News

On 4-5 June 2024, representatives of 13 Prague Process states, the European Commission, EUAA, Frontex, UNHCR and ICMPD gathered in Malta for the Kick-off Workshop of Thematic Component 4: Strengthening Capacities on Asylum and International Protection. Hosted at the EU Agency for Asylum Headquarters, the workshop provided a platform to discuss capacity-building efforts and emerging trends in asylum management enhancing cooperation and sharing best practices among Prague Process states and partners.

June 1st marks International Day for Protection of Children. It was established over half a century ago to protect children’s rights, end child labour and guarantee access to education. The Prague Process uses this occasion as a reminder of children’s inherent vulnerability to trafficking in human beings, a crime which continues to affect millions of young lives worldwide.

The statistics are grim: children constitute 35% of all trafficking victims, with girls and boys accounting for nearly equal shares. Children's inherent vulnerability, exacerbated by factors such as poverty, conflict, and lack of legal protection makes them prime targets for traffickers who exploit their innocence and helplessness for various forms of exploitation. Moreover, their vulnerability to trafficking is exacerbated by factors such as unaccompanied travel and lack of birth registration.

Migration is a worldwide phenomenon that has evolved into a significant academic discipline, encompassing teaching and research efforts globally.

The Migration Textbook, published by the EU-funded and ICMPD-implemented “Support to the Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE 2)” project, provides a comprehensive overview of the migration field, exploring its historical roots, current trends, and future prospects. The Textbook covers a wide range of topics related to migration, including theories, governance, migration management in Azerbaijan, integration, and security.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has precipitated a significant displacement crisis, resulting in millions of Ukrainians and hundreds of thousands foreign residents and immigrants fleeing the country. As of early 2024, up to 10.8 mio persons remain displaced within and outside Ukraine. The potential for further displacement looms large if Russia gains more ground or if Ukraine loses the fight for its sovereignty. 

On 24-26 April, representatives of eight Prague Process states attended the 10th World Border Security Congress (WBSC) in Istanbul, Türkiye. The Congress brought together over 400 participants from 60 countries including 75 speakers and 30 private sector exhibitors. The participant list further included representatives of IOM, UNODC, UNOCT/ UNCCT, OSCE ODIHR, EC, NATO, FRONTEX, and INTERPOL.

This is the third Prague Process Policy brief on the topic of forced migration from Ukraine as the direct result of Russia’s military aggression. In this iteration, the brief deliberates forced migration flows from Ukraine under four potential war scenarios, ranging between a stalemate situation to a hypothetical victory of Russia. These scenarios are informed by observed migration patterns to date. The brief utilises the methodology developed by the author in 2021, which allowed to predict the number of forcibly displaced in early 2022 with a high degree of accuracy. Subsequently, this method has been continually refined to account for newly available data.

On 23 April 2024, the Prague Process organised the Kick-off Workshop under the Thematic Component 3: Legal and Labour Migration, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The first activity of this Thematic Component gathered experts from 24 Prague Process states as well as representatives from the European Commission, OECD, ILO, IOM, ICMPD, GIZ, Austrian Counselling Centre for Migrants and EMN. On 24 April 2024, the EMN Lithuania Conference ‘Navigating a Changing Labour Migration Landscape’ took place, also featuring PP representatives. The first event held together with the countries of the PP was attended by more than 100 participants from 30 different countries.

More than two years since the Taliban takeover, Central Asian states have hosted a small, but overlooked population of displaced Afghans. While the fears of an exodus from Afghanistan into Central Asia did not materialise, those Afghans who fled to Central Asia face a precarious future with limited opportunities for permanent settlement or onward migration.

The e-course on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings is available for users! 

This course, developed by ICMPD’s Anti-Trafficking Programme and the Prague Process, aims to equip entry to intermediate-level knowledge professionals in migration and asylum with fundamental knowledge about human trafficking and other related crimes. The course delineates the intricacies of human trafficking, distinguishing it from migrant smuggling, and provides an overview of the global trends and legal frameworks surrounding the issue. Additionally, it explores the vulnerabilities to trafficking of individuals in mixed migration flows, state obligations in responding to trafficking, and victim-related issues including identification, principles of victim assistance, risk assessment, and repatriation. The course consists of 16 individual chapters.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has precipitated a significant displacement crisis, resulting in millions of Ukrainians and hundreds of thousands foreign residents and immigrants fleeing the country. As of early 2024, up to 10.8 mio persons remain displaced within and outside Ukraine. The potential for further displacement looms large if Russia gains more ground or if Ukraine loses the fight for its sovereignty.