On 21 May 2026, the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 11) officially launched its 11th phase with an Opening Conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The event brought together more than 80 representatives of border and law enforcement agencies, government institutions from the five Central Asian countries, EU Delegations, international organisations, and implementing partners, who presented the Programme’s objectives, thematic priorities, and implementation approach.

Less than a month into the official roll-out of the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum, ICMPD commits to support the implementation of one of the foremost reforms in European migration and asylum policy. Following its work with Member States in developing their National Implementation Plans (NIP), ICMPD has been working to align national systems and procedures with the requirements of the EU Pact on asylum procedures, border security, screening, Solidarity responsibility mechanisms, and protecting vulnerable persons. 

This year ICMPD’s flagship initiative - Migrant Resource Centres - marks a decade of frontline service delivery, growing from a single pilot centre in Lahore, Pakistan, to multi-country model that supports migrants, returnees and communities across the full migration cycle. 

The European Union Ambassador to Uzbekistan and the Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs and the Federal Minister of the Interior visited the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Tashkent on 7 May 2026. EU Ambassador Toivo Klaar, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, were joined by ICMPD Deputy Director General Sedef Dearing; along with MRC counsellors and project coordinators, and Austrian media.

In global development, civil society expertise and active community engagement are vital for the success of partnerships. This is evident how, in 2025 and only in just a few months, 29 civil society partners of the Migration and Mobility Dialogue (MMD) Grant Facility have organised and launched seven projects across 25 African countries and two in Europe. In cultivating local community development, these projects also showcase the work and expertise of civil society organisations (CSOs) at an international level through conferences and high-level meetings

The year 2025 proved another successful year for ICMPD and its partners, remaining resolute more than ever, in connecting partners and empowering communities through better understanding of their needs.