New ICMPD Director General visits Brussels and member states

To mark his inauguration, ICMPD DG Michael Spindelegger hosted receptions in Vienna  and Brussels before starting on a tour of introductory visits to all fifteen ICMPD member states. During his debut visit to Brussels, the Director General met key European decision makers including Commissioners to discuss pressing migration challenges, such as the need to regulate the movement of refugees and to provide safe and legal ways towards protection. 

View photos   |   Read the speeches by the Director General   |   See the press release

Silk Routes: Dialogue as basis for cooperation

‘Regional consultative processes’ or ‘migration dialogues’ are an important cooperation tool between countries. Through these fora, states can have formal and informal discussions from expert to ministerial level. The ‘Budapest Process’ connects over 50 countries including those along the Silk Routes, i.e. Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan. ICMPD serves as the Secretariat of the Budapest Process and its Head, Cecilia Lundström Carniel, describes in a blog article how this migration dialogue works in practice. 

Read the blog   |   More about the Budapest Process   |   Budapest Process on Facebook

Implementing the Valletta Action Plan in West Africa

Last November European and African leaders met in Valletta to develop common solutions for the sharp rise in refugee flows and agreed on a set of priority areas and actions. West African states have met in Ghana this month to deliberate on initiatives for the implementation of the ‘Valletta Action Plan’ and beyond. The meeting was also supposed to enhance coordination and information sharing in the region and was organised by ICMPD for the ECOWAS Commission. 

More about the meeting   |   Our work in West Africa   |   ICMPD on Valletta 


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Working Paper: Steering Demand and the Quest for ‘Better Regulation’

By Christina Boswell and Sarah Kyambi

The imperative to discourage demand for trafficking in human beings is part of international legislation for addressing the phenomenon. A new Working Paper, part of the research project DemandAT, examines what sort of regulatory approaches might be suitable for curbing demand for trafficking-related services. The authors discuss if ‘smart’ forms of regulation, involving light touch steering through forms of competition, persuasion or peer pressure might work better than ‘command and control’ forms of state intervention.
  
Download the Working Paper

Briefing Paper: The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons

By Claire Healy

A study published by ICMPD in December 2015 found that Syrian refugees are often trafficked or exploited because they are not able to meet their basic needs. To prevent this, investment in infrastructure and humanitarian aid in the main hosting countries is essential. A new 30-page Briefing Paper succinctly summarises the most important facts from the study and highlights various forms of exploitation of refugees. A Policy Brief with recommendations is also available.

Download the Briefing Paper