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“People were making life-changing decisions with too little information” Long before there were Migrant Resource Centres (MRC) — before the counselling sessions, community outreach campaigns, and the networks reaching thousands of people across regions — a simple observation emerged from a Budapest Process meeting in Pakistan: “Too many people were making life-changing migration decisions, with too little or no reliable information,” says Sedef Dearing, now Deputy Director General at ICMPD.

For Sedef, it was already a problem that had long existed in plain sight. People planning to migrate relied on advice from relatives abroad, informal recruiters, and friends of friends — much of it incomplete, outdated, or simply wrong. Often, these misguided plans and decisions carry serious risks and consequences; ranging from money lost and contracts that turned out to be scams, to workers trapped in exploitative conditions abroad.

Representatives of more than 30 participating states, European Commission, EU agencies and key international partners - including IOM, UNHCR, MARRI, JCP, and ICMPD - discussed ongoing migration policy priorities and the future direction of the Prague Process. "If we want migration policies to yield results, it is necessary for the countries, through which migration routes pass, to be equally involved in the creation and implementation of solutions.

true Login Around the Globe At this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Poland, Director General Susanne Raab reaffirmed ICMPD’s commitment and long-standing cooperation with Ukrainian stakeholders, ICMPD Member States, and European Union Member States and institutions.

In August 2025, the regional network expanded to Uzbekistan. Established in partnership with the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, MRC Tashkent became the first Migrant Resource Centre in the country and the third in Central Asia. Since opening its doors, the centre has provided counselling, information and referral services on safe and legal migration to prospective migrants, returning citizens and their families.

The discussions explored how return and reintegration can align with Ukraine’s reconstruction, followed by a discussion on transition pathways for Ukrainians including communication strategies and the future of temporary protection. Participants also discussed the evolving context in Syria and its implications for recovery and displacement. Discussions on reconstruction and return in post-conflict settings are never simple.

At the closing ceremony of ICMPD’s Strengthening Border Management and Prevention of Human Trafficking (BMTHB CI) project on 21 May 2026, ICMPD project manager Natalija Spunjini presented the key results in strengthening the operational capacities of border and police units, improved institutional coordination, and deployment of portable document fraud detection equipment to frontline officers.

As Europe heads into the peak summer holiday season and the farming season is well underway, seasonal workers continue to play an indispensable role in the continent’s tourism and agriculture industries. Since 2014, the EU Seasonal workers Directive has provided the legal framework for non-EU nationals to take up temporary work across Member States.

true Login Press Release The Swedish Ministry of Justice hosted the opening of the Unity Hub in Stockholm for Ukrainians holding temporary protection in Sweden. On 15 June 2026, Minister Johan Forssell, Sweden’s Minister for Migration, and Deputy Minister Ilona Havronska of Ukraine’s Ministry for Social Policy, Family and Unity led the opening ceremonies together with ICMPD Director General Susanne Raab.

The EU Pact on Asylum and Migration represents the most significant reform initiative of the European Union in the field of asylum and migration to date. The finalisation of the Pact presents a new opportunity for cooperation, highlighting a clearer direction for the future of the EU.