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This conference report synthesises the key insights, debates, and good practices from VMC2024, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolving migration governance landscape. The 15 session summaries cover a range of critical topics, from advancing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum to strengthening labour mobility frameworks and migration diplomacy. Additionally, a key takeaways commentary distils five central themes of the discussions: optimising route-based migration approaches, enhancing the external dimension of migration policy, strengthening labour mobility partnerships, ensuring the EU Pact remains fit for purpose, and addressing public demands for stricter policies while maintaining protection frameworks.

This analytical report explores the challenges Ukraine and Moldova face in aligning their migration, asylum, and border management policies with EU standards as part of their accession process. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries received EU candidate status, sparking a renewed focus on the enlargement process. Ukraine’s unique position as a country in active conflict and Moldova’s geopolitical vulnerabilities amplify the complexity of their accession.

The Compact Acceleration Course (CAC) curriculum was designed to support a cohort of innovative Georgian start-ups selected for their potential to scale internationally and to establish strategic partnerships within the European Union, particularly in Belgium. As part of the ICMPD EMLINK project, the CAC curriculum aims to equip entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and networks necessary to accelerate their growth and enter new markets.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union, implemented by ICMPD through the Migration Partnership Facility. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ICMPD and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

This report analyses the policies and practices of countries that have successfully engaged their diaspora communities and aims to provide valuable insights and policy recommendations. A well-defined and comprehensive diaspora engagement strategy will not only strengthen collaboration between Ukrainian diaspora organisations and government institutions but also facilitate long-term and sustainable support mechanisms. Through this research, the aim was to provide a knowledge base that will guide the development and then implementation of targeted policies and programmes, leading to a more impactful approach to diaspora engagement in Ukraine.

Authors:

Giulia Mori, Júlia Puigdomènech Vidal, Melissa Siegel, Maastricht University & UNU-MERIT.

The Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Migration Outlook presents an analysis of the key events and trends that shaped migration in the EECA region in 2024.

ICMPD’s Regional Migration Outlook for the Silk Routes region presents a brief analysis of recent regional migration and policy trends and provides an outlook on developments and events to watch out for in 2025.

This publication provides a regional perspective on ICMPD’s Migration Outlook 2025, delving into key current and emerging migration trends in the Mediterranean region, with a focus on the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.

Dieser Bericht fasst die wichtigsten Ergebnisse der INTAKE Studie zur Arbeitsmarktintegration von geflüchteten Frauen aus der Ukraine in Österreich, Deutschland und Polen zusammen. Die Studie basiert auf einer vergleichenden Analyse der rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen, der Arbeitsmärkte und der Integrationssysteme in den drei genannten Ländern. Datengrundlage sind Interviews mit Expert:innen und geflüchteten Frauen, die Analyse bestehender Studien zur Arbeitsmarktintegration von Geflüchteten sowie den Integrationssystemen in den drei Ländern. Zudem wurde eine Social- Media-Analyse öffentlich zugänglicher Gruppen ukrainischer Geflüchteter auf den Plattformen Facebook und Telegram durchgeführt. Der Bericht wurde aus Mitteln des EU AMIF – Programms sowie des österreichischen Bundeskanzleramts finanziert.

Technological advancements are reshaping border management across the EU and beyond. In this ICMPD Working Paper, the authors examine the current state-of-the-art in border management technologies, assessing both their operational benefits and the risks they pose. It provides an overview of the latest advancements and trends in this regard, as related to its role in contemporary border management, with a specific focus on their application within the EU. 

Drawing on expert discussions ICMPD has convened or participated in across international and regional fora, this paper analyses these technological developments as related to their functionality for border management processes (border surveillance and pre-screening; risk analysis, nowcasting, early warning, and forecasting; database management and interoperability; and process facilitation). It also highlights key findings and takeaways policymakers and practitioners should take into account as they consider integrating new technological advancements in their border management strategies.

This brief assesses the state of Ukraine’s energy system, and its impact on the population, and discusses the potential for further forced migration to the EU.

Authors:

Franck Düvell, Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), Osnabruck University. | This publication was produced in the framework of the Prague Process Migration Observatory. The Prague Process is funded by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), which is implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

Der vorliegende Bericht präsentiert die Ergebnisse des Forschungsprojekts FIMAS reCOV, das die Integrationsprozesse von Geflüchteten in Österreich untersucht. Im Fokus stehen die Integrationsentwicklungen der Ankunftskohorte 2014-2018, bestehend aus Asylberechtigten und subsidiär Schutzberechtigten, die in diesem Zeitraum aus den Hauptherkunftsländern Syrien, Afghanistan, Irak und Iran nach Österreich geflüchtet sind. Die Analyse basiert auf den Umfrage-Daten von fünf Erhebungswellen der FIMAS-Längsschnittstudie, die in den Jahren 2018 bis 2024 durchgeführt wurde, insgesamt über 9.800 Befragungen von Geflüchteten.

This policy brief highlights main directions in Russia’s migration policy since the 2022 invasion and underscores the implications of these developments for the Prague Process region. It calls for strategic action to strengthen cooperation with Central Asian states to create alternative labour migration pathways and reduce reliance on Russia, counter the use of migrants as a hybrid tool to challenge European members and work to return displaced Ukrainians, particularly children, home from Russia.

Authors: 

Jeff Sahadeo and Nicholas Morrison | This publication was produced in the framework of the Prague Process Migration Observatory. The Prague Process is funded by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), which is implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

In 2025, the political world and the world of migration will continue to experience high levels of volatility. This will be marked by systemic rivalry between the world’s great powers, a polynodal international order, greater state fragility, an increasing number of violent conflicts, rising terrorism, the weaponisation of energy and food insecurity. Below are the ten key migration issues to look out for in 2025 that can shape international migration.

This analysis roots itself in the socio-legal examination of individuals’ experiences purchasing migration-related services from service providers in the opportunistic economy while navigating migration policy instruments. The findings of this analysis hold relevance for all types of digital pre-border processing systems, ranging from asylum to labour migration instruments. This research culminates in the development of clear criteria by which policymakers can counteract the emergence of illicit economies based on their migration systems, with benefits both for users navigating these systems and for states seeking to achieve the uniform and non-discriminatory implementation of their migration policies.

Authors: 

Andrew Fallone, doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge Institute of Criminology | This publication was produced in the framework of the Prague Process Migration Observatory. The Prague Process is funded by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), which is implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).