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All eyes were on Hungary when it constructed the first border fence on the Western Balkans route in summer 2015 in an attempt to stop migrants and refugees from entering its territory. The fence, however, did not stop the flow, it detoured the people - and so did several other fences built along both the external EU borders as well as within the Schengen area. Despite the limited effect of physically closed borders to stem the flow or solve the migration crisis, countries along the so-called ‘Western Balkans route’ keep on introducing similar measures.

With the increasing mobility of persons and goods in times of fear of terrorism and organised crime, states need to ensure the right balance between open, while at the same time secured and controlled borders. ‘Integrated Border Management’ (IBM) can combine these two objectives.

This is the second of two articles about Türkiye's approach to migration and the most immediate challenges arising from the ‘refugee crisis’. While the first article analysed EU-Türkiye relations, this blog gives and overview of the institutional set-up of migration management in Türkiye.

This is the first of two articles about Türkiye's approach to migration and the most immediate challenges arising from the ‘refugee crisis’. While this article analyses EU-Türkiye relations, the second part zooms into the institutional set-up of migration management in Türkiye.

Addressing the vulnerability of people affected by the Syrian crisis is necessary to prevent their exploitation at the hands of human traffickers. In Syria and the surrounding countries, this means providing access to basic needs and services in the short term. It means providing more resettlement and other safe travel options to safe countries outside the region to address the current reliance on migrant smugglers.

What impact is the Syrian war and refugee crisis having on trafficking in persons in the region? ICMPD is carrying out a research assessment to form the basis for well-informed responses, to reduce the likelihood of trafficking cases in the future.

The European Agenda on Migration presented last month went beyond ‘business as usual’ and demonstrated the will of the Juncker Commission to set the course for migration and asylum issues within the EU and for its relations with countries outside the EU.