News

Islamabad, Pakistan: In light of emerging migration management challenges in the region, and following up on discussions on how to best support Pakistan in responding to - and pursuing - its migration management priorities, the ICMPD Regional Office for the Silk Routes Region organised and facilitated a visit to Pakistan for Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and  the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). The objective of the delegation’s visit was to assess the opportunities for support and cooperation, focusing on projects and activities in the realm of migration. The visit took place on 10 – 14th January 2022 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Vienna, Austria: In line with the work that we do on promoting safe migration for women, we carried out a poll. We asked about the biggest issues that face would-be female migrants today.

Peshawar, Pakistan: From shoemaking to soft drinks distribution, reintegration assistance provides people returning to Pakistan with a number of opportunities to start anew and run their own business. Meet Shah, who runs his own fruit and vegetable store in Peshwar: https://returnnetwork.eu/2021/10/05/eyes-on-pakistan-shah/

Erbil, Iraq: Many people who consider returning to Iraq fear what their friends or families might think. This, often compounded by the psychological stresses of a previously unsuccessful journey or an unsatisfactory stay abroad, might create a lot of distress.

Vienna, Austria: In parallel with the Public-Private Sector Partnership for Reintegration in Bangladesh which started this year, ICMPD and the European Return and Reintegration Network are promoting reintegration assistance across the Silk Routes region. Our activities are empowering people to build new lives in their home countries. 

Dhaka, Bangladesh: The opportunities that are created by Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly being realised across the Silk Routes region. At the same time, harnessing PPPs to achieve reintegration goals has not been looked at in the region. This is changing in Bangladesh, however, where economic and reintegration goals are being addressed through PPPs.

Dhaka, Bangladesh: Within the framework of our Promoting Safe Migration for the Women of Bangladesh project, we have produced a new study:“Policy Brief Based on the Desk Study Comparative scenario of female migrant workers in South Asia regions – Bangladesh.”

Vienna, Austria: Over the course of 2021, in line with its Implementation Plan of the 2019 Call for Action, several intergovernmental meetings were organised under the Budapest Process. 

Baghdad and Erbil, Iraq: The support provided within the ICMPD-implemented Project “Capacity Building for long-term reintegration of returnees to Afghanistan and Iraq” (CAIR), funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark, furnishes the leading reintegration programming actor, the Ministry of Migration and Displaced (MoMD) - and its branches - with unique opportunities to receive technical, programmatic and operational support in implementing its mandate. Despite the difficulties that exist for Iraqi returnees, the establishment of a system to identify and address the set-backs in the reintegration process is taking place.

Baghdad, Iraq: A key priority area for ICMPD is Integrated Border Management (IBM), where the objective is to simultaneously enhance trade facilitation while ensuring a high level of border security. This requires cooperation and coordination between all actors involved in border management at the national and international level. It also needs concrete action in six fields: the legal and regulatory framework; institutional framework; procedures; human resources and training; communication and information exchange; and infrastructure and equipment. 

Baghdad and Erbil, Iraq: The project “Developing the Iraqi Government’s knowledge and expertise in migration governance” (Project IMED), funded by the Swiss Secretariat for Migration, concluded its first milestone by delivering six expert thematic workshops to Iraqi Government officials. The workshops, conducted through a hybrid approach, were held in Baghdad and Erbil. These covered the following thematic areas:

Baghdad, Iraq: An ICMPD Delegation from the Silk Routes Regional Office in Vienna visited Baghdad, Iraq, on 20-24 November 2021. The purpose of the visit was to discuss ICMPD’s ongoing efforts and work in the area of migration with the senior management of the Iraqi Government, including the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Displacement, Labour & Social Affairs and the Interior.

Vienna, Austria: In this video Sultan Faizy, an Afghan journalist who has just relocated, talks about the current situation in Afghanistan, and also shares some of his own experiences.

Vienna, Austria: Our ICMPD virtual Afghanistan Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) Coordinator Sayed Honaryar talks about the huge growth in demand for the MRC's services.

Watch his video here: https://fb.watch/9Miys_CyAc/

Our Afghan MRC is implemented by International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and funded by the European Union.

Vienna, Austria: The MRC Afghanistan relaunched its virtual counselling hub on 3rd November 2021. Counsellors work remotely providing advice to Afghan citizens in the country who are considering leaving as well as to Afghans already on the move. The MRC WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram number +93 79 959 9898 is active as well as the MRC Facebook and Instagram accounts.