News

The Joint High-Level Meeting of the Khartoum Process and Rabat Process gathered representatives from 53 African and European partner countries, to discuss innovative pathways for labour migration, skills development, and talent mobility. On 16-17 October 2024 in Lisbon, over 150 high-level delegates exchanged strategic ways-forward on the growing importance of labour migration, skills development and talent mobility for both Africa and Europe.

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) hosts its annual Vienna Migration Conference (VMC) on 22-23 October 2024. This year’s discussions take place during a pivotal election year and will feature diverse topics that are set to shape the European migration agenda. These include strategies for safer routes, handling irregular arrivals, and labour migration. The public sentiment on migration in light of socio-economic and geopolitical volatility, and ways forward to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, will also be prominently discussed.

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Migration, and Employment (MOLMEP) in Tajikistan, has launched the Migration Media Awards 2024 to commemorate International Migrants Day on December 18. The awards aim to evaluate the objectivity and ethical standards of media coverage on migration in Tajikistan, highlighting works published between July 1, 2022, and September 30, 2024.

Online, 4 October 2024 – In a significant step towards enhancing migration research and cooperation between Europe and Africa, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) held a joint workshop within the framework of the Continent-to-Continent Migration and Mobility Dialogue (C2CMMD), which is implemented as part of the wider EU-funded MMD Support Programme. Hosted by the European External Action Service, the event brought together representatives from different EU and AU institutions and services to explore the potential for collaboration on migration research. Hindsight, insights and foresight were the three key words of the workshop.

ICMPD hosted the handover ceremonies for the next phase of the SCOP 3.1 project, in support of Moldova’s border management sector. Safety and surveillance equipment and transport facilities were formally turned over to national authorities, intended for border monitoring and coordination, preventing cross-border crime, and enhancing the operational capacity of the Border Police.

This year’s Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Chisinau on 24-25 September 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of the Prague Process. Bringing together representatives from 26 participating states, the European Commission, European Agency for Asylum, IOM, UNHCR, ICMPD and Joint Coordination Platform, the meeting allowed to jointly reflect on the achievements reached to date and the priorities and lessons learned for the future.

As part of the European Union’s ongoing efforts towards improved reporting on migration issues and migrant safety and welfare, ICMPD hosted trainings for Iraqi journalists. 

On September 10, 2024, the EU-funded India-EU Cooperation and Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (CDMM) project co-implemented by ICMPD, held a Student Mobility Workshop in New Delhi, India. The workshop, focused on facilitating student mobility and understanding the ‘dichotomy’ of using educational consultants. 

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.

The European Union is strengthening the safety on Ukraine’s ‘green borders’ with new equipment for more accurate data gathering, information exchange, risk analysis, and faster dispatching of border patrols in cases of violations or security threats. ICMPD’s EU4IBM-Resilience project is supporting the country’s State Border Guard Service (SBGS) to address illegal activities, including human trafficking and cross-border crimes.

Between 16–19 September, ICMPD organised a study visit to Lithuania for the Moldovan law enforcement community, focusing on Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems. A range of experiences and lessons were shared during the visit to support Moldova in establishing a Passenger Information Unit.

The EU-funded "Integrated Border Management in the Silk Routes Countries" project, implemented by ICMPD, conducted an equipment handover ceremony at the Border Force Command in Baghdad. Subsequently, the project inaugurated the Border Force Training School in Basrah after a successful renovation. The ceremonies took place on September 17th and 18th respectively.

UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University have published a new call for scholarships to participate in the Migration Management Diploma Programme (MMDP) that will take place in Maastricht, in Spring 2025. Applications for 25 scholarships are open until 01 October 2024.

The European Union Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF) launches new opportunity for capacity development in diaspora engagement to public institutions of partner countries. Project proposals are welcome until 15 October 2024.

On 4 September, an inauguration ceremony at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) headquarters in Islamabad celebrated the opening of a refurbished Forensic Laboratory for examining suspected forged documents and combating identity fraud, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and new Risk Analysis Office, funded by the European Union and Ministry of Interior of Austria.