News

Vienna 18th October 2021—The number of ICMPD Member States has increased again: Greece has just become the 19th member to join ICMPD, an international organisation working to find innovative solutions to regional migration challenges. This accession takes place after Germany (2020), Turkey and Malta (2018) joined ICMPD in recent years.

Vienna, 14 October 2021 – The sixth Vienna Migration Conference (VMC) on 19-20 October will bring together top-level decision-makers to discuss game-changing trends that could alter the landscape of negotiations around migration to Europe. Titled “Reimagining migration partnerships: Challenges, opportunities and strategies”.

On 13 October 2021, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) organised an international Migration Partnership Conference in an online format in the framework of the EU-funded “Support to the Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan” (MOBILAZE 2) project. The conference also served as an official kick-off event of the MOBILAZE 2 project and brought together high-level practitioners and policymakers from Azerbaijan, EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, EU Member States, ICMPD, Eastern Partnership countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova), international actors and other stakeholders including civil society and academia in Azerbaijan. The participants discussed mobility partnership priorities and the main features of migration policy and management in Azerbaijan and in the region.

During 29-30 September, the ICMPD Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia paid a visit to Moldova with the view to learn about the country's new vision on migration and exchange views on top priorities for future programming. The visit comes after recent Parliamentary elections and the establishment of a new Cabinet, with subsequent changes in top management in areas related to migration, as well. In addition to meeting various stakeholders, the mission also took stock of ongoing projects' progress and explored follow-up options.

On 16 September 2021, the ICMPD Anti-Trafficking Programme launched the regional project “Developing Approaches for Enhancing the Functionality of the National Referral Mechanisms (NRMs) in the MARRI Participants”. The project implementation plan and timeline were presented and discussed during the kick-off online meeting together with the implementation partners from Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) and German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), who is the project donor.

From 22 – 24 September, ICMPD in the framework of the ReConnect project, held the Second Return Counselling Training for the stakeholders of the National Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (NAVRR), the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), its provincial departments and the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC).

During 21-23 September, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) delivered a Train of Trainers (ToT) on forced return monitoring for a number of interested professionals selected from among relevant Moldovan stakeholders. As part of the same FReMM project, on 24 September ICMPD held a workshop for developing the Guidelines for forced return monitoring, based on the best European practices. Both events gathered a mixed audience from the Moldovan Bureau for Migration and Asylum, the People's Advocates Office of Moldova, and the NGO Law Centre of Advocates. In light of on-going pandemic situation and given the highly interactive nature of the events, on-the spot rapid antigen testing has been arranged for all participants as additional safety measure.

From 14-16 September Members of the Ukrainian Parliament, EU officials as well as experts from several EU-funded projects visited a number of border crossing points on the common border between Ukraine and EU Member States. Its aim was to get acquainted with the available infrastructure and equipment, hear and discuss the needs and ways forward in addressing the current problems and challenges. This field visit was supported by the EU Advisory Mission and the EU4IBM project implemented by ICMPD.

From 20 – 24 September, the Migration City-to-City project is organising the MC2CM Days, a four-day conference opened by a high-level dialogue in Brussels. ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger opened the conference and emphasised the role of cities and local governments in the sphere of migration.

The signing ceremony of a partnership programme between ICMPD and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) took place on 14^th September 2021 in Paris. The partnership programme was drawn up to further develop and strengthen the signatories’ long-standing partnership and institutionalise cooperation in the area of migration governance in a spirit of partnership and mutual trust, in order to create synergies between the activities of the signatories.

On 8 September 2021, ICMPD Director General Mr. Michael Spindelegger met with a high-level delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic led by Mr. Talant Mamytov, Speaker of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic. Guided by the will to continue, deepen and extend cooperation, a Memorandum of understanding was signed by both parties to define the direction of joint efforts for the future.

On 17-20 August 2021, the official launch of the new project “Strengthen the National Observatory Capacity to Tackle Trafficking in Persons in Cabo Verde” (OBSERVE-CV) took place in Praia, Cabo Verde. This is the largest ICMPD bilateral programme implemented in Cabo Verde.

On 22 August, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) signed a partnership agreement with the World Maritime University (WMU) to support the development of the Integrated Maritime Strategy of Lebanon. This agreement was signed in the framework of the European Union funded project “Strengthening Capability for Integrated Border Management in Lebanon” (EU IBM Lebanon Phase 3).

In collaboration with the Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana) project, the Management of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) organised a series of Gender Sensitisation Workshops to champion gender parity within the Service. The European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) funded SBS Ghana Project organised the first workshop in Accra for Management members in June while the second workshop was held in Aburi on August 23-24 for all eighteen (18) regional commanders of the Service.

A Seat Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) was signed on the 25 August 2021 in the premises of the Embassy of Ghana in Vienna, Austria.