ICMPD commemorates this year’s International Migrants Day, ten years after the so-called migration crisis of 2015, an event that has left profound marks on the political and social landscape of Europe and its neighbouring regions. The crisis and a series of subsequent events shifted discourses and posed growing challenges that called for agility and innovation in policy responses.
It has also been a decade that greatly affected communities, in many ways. Armed conflicts, environmental disasters, political unrests, and economic hardship continue to force at least 122 million¹ to leave their homes and cross borders this year alone. Thus, this is also a commemoration for those who make the decision to move or are forced to move. Many take the risks of human trafficking or exploitation by migrant smugglers, or take irregular routes, while crossing perilous land and sea routes.
While migration governance within and beyond the EU continues to evolve, so do the response of states and institutions globally. These have become ICMPD’s anchor in its ever-growing commitment to its mandate and expanding reach. Building on three decades of engagement and sustained efforts over the last 10 years, ICMPD’s position has strengthened its role in connecting (with) partners, promoting a better understanding of data, and in empowering communities.
As Europe’s leading migration organisation, ICMPD is connecting governments, institutional partners, technical experts, donors, and civil society on a wide range of migration governance opportunities. Bridging their strengths together and bringing capacities to a strategic and operational level, ICMPD’s convening role has harmonised concrete, collective action on political and thematic focus priorities through its dialogues and processes.
Acknowledging here that the youth is the future, the Rabat Process led the process in engaging the young people of Africa towards youth-centric approaches in developing solutions to migration governance; while the Prague Process has been running its uniquely-placed annual International Summer School that centred on, inter alia, migration narratives, media, and public perceptions of migrants, the legal frameworks on the protection of migrants and human rights, and integration and citizenship.
Meanwhile, members and partners of the Khartoum Process have agreed to implement a joint action plan to uphold rights-based, whole-of-route approaches to migration management. The Budapest Process, one of the longest-running migration dialogues, strengthens targeted efforts in embedding and sustaining reintegration framework for returning migrants to Silk Routes countries. Members and participating states of the Budapest Process are enhancing the existing policies and pathways for legal migration and labour mobility between the regions. In parallel, ICMPD modernised the follow-up tools and processes for the Joint Valletta Action Plan, establishing a more efficient and streamlined data collection platform.
Strong technical expertise underpins ICMPD’s projects and programmes, positioning the organisation as their operational backbone. A portfolio of distinctive policy, research, and knowledge-based projects demonstrates the organisation’s deep understanding of migration dynamics and its strategic use of data and thematic expertise across cross-cutting initiatives and evidence-based policy advice.
These range from the analysis of data to strengthen responses to human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Cabo Verde; capacity building support to guide Moldova's border risk analysis through targeted trainings; assessments of the temporary protection status of Ukrainian refugees across Europe; a deep look into how fake job adverts exploit migrants in Pakistan; and acceleration of gender equity in West Africa's immigration service.
There have also been projects on the labour market participation of displaced Ukrainians in the EU, new guidance in advancing free movement dialogues in the African Union, equipping EU Member States with insights on seasonal work, promoting scholarships in Türkiye, studies on diaspora engagement, and connecting small and medium-sized enterprises with international talent.
The annual Vienna Migration Conference marked a full decade of bringing together technical experts and thought leaders, with government leaders and decision-makers unpacking the decade’s most pressing issues and exchanging ways-forward for the future of European migration governance. Along with this, the International Border Management Conference provided Member States and partner countries the space for knowledge-sharing and to drive solutions in addressing border management challenges and transnational crime while advancing effective, rights-based solutions.
Finally, ICMPD’s programmatic and operational strength is empowering its partners – both at state- and community levels – in a diverse, inter-connected, whole-of-society approach. ICMPD has been building capacities for partners through direct engagement with local knowledge and unique perspectives; across all levels of government, and across all facets of the social and community life.
These include projects that enhance document security screenings at immigration checkpoints to protect migrants from the risks of fraud and trafficking, respond to gender-based violence and child trafficking, and tap into diaspora’s contributions to partnerships and development as well as on reintegration and investments. It also marked growth in initiatives that provide entrepreneurial capacities to refugee communities in transit or destination countries, resettlement and finding legal pathways for Afghan refugees, rapidly respond to harmful disinformation for migrants, and safe and dignified return and reintegration.
The year also saw the growth of ICMPD’s flagship project, the Migrant Resource Centres (MRC), with three more centres opening in Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Tashkent; and having reached over 140 million migrants through its online campaigns and in-person services. Beyond providing advice on legal pathways for migration and raising awareness on the risks of irregular migration and human trafficking, the MRCs are also supporting efforts for the sustainable reintegration of returnees, and providing trainings for the centres’ Counsellors and government partners.
Similarly, as a sustained response to the displacement of Ukrainians since Russia’s aggression of 2022 ICMPD’s Ukrainian Consultation Centres (UCC) have also expanded; adding modalities to support the ‘Unity hubs’ in more countries in the EU.
Recognising the need for wider, whole-of-society approach to tackle human trafficking and migrant smuggling, ICMPD has taken a 360° approach to capacitate and support government staff through modernised immigration services and security, via needs-specific trainings in Ghana, Iraq, Nigeria, and Pakistan – all to ensure their services are people-centred. School-based advocacy projects with children have been mobilised to raise their awareness of and respond to early signs of trafficking and exploitation. High-impact, targetted and tailored trainings are also being run for state agencies and civil society, to respond to their unique needs, risks, challenges, and capacities.
Through its role as Secretariat of the Network of Anti-Trafficking Coordinators for South-Eastern Europe, ICMPD has been actively engaged with the [network’s] Member States and partner countries in pursuing new and emerging trends in human trafficking. A recent gathering tackled countries’ responses to the growing exploitation of foreign workers in the region.
As ICMPD enters a new phase of leadership and implements an institutional strategy for the years ahead, the organisation – together with its teams at all levels – remains agile to the evolving geopolitical realities for migrants. This includes a robust adaptability to ongoing efforts toward a common EU return system, preparations for the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in 2026, and continuing to support Member States and partner countries.
This year’s International Migrants Day is a moment of reflection. Across all levels and depths of ICMPD’s work with governments and partners, and through its role in connecting, understanding and empowering, every story of migration is only complete with one core element – the migrants themselves.
¹European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, accessible here.