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This analysis roots itself in the socio-legal examination of individuals’ experiences purchasing migration-related services from service providers in the opportunistic economy while navigating migration policy instruments. The findings of this analysis hold relevance for all types of digital pre-border processing systems, ranging from asylum to labour migration instruments. This research culminates in the development of clear criteria by which policymakers can counteract the emergence of illicit economies based on their migration systems, with benefits both for users navigating these systems and for states seeking to achieve the uniform and non-discriminatory implementation of their migration policies.

The Prague Process Webinar ‘From Virtual Walls to Digital Bridges? Technology in Migrant Pathways and Integration’ is taking place on 14 November 2024 at 10:30-12:00 CET.

As digitalisation in migration management advances, new opportunities and pitfalls emerge for migrants navigating both physical and digital borders. While digital tools offer potential benefits, they can inadvertently create barriers, leading to exclusion and exploitation.

In this webinar, Amanda Alencar and Andrew Fallone will present findings from two Prague Process publications that explore these complexities. Dr Alencar will share insights on how digital tools aid migrant integration and challenges to achieving true inclusion. Mr Fallone will present a critical analysis of digital migration management, revealing how opaque processes and delays create “digital borders,” that fuel opportunistic economies. The two speakers will jointly examine managing expectations of technology in migration and explore balancing national interests with migrant needs.

We have the pleasure to inform you that the Prague Process has introduced the regular update of the country factsheets for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. 

All the factsheets can be accessed through the interactive map here.

We are pleased to present the latest edition of the Quarterly Review, providing updates from the Prague Process for the period July-September 2024.  

This analytical report examines the political challenges and responses to migration driven by climate and environmental changes (MECC) across the non-EU Prague Process states (non-EU PPS). It offers evidence of cases substantiating the climate change-migration nexus and elaborates on the impact that climate change can have on migration movements. It investigates the role of the EU in supporting climate adaptation in non-EU PPS, while reflecting on the impact that latent and ongoing conflicts, often interrelated with water scarcity and mismanagement of (already scant) natural resources, may have in exacerbating climate vulnerability and migration movements. The report illustrates relevant national protection practices covering a wide range of people, both nationals and non-nationals, affected by climate and environmental factors. It also analyses the protection frameworks available to MECC at the national and international level.

The Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Chisinau on 24-25 September 2024 marked the 15^th anniversary of the Prague Process. Bringing together representatives from 26 participating states, the European Commission, European Agency for Asylum, IOM, UNHCR, ICMPD and Joint Coordination Platform, the meeting allowed to jointly reflect on the achievements reached to date, as well as priorities and lessons learned for the future.

The senior officials underscored the Prague Process’ enduring significance as a targeted intergovernmental policy dialogue, enabling states to navigate evolving migration dynamics through cooperative and forward-looking strategies.

The integration experience among migrants is associated with their use of digital technology to navigate complex adaptation challenges and acquire essential information. Digital tools like smartphones, social media, and online platforms assist migrants in settling into a new country by providing information and services, including those for language learning, sociocultural integration, employment, and skills development. Concurrently, host governments and societies are harnessing technological solutions to enhance the provision of official services and information for migrant populations, complementing the strategic use of digital tools by the migrants themselves. However, practical benefits of digital technology are often hindered by limited connectivity, literacy gaps, and socioeconomic, linguistic, and cultural barriers.

On 7-12 July, ICMPD hosted students and youth at the 2024 International Summer School on Migration in Kachreti, Georgia. Implemented by ICMPD, this 11th summer school was organised under the framework of the EU-funded STREAMinG 2 and MOBILAZE 2 projects and the Training Academy of the Prague Process. 

We are delighted to share with you the April-June 2024 edition of the Quarterly Review, providing the latest updates from the Process.

The past three months saw the successful implementation of several important activities, including those co-organised with the European Migration Network (EMN), following the recently launched cooperation between the Prague Process and EMN. Meanwhile, the cooperation agreement with the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) resulted in the joint Kick-off Workshop of the Thematic Component 4 on Asylum and International Protection at the EUAA headquarter in Malta. Furthermore, the Prague Process Training Academy, in partnership with the EUAA, rolled out two foundational modules of the European Asylum Curriculum for asylum and reception officials from the Eastern Partnership and Central Asian states. 

On 18-19 June 2024, EMN Cyprus and the Prague Process organised the Workshop on return and reintegration (Thematic Component 2) in Larnaca, Cyprus. The meeting brought together representatives from 19 Prague Process states, the European Commission (DG HOME), Frontex, IOM, Samuel Hall and ICMPD.