Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia presented their applications for EU membership on 28 February and 3 March 2022, with all three being tabled in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

In its 23 June 2022 conclusions, the European Council reiterated that the future of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia and their citizens lie with the European Union, granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and reconfirming a readiness to grant candidate status to Georgia. EU candidate status foresees a negotiation process addressing a number of migration and border management issues, including the status of third-country nationals, readmission agreements, and harmonisation of border control.

In the new ICMPD Commentary, Violeta Wagner, ICMPD’s Regional Portfolio Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, discusses what the candidate status means in practice, which migration-related provisions are important for the accession negotiations and what lies ahead for Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and the EU alike.

Read the full Commentary in English on the ICMPD's website.