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Belgrade, 8–9 April 2025 – The Prague Process Workshop on Border Surveillance brought together representatives of the border authorities and management experts from 16 participating countries as well as representatives of the EC, EEAS, EUROPOL, JCP, UNHCR, UNODC, and ICMPD, to discuss best practices, challenges, and recent policy developments in border management and surveillance.

Hosted at the National Assembly of Serbia, the event served as a platform for sharing experiences and fostering cooperation on preventing irregular migration and combating migrant smuggling. The activity was organised within Thematic Component 1: Preventing and fighting irregular migration and migrant smuggling (TC 1) of the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027, co-led by Hungary and the Kyrgyz Republic. 

The Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Migration Outlook presents an analysis of the key events and trends that shaped migration in the EECA region in 2024. Simultaneously, it offers a cautious outlook into areas and issues that may affect migration and mobility to, within and from EECA in 2025. In a non-exhaustive way, the publication addresses related developments in the twelve EECA countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The analysis is based on ICMPD’s regional expertise and desk research from official and public data sources to ensure grounded understanding of regional dynamics. 

This analytical report explores the challenges Ukraine and Moldova face in aligning their migration, asylum, and border management policies with EU standards as part of their accession process. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries received EU candidate status, sparking a renewed focus on the enlargement process. Ukraine’s unique position as a country in active conflict and Moldova’s geopolitical vulnerabilities amplify the complexity of their accession. 

We are delighted to share with you the January–March 2025 edition of the Quarterly Review, featuring the latest updates from the Prague Process.

“Patrolling the Periphery - Developing Border Strategies Through Co-operation and Technology”

On 25-27 March, representatives of nine Prague Process states attended the 14th edition of the World Border Security Congress, held in Madrid. The event convened over 450 experts, policymakers, and practitioners from 60 countries, including representatives of IOM, UNODC, UNOCT, OSCE, EC, FRONTEX, and INTERPOL. Marking its second return to Madrid, the event reflected on the growing complexity of global mobility.

This high-level congress provided a platform for senior border officials to meet, discuss and debate evolving landscape of border security and migration governance spotlighting innovative practices, policy responses, and shared commitments. In alignment with the priority area 1 of the Prague Process Action Plan, the Congress strongly resonated with the objectives of the Process’s Digital Lab and Resilience Hub by addressing preparedness, digitalisation, as well as use and integration of modern border technologies. The exhibition held alongside the Congress allowed participating states to exchange knowledge and explore cutting-edge technological solutions – tools and products in border management - showcased by the private sector.

Three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, displacement remains one of the war’s most profound consequences. Millions of Ukrainians have sought refuge abroad or become internally displaced, facing continued uncertainty about their future. While some have found temporary stability in host countries, many struggle with integration, employment, and legal challenges. At the same time, discussions on return and reconstruction are gaining momentum, but security concerns, infrastructure destruction, and economic hardships continue to obstruct large-scale returns.

In this webinar, Dr Franck Düvell presented key trends in forced migration from Ukraine, revisiting existing displacement scenarios and analysing the impact of attacks on energy infrastructure on displacement trends. Dr Nataliia Huseiva and Dr Kateryna Sehida assessed the current state of internal displacement in Ukraine, highlighting major challenges and evolving dynamics. Mr Martin Wagner examined the legal status of Ukrainians in the EU under temporary protection and explored the prospects for their legal stay under various scenarios. Meanwhile, Mr Jan Werner shared insights on the Czech Republic’s perspective on the displacement of Ukrainians.

By late December 2024, Russia had launched 13 major attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, notably power plants, heating plants and boiler stations, but also hospitals and schools. This continued into January 2025. As a consequence of such attacks, the Helmholtz Centre Berlin, among others, concludes that “many of the combined heat and power plants and cogeneration plants are damaged, and there isn’t enough electricity to go around, which means that control systems and pumps can temporarily shut down. As a result, poorly insulated homes, particularly in urban areas, have less heating. This leads to unacceptable conditions for residents – especially children, the elderly and the sick – and will drive more people to flee, even from areas not directly affected by the fighting”. The energy situation in Ukraine may seem dire at first glance, but a closer look reveals it is less severe than anticipated.

This brief assesses the state of Ukraine’s energy system, and its impact on the population, and discusses the potential for further forced migration to the EU.

Jean-Louis De Brouwer and Ralph Genetzke convened again to discuss the key migration policy developments of 2024 and share their expectations for 2025. Following the adoption of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Member States now face various challenges in implementing it. Amidst the electoral successes of anti-immigration parties, as well as the witnessed conflicts and crises across the EU’s neighbourhood, the EU has also been intensifying its migration diplomacy with key partner countries. The panellists assessed the continued efforts to counter irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, the new dynamics of return policy and partnerships with third countries in the context of the political priorities of the new Commission. The discussion further aimed to address the legal status of displaced Ukrainians in the EU, plans to boost legal migration channels, and other migration policy developments to expect in 2025.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has strained its migration policies, amplifying longstanding demographic decline and labour shortages. The country faces acute needs for human capital, short- and long-term, with birth rates at historic lows and emigration compounding the crisis.

This policy brief highlights main directions in Russia’s migration policy since the 2022 invasion and underscores the implications of these developments for the Prague Process region. It calls for strategic action to strengthen cooperation with Central Asian states to create alternative labour migration pathways and reduce reliance on Russia, counter the use of migrants as a hybrid tool to challenge European members and work to return displaced Ukrainians, particularly children, home from Russia.

As the year comes to an end, we are pleased to present the new edition of the Quarterly Review for the last quarter of 2024. This issue presents the latest activities and outputs, while reflecting on a milestone year for the Prague Process.