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Digitalisation has led to the development of new products, platforms and services, as well as fueled the demands of labour migrants for more information, training and online services. These changes can bring about efficiencies for the public sector by speeding up processes and freeing up employees’ time. Digitalisation also represents an opportunity for countries to attract the best international talent, roll out e-government portals and educate citizens to ensure that they have the relevant digital skills to take advantage of the digital revolution underway while recognizing the skills and qualifications of third-country nationals. This Policy Brief explains the digital products and services available which facilitate labour migration, as well as the current barriers to the use of modern technology. This paper also analyses existing policy measures as well as looks at recommendations on how digitalisation can be leveraged to enable labour migration.

On 26 June 2023, the Central Asia regional simulation training “Combating trafficking in human beings: sustaining multi-agency collaboration through simulation-based training exercises” kicked off in Astana, Kazakhstan. The training, initially developed by the OSCE, brings together all five countries of Central Asia and is supported by the Prague Process along with other partners gathering over 120 participants at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The EU-funded project Improving Migration Management and Migrant Protection in selected Silk Routes and Central Asian Countries (PROTECT) is implemented by ICMPD as of June 2023. Covering Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Pakistan, PROTECT aims to improve migration management and migrant protection throughout all phases of emigration and immigration in the target countries, enhance awareness on the risks of irregular migration, and facilitate the protection of migrants. It will support informed migration decision-making at the individual, family and community level, including pre-departure preparation, migration and residence/work abroad, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration.

Tenth Meeting of Global & (Inter)Regional Consultative Processes on Migration: regional contributions to the global discussion on migration and sustainable development 

On 9 June 2023, the Prague Process Secretariat attended the Tenth Meeting of Global and (Inter)Regional Consultative Processes on Migration. Chairs and Secretariats of the inter-state consultation mechanisms on migration (ISCM) spanning all world continents gathered in Geneva to deliberate on such migration-related topics as climate change, health and sustainable development, and discuss possible ISCM partnerships and joint inputs to global policy fora.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has contributed to a large outflow of active and able-bodied individuals, skilled professionals, and business owners from Russia. Due to the bureaucratic and institutional challenges of traveling to the EU and other Western countries, the majority of Russian migrants settled in Central Asian and South Caucasus countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, which had been the main donors of migrants to Russia over the previous two decades.

The Prague Process Webinar: ‘Capacity Development in the Prague Process region: The important work of the Migration EU Expertise (MIEUX+) Initiative' is taking place on 22 June 2023 at 10:30-12:30 CET.

This webinar will present the capacity development work of the EU-funded Migration EU Expertise (MIEUX+) Initiative in several Prague Process countries. Joined by experts and partners, MIEUX+ will provide insights on a variety of migration topics, illustrated through its recent actions in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova. The thematic scope will range from integration, to applying a whole-of-government approach and from crisis preparedness to diaspora engagement. The webinar will thus present a number of lessons learned and good practices to inspire the further operationalisation of the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027.

Upon the invitation of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, a Study Visit to Lithuania took place on 9-10 May 2023, gathering 25 officials from 14 countries. The visit featured two separate programmes: one for representatives of migration authorities and another for representatives of border guards of the Prague Process states. Participants had an opportunity to get acquainted with the relevant institutions in Lithuania, their work, organization and legislative basis.

On 27-28 April 2023, Portugal and the Czech Republic in its capacity as Prague Process Chair hosted the Prague Process Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Lisbon. The SOM officially launched the fourth phase of the Prague Process cooperation, following the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration and the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027 in October 2022. The meeting gathered 60 officials from 27 countries, the European Commission, EUAA, IOM and ICMPD.

The first session centred on current migration policy goals and international cooperation objectives. These discussions built upon the outcomes of the Questionnaire on national priorities disseminated in December 2022. Key areas of interest included combating irregular migration and migrant smuggling, promoting readmission, voluntary return, sustainable reintegration, strengthening asylum and international protection capacities, and addressing legal migration and labour mobility. Nonetheless, several states also underlined the continued importance of the remaining two thematic areas – namely, on migration and development, as well as integration.

The Prague Process panel discussion: ‘Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its implications for migration in the Prague Process Region' is taking place on 25 May 2023 at 10:30-12:30 CET.

Since Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, over 13 million people have been displaced internally and internationally, with over 5 million registered for temporary protection across the EU. The war, solidified by political repressions, also sparked considerable outward migration from Russia. Moreover, the war has affected the social, economic, security, political and demographic realities across the entire region and will define the way forward in the years to come.

On 7 March 2023, the Prague Process Secretariat paid a visit to the GDISC (General Directors of Immigration Services Conference) Secretariat, based in Nuremberg at the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The two Secretariats discussed synergies and possible areas of future cooperation within the recently endorsed Joint Declaration and Action Plan 2023-2027 at the Fourth Prague Process Ministerial Conference in Prague. Both the Czech Republic as the Prague Process Chair and Poland as the current GDISC Chair welcomed this initiative and supported the Secretariats´ mutual exchange of best practices and lessons learnt, as well as cooperation on addressing migration issues.