BOMCA. 

Libya’s Migration Technical Assistance Facility (LIBMITAF) marks the successful conclusion of its project, implemented from 2021 to 2023 with financial support from the European Union (EU) and the Swiss Confederation. Throughout the project duration, LIBMITAF supported Libyan institutions in various areas of migration governance. As the project concludes, it is time to reflect on the achievements with our Libyan partners.

On 3 April, a roundtable discussion gathered representatives of the Inspectorate General for Migration (IGM) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova together with SCOP project team and experts working on the analysis of the status quo at IGM and in the area of migration management.

Immigrant integration remains a pressing issue for policymakers in Europe and beyond, and monitoring reports offer a useful resource for collecting evidence and assessing integration outcomes and policies. This commentary highlights how integration monitoring can be a beneficial policy tool and provides insight on how to address potential challenges when developing and conducting integration monitoring.    

Africa-to-Europe value chains in manufacturing and agri-food production can mitigate factors driving current migration patterns by employing Africans in local value-added production and boosting African GDP growth, reorienting Africa-Europe relations towards mutual economic benefit and dignity.

While the Temporary Protection Directive has been praised for its success in providing immediate assistance to millions, uncertainty remains about what will happen once it ends. One option that has recently gained attention is to further prolong temporary protection beyond March 2025. It may seem straightforward to simply extend temporary protection by another year, yet this may create some important challenges beyond deferring longer term decisions.

The eighth annual Vienna Migration Conference (VMC2023) took place on 10 and 11 October 2023, gathering key stakeholders from the migration policy world. Discussions centred on pressing topics in migration governance, including how to facilitate safe and regular migration, protecting migrants’ rights at borders, what the future of work might look like, and the role of policy in securing needed workers. A range of speakers took stock of where we stand and where we need to go, sharing successful initiatives and ideas for the road ahead.