News

We are excited to announce the release of the updated Prague Process Factsheet, a comprehensive resource offering the latest key figures and essential facts about the Process.

We are delighted to present you with the latest edition of the Quarterly Review, covering January to March 2024. This year, the Prague Process celebrates its 15th anniversary, a milestone that highlights sustained commitment of the Prague Process Parties to promote migration partnerships and cooperation. On this occasion, we look back to the first Ministerial Conference in Prague on 27-28 April 2009 and the subsequent evolution of the Prague Process.

22 March marks World Water Day, reminding of the critical importance of fresh water, a resource that remains inaccessible to a staggering 2.2 billion people worldwide. The situation is exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which, in turn, can become a driver for migration, as the well-being of public health, the economy, food and energy supplies, and the environment relies on effective management and just distribution of water resources.

The Regional Migration Outlook for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) presents an analysis of the key events and trends that shaped migration in the EECA region in 2023. Simultaneously, it offers a cautious outlook into areas and issues that may affect migration and mobility to, within and from EECA in 2024. In a non-exhaustive way, the publication addresses developments in the twelve EECA countries (based on ICMPD’s regional division) – 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.

In our beginning-of-the-year tradition, Jean-Louis De Brouwer (Director, European Affairs Program, Egmont Institute) and Ralph Genetzke (Director, ICMPD Brussels Mission) met again to assess the key lessons and migration policy developments of 2023 and shared their expectations for 2024.  

You may watch the recording of the Policy Talk in English by following this link.

Amidst conflicts and crises across the EU’s neighbourhood, the European Council’s historic decision on the EU enlargement of December 2023 was assessed from a migration policy perspective. The Policy Talk highlighted that migration is set to play a key role in the upcoming mid-2024 EU elections, which will largely determine the place of migration within the next strategic agenda for 2024-2029. With the recent political endorsement of the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration, the panel also delved into its future role and prospects. The Policy Talk further explored topics such as the forced displacement of Ukrainians, recent attempts by EU Member States to externalize asylum procedures, and the need to boost legal migration channels to address ever increasing labour shortages.

On 13-14 February 2024, representatives of 27 Prague Process states, the European Commission, Frontex, eu-LISA, IOM, JCP, MARRI and ICMPD gathered in Budapest for the Kick-off Workshop of Thematic Component 1: Preventing and fighting irregular migration and migrant smuggling.

Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have absorbed hundreds of thousands of migrants who left Russia in the two years since its invasion of Ukraine. These Russians, who call themselves “relokanty”, have transformed national economies and urban spaces. Inflows of talent and capital have also delivered societal challenges. These range from increased inflation to renewed memories of the negative impacts of Russian and Soviet colonization, as well as fears that these relokanty might constitute a new vehicle for Russian influence.

As the war appears to have reached a stalemate in 2024, these Russian migrants must consider short- and long-term strategies for residence. They share knowledge on current relationships with host societies, costs, economic opportunities and political stability as they “shop” for homes. Georgians, Armenians, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz have not yet openly protested Russian migrants, but their welcome is wearing thin as economic growth decelerates and inflation and other indicators that affect daily life worsen. Each government must consider the risks of the issue of Russian migrants  becoming politicized in these young national states. Especially if Russia chooses to intervene regionally, these migrants could become a destabilizing element.

This document has been created following the discussions among - and inputs from - participants of the Prague Process Workshop held in Tbilisi in October 2023, highlighting best practices, key success factors and stumbling blocks to digitalising the various aspects of the migration management cycle, as well as providing some recommendations for next steps. The Workshop focused on the increased role of digitalisation, and how this can be deployed to assist in migration management.

The overarching expectation is that digitalisation will yield substantial benefits in the Prague Process region, streamlining processes for officials and improving the overall experience for migrants. From a migrant's perspective, a single, comprehensive app could serve as a portal to access various services, encompassing applications, healthcare, education, social security, and identification. Furthermore, establishing centralised databases accessible to all government departments is recommended. This should be done while addressing privacy concerns through appropriate authorisations to facilitate data sharing and better support governments, ultimately enhancing the experiences of migrants through application processes. Internal interoperability among national government departments and public authorities is deemed crucial, and this interoperability should be extended to other countries to ensure trans-national compatibility.

In a year full of European, national, and regional elections, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) expects migration to be a pivotal topic. While many governments implement quick fixes ahead of their electoral cycles, opposition parties are tying their campaigns to migration-related promises. ICMPD’s 2024 Migration Outlook report forecasts record displacement levels resulting from war and conflict, leading to a further securitization of migration and offshoring of asylum procedures, as well as a rise in secondary movements. These developments are taking place while labour migration is ‘coming of age’ in Europe.

Last year, global migration trends saw an alarming surge in displacement, reaching a record number of 114 million due to escalating armed conflicts and heightened geopolitical tension. Preliminary data saw a 21.2% increase in EU asylum applications, indicating one million claims at the end of the year – the highest number since 2016 – foreshadowing an equally challenging situation in 2024.

Geopolitical dynamics had a significant impact on migration in 2023: military coups in Africa led to a rise in the irregular flow of migrants, which led to further EU external cooperation on migration. Domestic concerns led to a further securitization of migration in many of the world’s regions, for instance through widened repatriation and expulsion policies in countries like Pakistan, Iran, Algeria, and Tunisia. This trend is expected to continue in 2024 as well, affecting hundreds of thousands of people and raising the potential for secondary migration flows.

Twenty months after the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a military stalemate has emerged. This current situation suggests that neither Russia will be able to capture further Ukrainian territory, nor will Ukraine be able to reclaim large parts of the occupied regions in the near future. However, as witnessed in the spring and autumn of 2022, when the Ukrainian armed forces drove back Russian invaders, surprises cannot be ruled out. 

As of January 2024, 6.5 million Ukrainians seek shelter abroad, with 4.2 million in the EU (possibly fewer) and around 5 million remaining internally displaced, totalling 10.5 million. Within Ukraine, 17.6 million people require humanitarian assistance, even though the economy is slowly recovering. The overall situation for Ukrainians, both within and outside the country, is characterised by a protracted war and great uncertainty regarding the war’s outcome, their legal status in host countries and integration prospects.