News

ICMPD held a Train-the-Trainers session in Chișinău, piloting a new risk analysis curriculum and preparing future trainers from Moldova’s Border Police and partner institutions to strengthen national training capacity.

Over 60 officials from 16 countries and eight international organisations held the Budapest Process Thematic Meeting on Legal Pathways for Migration in Pakistan. The meeting specifically focused on strengthening the existing policies and pathways for legal migration and labour mobility, setting the strategic foundation for the dialogue's work in the coming years.

ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger met with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth, His Excellency Tomislav Donchev on 24 June 2025.

ICMPD successfully hosted the 12th International Summer School on Migration on 29 June-4 July 2025 in Armenia.

ICMPD’s Migrant Resource Centres (MRC) joined the EUAA in hosting EU Member States, the EEAS and the European Commission, non-EU partner countries, key international organisations and NGOs, and civil society¹ to advance complementary pathways for Afghan refugees.

Addressing irregular migration, combating human trafficking, and strengthening border management remain top priorities for Iraq. In this interview, Fatimah Jarkas, Head of ICMPD’s Office in Iraq, shares her insights on growing government engagement and the impact of Migration Resource Centres (MRCs). She reflects on ICMPD’s work in the country and emphasises how trust and collaboration are key drivers for sustainable change.

ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger met with North Macedonia’s Minister of Interior Pance Toskovski and Minister of European Affairs Orhan Murtezani to discuss regional migration developments, strengthening border management, EU integration support, and the evolving European migration outlook impacted by the developments, including the Middle East.

Strengthening the local economy while enhancing entrepreneurship capacities of migrants to contribute more productively with their skills and business ideas, as well as creating jobs enriches the host communities. This is the main thrust of the ENHANCER (Entrepreneurship Capacities for Sustainable Socio-Economic Integration) Project, launched in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that saw enterprises and workers losing their businesses and jobs.

From 29 June to 5 July 2025 the 12th International Summer School on Migration will take place in Armenia. The ICMPD Summer School is a collaborative effort among the EU-funded “Strengthening Development Impact of Migration in Georgia” (STREAMinG 2) project, and the Prague Process, with all two initiatives led by ICMPD.

With an eagerness to promote access to higher education and foster social harmony, the European Union has unveiled the 'European Union Scholarships Project.' Spearheading this initiative is the ICMPD Country Office in Türkiye, in collaboration with Ankara and Hasan Kalyoncu Universities, as well as Marmara Municipalities Union, as co-applicant consortium members, covering different regions in Türkiye.

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) has released its annual forecast of the 10 migration issues that can shape international migration in 2025. For the first time in years, irregular migration and asylum figures in Europe have decoupled from global trends on displacement. Much suggests that this trend is the result of more restrictive migration policies globally, but it is still too early to speak of a sustainable development. The downward trend, however, will reinforce political debates in Europe that primarily focus on control, externalisation and return. 

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) hosts its annual Vienna Migration Conference (VMC) on 22-23 October 2024. This year’s discussions take place during a pivotal election year and will feature diverse topics that are set to shape the European migration agenda. These include strategies for safer routes, handling irregular arrivals, and labour migration. The public sentiment on migration in light of socio-economic and geopolitical volatility, and ways forward to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, will also be prominently discussed.

On 21-22 March 2024, a hybrid event was organised offering a platform for stakeholders’ cooperation and exchange, including representatives from the public and private sectors to foster trust and understanding of entrepreneurial mobility as a safe channel for temporary migration with a focus on start-ups and entrepreneurs in both Georgia and Belgium. 

The European Union Scholarships Project launches in collaboration with ICMPD, Ankara University, Hasan Kalyoncu University, and the Marmara Municipalities Union. The initiative aims to foster higher education access and bolster employment pathways for students under temporary protection (SuTPs), international protection (IPs), and Turkish citizens. 

On 07 March 2024, the ENHANCER Business Networking Event was organised in coordination with the Directorate General of Development Agencies within the Ministry of Industry and Technology in Kayseri. Co-hosted by the Kayseri Chamber of Commerce, the event succeeded in hosting 174 Turkish and Syrian existing and potential entrepreneurs from Kayseri.

Analysing survey data on recently settled refugees in Austria, two new studies by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) show that young people, women, and people with higher levels of qualification were strongly affected by the Corona crisis in the labour market.

Launched in 2023 and financed by the EU, the three-year European Union Scholarships Project aims to create a lasting impact on higher education students in Türkiye by providing financial assistance for education, increasing social cohesion and access to higher education. Applications for the 2024-25 academic year are open between September 1 – October 6, 2024.

By the end of June 2024, eleven Georgian start-ups were selected for a short-term mobility programme in Belgium. This followed a highly competitive selection process that evaluated sectoral matchmaking potential between the two countries. The call for applications was announced in the framework of the “Strengthening the Partnership between Belgium and Georgia through the Temporary Mobility of Entrepreneurs (EMLINK)” project, implemented by ICMPD.

On 15-17 April 2024, a delegation from Georgia, comprising representatives from state institutions and startup associations, embarked on a productive visit to Belgium to foster innovative approaches to mobility and entrepreneurship. The mission aimed to explore circular migration possibilities between the two nations, with a particular emphasis on facilitating entrepreneurial ventures.

On 16 October 2023, a hybrid event was organised to kick off the EMLINK project that aims at strengthening bilateral cooperation between Belgium and Georgia by designing a pilot temporary mobility model for outstanding entrepreneurs. The event has gathered the main stakeholders of the project representing both countries and key players in the field of migration management, innovation, and entrepreneurship. 

On 23-27 January 2023, the MOBILAZE 2 project organised a study visit on migration policy sectors – development and implementation for the Azerbaijani delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population and State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan and ICMPD in Azerbaijan in Stockholm, the Kingdom of Sweden.  The purpose of the visit was mainly focused on increasing the capacities of the Azerbaijani state institutions to introduce and practically adopt all relevant steps of the migration policy cycle, based on the relevant experience of the EU MSs, in particular, to learn about the Swedish experience in migration policies development and implementation.

On 19 January 2023, the ICMPD office in Armenia summarised the result of the first two Calls of EU4IMPACT project. The event was welcomed by Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador, H.E. Mrs. Andrea Wiktorin, ICMPD Regional Portfolio Manage MS Violeta Wagner,  High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Head of Return and Reintegration Unit from Migration and Citizenship Service and Executive Director of IRIS BI foundation.

On 24 May 2022, ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger undertook a mission to Bratislava to discuss current migration issues with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic as well as the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The mission was rounded up by a visit to the “Support and Information Centre” in Bratislava.

The Training Institute on Migration Capacity Partnership for the Mediterranean (MCP Med TI) held its second Governing Board meeting during a 2-day hybrid event on 18 and 19 October with the presence of representatives from ICMPD, donor and partner countries, observers, and EU agencies.

A delegation led by ICMPD's Director General Michael Spindelegger was on mission in Pakistan and met with high-level gouverment partners in Pakistan. He met Mr. Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Faisal Nisar, Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Jawad  Sohrab Malik Special Assistant to the Prime Minster on Overseas Pakistanis and Mr. Mohsin Butt, Director General, Federal Investigation Agency.