The Republic of Poland assumes the Chairmanship of the ICMPD Steering Group 2026. On 4 March 2026, Mr Paweł Dąbrowski, Plenipotentiary of the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration for International Cooperation, accepted the handover of the Chairmanship from Ms Eva Åkerman Börje, Director of the International Migration Department of Sweden’s Ministry of Justice; joined by ICMPD Director General Susanne Raab.
Mr Dąbrowski welcomed the Chairmanship with hopes to strengthen ICMD’s role as a relevant, forward-looking actor in the European and international stage.
As Chair of the Steering Group, Poland will support ICMPD by facilitating open, transparent and results-oriented dialogue. In the current geopolitical context, dialogue must go hand in hand with strategic foresight and practical cooperation.he said
Mr Dąbrowski outlined his country’s focus for the ICMPD Chairmanship on three areas: advancing coordinated approaches to the transition from temporary protection [for displaced Ukrainians] towards more sustainable legal residence solutions; strengthening cooperation with partner countries in the field of return, reintegration and legal mobility; and promoting innovative and balanced migration management solutions that reinforce both responsibility and solidarity.
Following the handover ceremony, Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU Ms Ylva Johansson delivered a keynote address:
We must shift the narrative with Ukrainians in the EU and move from temporary protection towards empowerment. Ukrainians have become part of our societies; and the reception, hosting and integration in the EU has been a success story. The Ukrainian diaspora in the EU has a double capacity – from Ukraine and from the EU, and can in this way function as a bridge towards Ukraine’s accession to the EU; thus, we should invest more in the Ukrainian diaspora.Ms Johansson said
A central part of the handover ceremony was a panel discussion on the future of Ukrainians after the prospective end of temporary protection in March 2027, moderated by ICMPD’s Brussels Mission Director Ralph Genetzke. The panellists explored the current protection frameworks for displaced Ukrainians in key host countries, and the policy options under development beyond temporary protection. Headlining the panel were:
- Mr Maciej Duszczyk, from the Office of the Prime Minister of Poland;
- Ms Åkerman Börje, representing the International Migration Department of Sweden’s Ministry of Justice
- Deputy Ambassador Oksana Diakun, from the Mission of Ukraine to the EU; and
- Ambassador Daniela Morari, Head of Mission of Moldova to the EU
Deputy Ambassador Diakun called for “a unified EU approach to status post temporary protection, with a view to ensuring future legal certainty for Ukrainians;” while also acknowledging the support that Ukraine and the Ukrainian communities across the EU – since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 – are receiving from EU and non-EU countries.
Support for Ukraine is not only a moral obligation, but also an obligation in the context of security. The Temporary Protection Directive was of major importance for the EU and Member States to handle the displacement from Ukraine. I was a Counsellor in Brussels when the Directive was adopted in 2001 under the Swedish Council Presidency. Seeing its impact today makes this one of the proudest moments of my career.said Ms Åkerman Börje
Ms Raab thanked Sweden for “the great work and exceptional support during your Chairmanship. You helped us in making the organisation institutionally fit for the tasks that lie ahead, guided our work on finding ’innovative solutions’ to migration challenges, and on deepening partnerships along migratory routes. These have strengthened our knowledge and capacity to further advance these priorities during this year and beyond.”
ICMPD will open a Unity Hub in Stockholm in 2026; along with current discussions for other EU and non-EU Member States to expand the model in their territories.
With a leading role in providing temporary protection for Ukrainians and substantial experience in managing displacement and crisis-driven migration; Poland hosts one of the largest communities of around a million displaced Ukrainians. It also hosts ICMPD’s Ukrainian Consultation Centre (UCC) in Gdansk and a call centre for in Warsaw for Ukrainians and Poland and around the globe.
Further, in addition to EU Member States providing temporary protection status to Ukrainians in the bloc, similar protection frameworks have also been introduced in non-EU countries, including in Moldova.
For their part as the incoming 2027 Chair of the ICMPD Steering Group, Dražen Maravić, Advisor to the Minister of Interior of Serbia, shared perspectives on the way ahead and priorities, proposing also to build on experiences of the Western Balkans with a large diaspora in the EU.
We look forward to Poland’s strong support to ICMPD’s continued institutional development, while also providing a clear and focused set of thematic priorities.said Ms Raab, who made her first-ever state visit to Poland earlier this year upon assuming office as ICMPD Director General
