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This publication provides a regional perspective to ICMPD’s Migration Outlook 2026, delving into key current and emerging migration trends in the Mediterranean region, with a focus on countries of North Africa and the Middle East. Whilst it does not have the ambition to foretell the future or cover all relevant trends, the Mediterranean Migration Outlook aims to highlight significant scenarios to consider in 2026 based on the analysis of recent data and policy developments.

ICMPD’s Migration Outlook presents a brief analysis of recent migration and policy trends and provides an outlook on developments and events to watch out for in 2026. It does not claim to foretell the future or to cover all relevant trends. It aims to use past experience and highlight what might happen, as well as what is important to consider.

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.

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.

The Manual serves as a practical tool for early identification of potential victims of trafficking in human beings (THB) and child sexual abuse or exploitation (CSA/E). It targets frontline responders who, during their daily work, might detect potential and actual victims of THB and/or CSA/E and refer them to relevant support services.

Authors: Elena Petreska (ICMPD), Edgar Federzoni dos Santos (ICMPD), Madalina Lepsa - Rogoz (ICMPD), Ivanka Hainzl (ICMPD), Ishrat Shamim (CWCS), Sergio Rivera Reyes (RENACER), Claudia Álvarez Conde (UCM), Raquel Barras Tejudo (UCM), Carlos Brito Siso (UCM), Jana Dilger (TRI), and Melita Gruevska Graham (ICMPD).

The Annual Report takes stock of the milestones, opportunities and challenges in the past year, along with recurring issues that have surfaced to reshape the migration discourse.

ICMPD’s Migration Outlook presents a brief analysis of recent migration and policy trends and provides an outlook on developments and events to watch out for in 2024.

In March 2023, The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) published its 2022 Annual Report. It is produced by the co-chairs of the group in 2022, UNODC and ICMPD. The report covers the progress made by ICAT members towards the implementation of the Group’s Plan of Action.

The purpose of this ICAT brief is to shed light on the concept of vulnerability and the different dimensions and factors that make a person vulnerable to trafficking in persons while providing recommendations to relevant stakeholders in addressing those factors and mitigating the related risks.

Author: Inter-Agency Coordination Group against TIP (ICAT)

This study examines expert knowledge and survey data on youth aspirations in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia to see how the EU's Talent Partnerships might be used to increase youth employment and mobility within and from these countries.

External authors

Algeria: Yasmine Musette

Libya: Mustapha Kaaniche

Morocco: Hajar El Moukhi

Tunisia: Wajih Khallouli

Data show that trafficking in human beings (THB) for sexual exploitation continues to be the most prevalent form of trafficking. Moreover, women continue to constitute the great majority of victims identified in Europe. Much fewer trafficking victims are identified in agriculture, construction, hospitality, domestic work, or begging. This Policy Brief provides a statistical overview of the victims identified across the EU (2017-2018) and aims to assess why identification programmes struggle to identify and assist male victims and those facing exploitation outside the sex industry. The key question raised is whether identification efforts are biased towards trafficking for sexual exploitation and female victims.