The Migration Podcast

With almost a hundred projects across over 50 countries, the Migration Partnerships Facility (MPF) has marked a meaningful first decade. The wide range of MPF's work continues to nurture partners with the tools they need, the resources to succeed, and the chain of positive change they bring to their communities. From labour mobility and skills development to legal pathways and addressing irregular...

Another year of Russia's full-scale invasion, another year ahead of questions as the extension of the Temporary Protection ends in March 2027. With a view to that full year ahead, our Project Manager for ICMPD's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Roman Makukha discusses the ongoing complexities of the displaced Ukrainians' situation in the EU; and what the continued attacks mean for those still at ho...

From declining irregular migration to Europe’s continued work to strengthen border security efforts, from the growing discourse of return and reintegration to filling the region’s labour demographic gaps more strategically, and to the deepening of relations with migratory route countries. ICMPD presents the 10 key migration issues in the year ahead that can shape not only European, but more broadl...

Returning migrants and refugees to their home countries is a highly complex process. As the EU puts the spotlight on return in its agenda, there has been a focus on streamlining the coordination, processes, and cooperation between host, transit, and countries of origin. But equally important, return is a very personal issue for the returnees themselves. In this episode, ICMPD's Dries Lensen and Pe...

Since Russia's invasion in 2022, uncertainty continues to loom over several aspects of this conflict on the lives of Ukrainians. Along with lingering displacement of those still in their country, continued destruction of infrastructure, and the temporality of those settled in Europe and elsewhere; the Ukrainian people, moreover, remain resilient and forward-looking. To mark this sombre moment in U...

There are at least three main drivers for the migration year 2025: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the developments in Syria, and the new government in the United States. ICMPD ́s Migration Outlook report takes a look into the future of migration and describes the most important trends, origins, key events, and priorities for Europe.  At the heart of the ICMPD Migration Outlook there are "10 migration...

Human trafficking is a migration issue. While movements across and within borders increase, it has remained largely invisible and complex to address. Children and women are also faced with rising threats of abuse and exploitation, especially those on the move. In this episode, ICMPD Senior Researcher Madalina Lepsa-Rogoz and Sergio Rivera Reyes of Fundación Renacer (Colombia) discuss the HEROES Pr...

Amidst the worsening conditions in Afghanistan, ICMPD's Migrant Resource Centres (MRC) remain agile and responsive. Through its strong engagement with communities, the MRCs adapt to the unique challenges of Afghans – especially women – since the fall of Kabul in 2021 that pushed over three million people to flee. Samim Ahmadi, ICMPD's Project Manager for the Silk Routes region, shares his insights...

In political discourses, migration is often linked with the legal or political conditions of migrants, and how this benefits them in their host countries. There are also prevailing, simplistic notions of "illegal" or "irregular" migration, with the narrative – including in the media – often focused largely on the status of migrants themselves. In this episode of the Migration Podcast, ICMPD expert...

Brussels ushers in new leadership at the European Parliament in June. Migration, along with defence and the economy, will be a key issue to drive the changes in and for the next five years’ politics. To make sense of a future that this new set of leaders may draw up, it is vital to look back to the last five years’ key events that have shaped the migration narrative in Europe and beyond its border...

In a year full of elections, 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 offshori...

The Vienna Migration Conference is an annual event organised by ICMPD since 2016. It gathers decision-makers in the migration sphere and provides an informal platform to discuss and connect on anything migration. In this podcast episode, we are inviting ICMPD Deputy Director General Lukas Gehrke and ICMPD Head of Policy Malin Frankenhaeuser to take us behind the scenes of the Vienna Migration Conf...

Where would you turn to if you had the wish to work abroad but were unfamiliar with the labour laws in the country of your destination? How would you ensure that the information that you find online is accurate and reliable?  In this episode, we delve into the critical role of Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs). Located throughout Central- and South Asia, they equip and empower migrants planning to w...

Sudan – Africa’s third largest county with a population of 45 million has recently made headlines, resembling a nightmare scenario. On April 15 th , a military conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces broke out, who had previously joined forces in a coup against the ruling president in 2019. One month in, 1000 civil casualties were reported, 5100 are injured. In an a...

When bombs started falling on Ukraine in February 24, fellow Europeans were fast to open their homes to provide shelter to Ukrainians. The EU was fast to react, too. On 4 March, 22, it pulled the so-called Temporary Protection Directive, for the very first time. One year into the war, the Directive, that had proved to be effective, was prolonged for another year. Nevertheless, the question remains...

Migration is a global phenomenon, however, the majority of  migration movements happen within regions. The International Centre for Migration Policy Development identified six priority regions, in which operations take place in close cooperation with local partners. These regions include Western Balkans and Türkiye, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Silk Routes, Mediterranean, West Africa, Pan Afri...

Europe  and the  EU  are experiencing perhaps the most challenging times since the end of the Second World War, - in terms of the  geopolitical  situation and  migration , flight and  displacement . How will the war in Ukraine, economic recession, labour shortages and climate change affect migration in the EU in 2023? Martin Hofmann, ICMPD Principal Advisor provides an overview.  

Despite being one of the most prosperous countries in Africa, Tunisia has had one of the highest rates of asylum seekers in the EU in 2022. A decade after the so-called Arab Spring, Tunisia is struggling economically. To better understand the motifs, challenges and overall migration situation in and outside the country, Tunisia has carried out the very first National Survey on Migration, interview...

More than 1500 dead, 12 thousand injured and 30 million internally displaced – Pakistan is facing its biggest humanitarian crisis in 75 years, caused by unusual weather phenomena worldwide. Why is this country, which is responsible for just one percent of global emissions, among the top ten countries most affected by climate change? And what conclusions can be drawn for climate-change-induced migr...

When the Taliban took rule over Afghanistan in August 2021, he was busy evacuating his staff out of the country: Samim Ahmadi, ICMPD Country Coordinator for Afghanistan, looks back on one year of Taliban rule and provides an update on current and persistent migration movements and measures to create save pathways.

When thinking about the Russian attack on Ukraine, one would not necessarily think of its effects on North Africa and migration. Our research officer Nesrine Ben Brahim has done that and uncovers the interdependencies of the skyrocketing wheat prices, political upheaval and possible new migration movements within and out of the African continent. This episode is moderated by Elisabeth Minkow, ICMP...

The number of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian war has increased to almost 6 million international displaced in just over 2 months. A vast majority of them are now in the EU under the Temporary Protection Directive. And while the primary goal – ensuring physical safety – was carried out with unprecedented speediness, the question of integration is becoming more urgent now, for both the newly arrived...

In this episode of the ICMPD Migration Podcast, we invited Mr. Radim Zak, ICMPD Head of region for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He talks about the situation from perspective of his project staff on the ground and how ICMPD which runs numerous projects in Ukraine has reacted on project level. The podcast is presented by Elisabeth Minkow, ICMPD Communications Officer.

For the first time since its establishment, the EU triggered the Temporary Protection Directive as a quick solution to the enormous amount of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Martin Wagner, a top expert in international protection, asylum and the EU, explains how it works as well as its pros and cons. Moderation by Elisabeth Minkow, ICMPD Communication Officer.

The ICMPD Migration Outlook 2022 presents an overview of the most pressing migration issues in the year to come. In this episode we are specifically looking into migration issues in South and West Asia.  We invited the two co-authors of the ICMPD Migration Outlook, Maegan Hendow and Naozad Hodiwala who will be critically questioned by Martina Bachler, a journalist working on political and economic...