Enhancing cooperation among the Prague Process states

News

In June, the Prague Process Secretariat attended the EUROMED Migration V Peer-to-Peer Conference: ‘Capacity Partnerships: Responding to the Needs of Refugees by Developing Opportunities for Host Countries’. The following text presents some key takeaways and lessons learned from Jordan and the MENA region.  

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is home to some 5.7 Million Syrians, as well as numerous Libyans, Yemenis, Palestinians and Iraqis. While Syrian refugees, including many unaccompanied minors, keep coming to seek protection, Malian refugees have more recently entered the region.

This is a double issue of the Quarterly Review covering the first half of 2022. While the previous issue was due in April, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted our usual production cycle. We needed some time to reflect on the tragic developments and humanitarian crisis unfolding in our region since 24 February.  

Upon the invitation of the Ministry for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality (MHSR) and the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade (MFET) of Malta, a Study Visit to this most southern Prague Process participating state was organised on 7-9 June.

Representatives of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, North Macedonia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan had a chance to acquaint themselves with work of the Maltese migration authorities, the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), ICMPD’s Regional Office for the Mediterranean (RO MED) and the newly established Training Institute on Migration Capacity Partnership for the Mediterranean (TI MCP MED).

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February has resulted in the displacement of more than 14 million people, representing one quarter to one third of the entire population. Up to two thirds have been displaced internally with another 6 million people fleeing to neighbouring countries, mostly to the EU, but also Russia and Turkey. As of late March, following the withdrawal of Russia’s forces from the north and northeast, people also began returning.

The majority of the nearly 7 million Ukrainian refugees who have left their country since the outbreak of conflict in February 2022 are women who seek protection in neighbouring countries. Many of them are currently located in national capitals or large cities. Recent discussion on how to relieve the pressure on the infrastructure of these cities has focused on accommodating refugees in rural areas. 

The article prepared by Bernhard Perchinig and Jimy Perumadan highlights several important aspects regarding the integration of refugees in rural areas. It is also available in Russian and Ukrainian languages.

The war in Ukraine is having far-reaching repercussions on many countries around the world, including in Africa, where it is affecting food security, job markets and energy prices.

The article prepared by Veronika Bilger and Nesrine Ben Brahim investigates the early impact of the war on food shortages across Africa and what it could mean for displacement in the continent and beyond. It is also available in Russian and Ukrainian languages.

On 12-13 May 2022, Austria and the Czech Republic in its capacity of Prague Process Chair hosted the Prague Process Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Vienna. The SOM represented the second preparatory meeting for the fourth Ministerial Conference, scheduled for 24-25 October 2022. It gathered 79 officials from 26 countries, the European Commission, EU Council, EEAS, EUAA, Frontex, IOM, JCP and ICMPD.

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