News

Emerging human trafficking trends and countering terrorism in the Southeast Europe region need a proactive and more effective response. Against this backdrop, the Brdo Process endorsed its Strategy 2025-2029 of the Network of Anti-Trafficking Coordinators in South-Eastern Europe (NATC-SEE), reflecting the changing nature of human trafficking in the region and the complexities introduced by new technologies, migration patterns, and socio-economic factors.

Ministers and representatives from 40 countries¹ along with the African Union, the European Union and international organisations², jointly agreed on implementing the Cairo Action Plan. The plan includes addressing irregular migration, promoting skills mobility and pathways for regular migration, protecting refugees and displaced persons, fight against migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and safe, timely, dignified and effective return.

On 9 April 2025, ICMPD’s CORE-UA project team hosted an online event to present its latest report, Diaspora Engagement – Case Studies and Best Practices for Ukraine, published within the framework of the CORE-UA project. The event brought together a diverse group of international experts, policymakers, international organisations, NGOs and members of the global Ukrainian community to explore effective strategies for engaging the diaspora in Ukraine’s development and post-war recovery efforts.

From 7-13 July 2024 the 11th International Summer School on Migration will take place in Georgia. The ICMPD Summer School is a collaborative effort among the EU-funded projects “Implementing the Mobility Partnership in Azerbaijan” (MOBILAZE 2), “Strengthening Development Impact of Migration in Georgia” (STREAMinG 2), and the Prague Process, with all three initiatives led by ICMPD.

The 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, took place on 11-13 April in Antalya. With the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” this year’s Forum gathered more than 6,000 participants including 21 Heads of State and Government, and 67 Ministers from 155 countries.

An impact-driven initiative in Ogun State, Nigeria, is placing local school communities at the forefront of efforts to combat human trafficking—a pressing threat to children across the country. The School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), funded by the Government of the Netherlands and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), is positioning School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) as key agents of change in the fight against trafficking.

A new initiative is equipping secondary schools across Ogun, Benue, Enugu, Delta, and Edo states to take an active role in preventing human trafficking. Through the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), young leaders are being trained to raise awareness, educate peers and strengthen resilience within their schools and communities.

After Russia’s invasion in February 2022, millions of Ukrainians made the painful decision to leave everything behind. With their entire towns destroyed, and uncertain of what was ahead of them, crossing borders also did not bring immediate relief. How would one navigate a foreign country where the language, laws and systems are unfamiliar? Many of those forced to leave faced new struggles not only for survival, but also to regain a sense of stability.

ICMPD has opened the second Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Baghdad, in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displaced (MoMD). The new MRC expands the efforts to promote safe and regular migration processes for prospective migrants, combat trafficking and people-smuggling through information, pre-departure counselling and post-arrival briefings for migrant workers, and re-integration support for returnees and internally displaced populations.

From 29 April to 2 May 2025, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) held meetings with representatives of the Georgian diaspora in Rome, Italy. The discussions took place under the EU-funded STREAMinG Phase 2 project. The aim was to strengthen the capacities of Georgian diaspora organisations in the areas of reintegration, investment opportunities, and legal frameworks in both Italy and Georgia, with a special focus on women’s empowerment.

An integrated border management (IBM) strategy remains top priority for the Iraqi government, in tackling human trafficking and irregular migration, and strengthening border security. This was the focus of the discussions in Iraq between ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger and Dr Ali Al-Yasery, Director General of Iraq’s National Joint Planning Centre.

On February 20, the Inspire Project concluded its two-year implementation with a closing event in Brussels, organised by ICMPD. Seventy-two participants (online and in-person) were brought together to reflect on the journey and accomplishments, including representatives from the public and private sectors of Inspire's focus countries, national and international organisations, migration specialists, and the European Commission.

High-level delegates from Bangladesh, Iraq and Pakistan, along with Türkiye and Hungary, and the European Commission, are strengthening efforts for sustainable reintegration for returning migrants in the Silk Routes region. At the Thematic Working Group of Budapest Process countries last week, delegates and representatives called for reintegration efforts to be embedded in broader national development frameworks, and that these must target the structural and community-level drivers of migration that often reflect the challenges returnees face on their return.

Cabo Verde is situated about 570 kilometres off the coast of West Africa, and 1,500 km to Spain’s Canary Islands – the closest and first entry of potential migrants into Europe. That route along the Western Atlantic is treacherous. But given its geostrategic location between Africa, the Americas and Europe, Cabo Verde may have become a transit point for organised criminal groups and their activities and a transit route for migrants from West Africa en route to Europe.

Moldova’s IBM Council met on 27 May to review progress and kick off the 2026–2030 border management program. The new policy document will be developed with SCOP project support, aligning with EU standards for smarter and safer borders.

ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger met with Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan, and Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy to discuss strengthening work together on the country’s migration priorities. On 14-15 May 2025, Mr Spindelegger and Deputy Director General Sedef Dearing were joined by senior ICMPD staff as part of their first official visit to Dublin, following Ireland’s accession as ICMPD Member State last year.

ICMPD hosted a workshop in Chișinău for Moldova’s Joint Risk Analysis Working Group, bringing together key national agencies to assess border security challenges, share institutional updates, and explore the integration of CIRAM into national practices. 

Only days after Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). It effectively provided more than four million displaced Ukrainians protection from the war; legal rights to stay, work, and benefit from social services; as well as support for integration. As its name suggests however, it was always meant to be temporary.

ICMPD convened government counterparts of its Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) to advance cooperation and coordinated responses to emerging migration trends and challenges; including legal migration pathways, reducing irregular migration, and supporting the integration of returnees. At the meetings, the European Union called on participating governments to ensure long-term sustainability for their MRCs, in the service of migrants and returnees.

Former Austrian Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media will take office at ICMPD as of 1 January 2026

As African youth become a vital force for progress, innovation, and sustainable development; the Rabat Process stands at the forefront of this strategic migration dialogue. On 13-14 May 2025, Nigeria and Spain co-chaired in Abuja a meeting on Youth, Education, and Innovation: Driving the Future of Migration.

Marking World Refugee Day and ten years since the so-called 2015 refugee crisis, ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger reflected on Europe’s migration journey — a decade marked by real progress towards refugee integration, yet strained by the continued inflow and growing political tensions.

Director-General Michael Spindelegger sits for an in-depth, reflective, and introspective interview on the situation in Europe 10 years since the start of what was dubbed the “migration crisis.”

ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger and Deputy Director General Sedef Dearing met with His Excellency Rachid Meddah, Director General of Migration Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on 17 June 2025.

ICMPD facilitated the first session of Moldova’s IBM Working Group, launching the drafting process for the 2026–2030 IBM Programme and bringing together key agencies to shape the country’s future border management strategy.