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In recent years, Belarus has experienced profound migratory shifts, driven by political repression, geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts. Following the disputed 2020 presidential elections, up to 500,000 Belarusians fled to neighbouring countries, with many seeking stability and opportunities in the European Union (EU). At the same time, Belarus became a transit hub for migrants from the Middle East, as part of state-orchestrated migration flows aimed at pressuring the EU, and a refuge for over 20,000 Ukrainians displaced by war. These dynamics have challenged regional migration policies, highlighting tensions between national security, economic interests and humanitarian obligations. The evolving landscape underscores the need for EU Member States to develop balanced and adaptive migration strategies that effectively respond to state-orchestrated migration pressures from Belarus. This Policy Brief discusses Belarus’ migration trends and their implications for the EU.

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).

Despite the emphasis placed on return within EU migration management strategies, existing policies often fail to address the lived realities of returnees. They frequently result in exclusion, stigma, and in some cases, inefficient migration management outcomes. As the research highlights, prevailing return policies often silence returnees, overlooking their agency and perspectives.

Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Georgia, Iraq, Nigeria and Türkiye, the brief explores how dominant narratives and discourses disconnect returnees from return and reintegration policies, and offers practical, actionable steps for policymakers and practitioners seeking to develop return and reintegration frameworks that are more effective, human-centred, and grounded in the realities of returnees themselves.

Key recommendations focus on enhancing meaningful engagement of returnees in policymaking processes, strengthening operational strategies to meet returnees’ needs, and improving communication channels to bridge the gap between policy and practice.

Authors

Nazanine NOZARIAN (ICMPD), Madeleine HOELD (ICMPD), Sabeth KESSLER (ICMPD), Nassim MAJIDI (Samuel Hall), Juliette SAMMAN (Samuel Hall), Lisa PFISTER (Samuel Hall), Marta ROCHA (Samuel Hall), Daniel PROVOST (Samuel Hall)

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).

This policy brief gives a 360-degree overview on what we currently know about the extent of irregular migration across the EU. Based on MIrreM’s analysis and aggregation of estimates available for 12 European countries (including the UK) in the period 2016 to 2023, the irregular migrant population can be estimated at between 2.6 and 3.2 million. The previous Clandestino estimate was 1.8 to 3.8 million for the same 12 countries in 2008. This suggests that the number of the irregular migrant population has not substantially changed at the aggregate level for these countries – although there have been important changes in individual countries. In addition, the policy brief also surveys what information is available and still lacking in regard to trends and patterns of irregular movement, including what information we will have on ‘overstayers’, a key proportion of the irregular migrant population identified under the Clandestino project.

This Policy Brief explores how migrants engage with modern technologies throughout their integration trajectories in host countries, highlighting the reasons why they may encounter digital obstacles and the instances where governments have, intentionally or unintentionally, marginalised them. This brief also examines the opportunities and limitations of existing bottom-up and top-down approaches to digitalisation in migrant integration processes, particularly in Europe, as well as offers recommendations on how digital technologies can be better tailored to migrants’ needs, thereby enabling more efficient investments in digital technologies within integration settings and generating increased opportunities for migrant agency.
 

Authors:

Dr. Amanda Alencar, Associate Professor at the Department of Media and Communication at Erasmus University Rotterdam. This publication was produced in the framework of the Prague Process, financed by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility

In 2023, an estimated 3 in 4 European employers struggled to find skilled employees. As the EU’s working-age population is expected to continue to decrease, existing gaps will become even harder to fill. Yet, over the same period, working-age populations are estimated to increase in many African, Asian, and Latin American countries. In this context, our latest policy brief aims to foster debate on enhancing skills mobility as a global priority and offers recommendations for EU and national policymakers as well as other key actors. This brief results from a project conducted by ICMPD with the European Policy Centre (EPC), the Egmont Institute and the Belgian Development Agency, Enabel, in the context of the EU Year of Skills.

This Policy Brief explores the status quo of migration in and out of Central Asia two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, focusing on anticipated and unexpected developments that continue to shape migration realities in this part of the Prague Process region. 

This policy brief aims at understanding the current context for Afghans in the country, examining the policy frameworks that regulate their potential onwards migration to Europe, and discussing policy conclusions for the establishment of safe, orderly, and regular migratory channels and effective policy responses targeting this population.

This policy brief examines the migration intentions and informational landscapes of potential Kurdish irregular migrants, emphasising the information gaps and needs, especially about migration pathways and risks. 
 

This policy paper explores the potential benefits of expanding mobility opportunities for third-country national youth to EU Member States and presents different options for making this possible. It also presents the potential trade-offs when it comes to programme goals and design and highlights key considerations for those looking to develop and launch new youth mobility schemes.

This is the third Prague Process Policy brief on the topic of forced migration from Ukraine as the direct result of Russia’s military aggression. In this iteration, the brief deliberates forced migration flows from Ukraine under four potential war scenarios, ranging between a stalemate situation to a hypothetical victory of Russia. These scenarios are informed by observed migration patterns to date.

More than two years since the Taliban takeover, Central Asian states have hosted a small, but overlooked population of displaced Afghans. While the fears of an exodus from Afghanistan into Central Asia did not materialise, those Afghans who fled to Central Asia face a precarious future with limited opportunities for permanent settlement or onward migration.

This policy brief provides an overview of the situation around Afghans exiled in Central Asia, the responses of local governments and the international community. Looking towards the future, the brief also outlines what policy responses are needed to address the needs of Afghans in the region.

This policy brief considers the displacement and forced migration inside and outside Ukraine’s international border, the dynamics of these movements, the individuals’ aspirations and the possible future developments in migration trends while reassessing scenarios developed in 2022.