Migration Profiles

The Migration Profile Light has been developed in 2013 based on the feedback received from the Prague Process participating states aiming to strengthen the Prague Process Knowledge base with the useful tool consisting of state-owned migration profiles with standard and comparable data categories. In comparison to the Extended Migration Profile, which from its name indicates that the information should be of thorough and detailed nature, the Migration Profile Light is a handy tool with a limited number of pages clearly indicating the areas of interest. The Migration Profile Light aims at key priorities and problems, easy annual updatability and standardised data for all countries involved. Its main function is to serve as an information tool for the facilitation of data exchange, capacity building and policy making.

Overall, the preparation of the MPL represents an exercise that targets all states, aiming thereby to achieve a common level of understanding of the migration situation in partner states, including existing migratory flows, priorities, problems and interests.

Within the PP TI, the geographical focus is, first and foremost, on the countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood of the EU, Russia, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia, in other words, the PP TI non-EU participating states, and with the seven PP TI leading states, namely Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden. Such geographical focus doesn´t exclude other Prague Process states from the joint partnership exercise, and it would be desirable to collect national MPLs for all 50 Prague Process participating states.

The proposed Migration Profile Light (MPL) concept has been well received by the Prague Process participating states, and Germany volunteered in testing the concept by filling in the template. During the establishment process of the MPL on Germany, certain gaps were identified in the first template, which have been covered in cooperation with the Prague Process Secretariat at the ICMPD.

How to prepare migration profile light?

With the aim to help with developing own national Migration Profile Light (MPL), the Guidelines for production of MPL have been prepared, and the PP TI Team stands ready to provide with assistance and to answer possible questions. In case of need, methodological and expert support is planned to contribute to the development of a national MPL for the states.

Download Production Guidelines: EN, RU

New endorsement mechanism

With the aim to adapt the Prague Process Knowledge base to the pressing realities, during the July 2015 SOM in Budapest the Prague Process participating states agreed on publishing of Migration Profiles without the explicit endorsement of the respective state after being granted a three-month period for any eventual feedback. The methodology entails that the draft Migration Profiles should first be shared with the concerned states through the official diplomatic channels and, if no feedback is received, the MPL will be published with an appropriate disclaimer stating clearly that the MPL was not officially endorsed. The application of the adopted methodology will commence in early 2016, and participating states may expect publication of the Migration Profiles Light (with or without endorsement) by the early summer 2016.

Overview of the Migration Profiles Light

The Extended Migration Profile (EMP) has been elaborated in the course of the implementation of the Building Migration Partnerships project on the basis of a template prepared by the European Commission.

The EMP constitutes a comprehensive document, which contains detailed statistical and analytical information and aims to evaluate the overall migration situation in a given country. The objective is to facilitate co-operation between countries in the field of migration management: on the one hand, by providing information on the migration situation in the country and, on the other hand, by providing a sound empirical and statistical basis for policy planning and development.

The document consists of 8 sections: parts A to H.

• Part A outlines how migration has evolved during the last couple of years and gives a brief summary of key migration trends and issues in the last decade.
• Part B provides an overview of the socio-economic conditions of the country.
• Part C analyses migration patterns and recent trends and provides an overview of existing data such as numbers and types of immigrants/emigrants, irregular immigrants/emigrants as well as Diasporas abroad and remittances.
• Part D summarises the key migration trends indicating the main push and pull factors driving migration.
• Part E describes areas of special interest and priorities of the country.
• Part F refers to migration policies and programmes and their effectiveness in managing migration and development challenges.
• Part G aims to provide an overview of the impact of migration on the socio-economic development and the effectiveness of related migration policies.
• Part H provides with the main findings and analysis, indicates existing data gaps, and suggests possible strategies to improve national migration statistics.

During the implementation of the Building Migration Partnerships project in the period 2009-2011, Extended Migration Profiles of 12 countries participating in the Prague Process were produced. These EMPs are currently available for download below, and in the section Publications.

In addition to the Extended Migration Profiles produced within the BMP project, some Prague Process countries produced a national EMP either independently or in cooperation with other international actors (Bosnia & Herzegovina 2010 & 2013 & 2014 & 2015, Moldova 2012  and 2010-2015,  Kosovo 2012 & 2013).

Since 2015, Georgia has published two national Migration Profiles in a new - Medium - format.  Both profiles were developed with the support of ICMPD and the EU-funded ENIGMMA 1 & 2 projects, and can be accessed at the website of the State Commission on Migration Issues of Georgia, as well as downloaded from the relevant section of the Prague Process website.

All profiles are available for download in the section Publications.