10 years of the VMC; 10 years since Europe’s migration crisis — ICMPD is hosting the 10th Vienna Migration Conference (VMC) on 21-22 October 2025. EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica will deliver virtual keynote messages before several senior government figures take to the stage, including Jordan’s Minister of Interior Mazin Abdellah Hilal Al Farrayeh and Sweden’s Minister for Migration Johan Forsell.
This year’s discussions will focus on key themes including:
- The intersection of migration and security, marked by changes in international order
- Global displacement and international protection
- Border safety and irregular migration
- Regional partnerships and responsibility-sharing
- Data and research, technology, human rights, and forecasting
- Safe and dignified return and sustainable reintegration
- Implementation of EU reforms
- The role of migration partnerships
- Labour migration and mobility in the face of changing demographics in Europe
“This year’s VMC has never been so timely and important, as the European Union responds to the fast-changing realities of migration, conflict and displacement, economic developments and demographic shifts, cross-border challenges, and the evolving geopolitics in the region and across the Atlantic,” says ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger.
Mr Spindelegger and ICMPD Director General elect Susanne Raab will be joined by Gerhard Karner, Austria’s Federal Minister of the Interior; Hans Leo Cacdac, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers and Zoran Dimitrovski, North Macedonia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Offering a diverse spectrum of perspectives and conversations on migration governance, the Conference will also feature the following speakers on stage:
- Manos Logothetis, Greece’s Secretary General of Migration Policy at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum
- Andrew Munro, Assistant Secretary, Civil Justice, Policy and Legislation for Ireland’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
- Mohamed Lemine Teyeb, Special Advisor, Minister’s Cabinet for Mauritania’s Ministry of Interior, Promotion of Decentralization and Local Development
- Catherine Udida, Director for Migrant Affairs Department of Nigeria’s Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons
- Ainara Dorremochea Fernandez, Deputy Director General for Legal Affairs for Spain’s State Secretariat for Migration, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration
- Ylva Johansson, European Commission Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU
- Beate Gminder, Director-General in DG Migration and Home Affairs
- Michele LeVoy, Director, Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
- Meghan Benton, Director of Global Programs, Migration Policy Institute
“A decade since we started this conference, it has become Europe’s premier forum on migration; and we are proud to have contributed to EU and Member State-level policymaking, as well as convening both EU and non-EU partner countries in the pursuit of better migration governance,” Mr Spindelegger adds.
The Vienna Migration Conference will be livestreamed, connecting stakeholders worldwide to these timely discussions. A detailed agenda of the event and list of speakers are available here.
About ICMPD
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is an international organisation, with 21 Member States and working in more than 90 countries worldwide. Contributing to the development of better and safer migration policies and programmes, ICMPD takes a holistic approach to migration: structurally linking policy and research, cooperation, community outreach, and capacity development. With over 500 staff members, it takes a regional approach in its work towards efficient cooperation and partnerships along key migration routes, with a focus on Africa, Central and South Asia, Europe, Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
Founded in 1993 with headquarters in Vienna and liaison office in Brussels, ICMPD holds UN observer status and cooperates with more than 200 partners including EU institutions, UN agencies, Member States, and several countries. ICMPD receives contributions from its Member States and bilateral donors, the European Commission, UN partners, and other multilateral institutions.