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In this second article of the series, we feature practical examples of migrant experiences and stakeholder responses to human-made crises, drawing on key findings from recent research on migrants caught in situations of crisis around the globe. We focus in particular on migrant responses and migrant voices, as these are necessary to ensure a global compact that responds to the needs of all, and in particular those who are vulnerable to violence or exploitation in the context of a crisis.

One-and-a-half years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the question of what comes next for people under temporary protection looms large, especially as we approach the halfway mark of the Temporary Protection Directive’s maximum duration. Policymakers are faced with a range of potential strategies, each with its distinct implications, necessitating a thoughtful and ideally coordinated response. To help guide this crucial dialogue, ICMPD is shedding light on potential avenues. 

Following up on the first informal thematic session entitled “Human rights of all migrants, social inclusion, cohesion and all forms of discrimination, including racism, xenophobia and intolerance that took place 8-9 May in Geneva, we are featuring selected examples and illustrations in this blog. We feature selected local level examples and illustrations to offer inspiration and help inform the discussion and debate on how the global compact for migration can set out to address its commitments in the fields of human rights, social inclusion and cohesion, battling discrimination and intolerance.

In the framework of the EUROMED Migration IV programme, ICMPD has released, together with the Observatory of Public Attitudes to Migration (OPAM - EUI), the third and last chapter of the report entitled "Impact of Public Attitudes to migration on the political environment in the Euro-Mediterranean Region".

On 5 November, ICMPD organised a consultation meeting dealing with the question of how to retain international and domestic talents in Lithuania. The meeting was organised in cooperation with the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy and Innovation and the Government Agency Invest Lithuania and funded by the European Commission Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS).

ICMPD, in collaboration with the Swiss Government, has organised the first expert meeting in the framework of its Annual Policy Initiative 2020. Switzerland, as the chair of ICMPD’s Steering Group in 2020, has dedicated its chairmanship to the topic "Safeguarding human and public security in the new migration agenda" and ICMPD is running the Annual Policy Initiative 2020 under the same heading.

In the global race for talent, the EU is struggling to keep up with frontrunners like Canada and Australia. Despite their differences, the EU and its Member States could turn to leading nations for inspiration on attracting and retaining global talent.

The joint EU-ICMPD Migration EU eXpertise (MIEUX) Initiative, one of ICMPD’s longest-running projects, initiates a new phase for an initial three-year period. The joint Initiative is a capacity building facility that provides partners in Africa, Asia, the EU Neighbourhood, and Latin America and the Caribbean with short-term, technical assistance through tailored activities that match the expertise required by the requesting partner country.

References to skills of refugees with the aim of creating pathways for protection can be found in the context of the Global Compact on Refugees. But they were (at least initially) also intended to lead to a more purposeful relocation of asylum seekers from Italy or Greece to other EU MS under the EU relocation programme which ran from September 2016 until September 2018. Recently, several publications additionally addressed the question of refugee protection and a possible connection with labour market considerations.

Since 2009, Mobility Partnerships between the EU and partner countries have not only brought concrete benefits to people but also enabled result-driven cooperation and dialogue between states. The Mobility Partnership Facility (MPF) is a programme that started in 2016 aimed at supporting the implementation of Mobility Partnerships (MPs). This article provides, in a nutshell, practical examples for MPs and summarizes the actions available to further realize the full potential of this framework.

The EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) has now been activated for 18 months, providing immediate assistance to millions who fled the war in Ukraine. While it has been praised for its success, uncertainty remains about what will happen once it ends. Discussions have put forth ideas ranging from EU-wide approaches to individual national solutions. The urgency of this matter, however, has yet to fully resonate with policymakers and commentators, even as we reach the halfway point of the directive’s maximum duration. Just 18 months remain to forge a plan for what will come after. 

State cooperation on migration and mobility has intensified significantly in the last decade, not least at the regional level where it can take the shape of fully-fledged formal mobility frameworks, such as free movement within the European Union, or economic cooperation frameworks that only facilitate specific aspects of mobility, or informal migration dialogues, such as Rabat Process or Budapest Process.

On 24 January 2024, Greece and ICMPD jointly organised a high-level event titled “A holistic approach for balanced migration partnerships” in Brussels. The event marked the handover of the Chairmanship of ICMPD’s Steering Group from Türkiye to Greece with speeches by Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the EU, and Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas, Permanent Representative of Greece to the EU. Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dimitrios Kairidis, Minister for Migration and Asylum of Greece, and ICMPD Director General Michael Spindelegger participated in the panel discussion moderated by ICMPD’s Brussels Mission Director Ralph Genetzke. Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas delivered closing remarks.

On 1 December 2021, the 3rd Coordination Meeting for the Socio-Economic Development Component took place in Ankara, Turkey. The meeting takes place within the Vice-Presidcency Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRiT). ICMPD in Turkey facilitated the meeting, provided logistical support and gathered the relevant authorities, actors and beneficiaries of the programme. Implemented by ICMPD Turkey and as the beneficiary of the FRiT II Programme, the ICMPD ENHANCER project team provided secretarial support in the organisation of this important event.

The surge in the number of refugees and migrants making their way to Europe in 2015 brought the weaknesses of the fragile European migration and protection system to the forefront and indeed led to a virtual collapse of some of its key components, such as the Dublin Regulation. This triggered a policy and political crisis within the European Union as Member States and European Commission found themselves in disagreement over how to effectively handle the situation.

The surge in the number of refugees and migrants making their way to Europe in 2015 brought the weaknesses of the fragile European migration and protection system to the forefront and indeed led to a virtual collapse of some of its key components, such as the Dublin Regulation. This triggered a policy and political crisis within the European Union as Member States and European Commission found themselves in disagreement over how to effectively handle the situation.

As governments seek to address challenges and seize opportunities connected to trans-border mobility, policy debates have identified migration partnerships as integral to achieving progress. The concept has indeed evolved from a mere buzzword to a comprehensive instrument of international migration governance based on widely accepted tenets and numerous concrete tools. The principles are clear: Migration partnerships need to (1) build upon mutual trust and joint objectives, (2) guarantee a fair distribution of rights and obligations and (3) ensure that the costs and benefits are absorbed equally by all parties. Partnership, moreover, must be practised at all levels of migration governance, entailing joint agenda setting, political and technical cooperation and shared operational delivery.

The MIgration EU eXpertise Initiative started operations in 2009 and ran until April 2024. During its fifteen-year lifecycle, new challenges and pressing responsibilities in terms of migration management and governance pushed partner countries across Asia, Africa, the European Neighbourhood and Latin America and the Caribbean to look for practical and adaptable solutions. 

The Anti-Trafficking Programme (ATP) of ICMPD held the final event of the regional project “Developing Approaches for Enhancing the Functionality of the National Referral Mechanisms in the MARRI Participants”. The team presented three practical guidelines developed in the framework of the project.