Brussels - Senior officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) discussed pressing global migration issues and continuing cooperation as part of the EU-IOM strategic cooperation framework when they met in Brussels today.
Amid the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the pervasive effects of climate change and continued impact of COVID-19 on health and human mobility, IOM Director General António Vitorino stressed the growing importance of multilateral, international cooperation on migration in addressing these issues to the highest standard.
"The global significance of ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration is recognized by our EU partners, and we welcome the clear commitment to partnerships that strengthen global migration governance in these turbulent times," said Director General Vitorino.
Discussions at the meeting focused on key issues for the EU and IOM, including Afghanistan, joint engagement with the African continent, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, and the outlook for cooperation, also in the context of the EU-African Union-UN Task Force.
"We believe that strong collaboration grounded in dialogue and solidarity at all levels will be crucial, particularly with partner countries in Africa and in our joint response towards improving the situation for Afghans in Afghanistan and the region," said Vitorino.
The EU-IOM meeting - the cooperation framework's eighth - was hosted by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) on behalf of the EU. Joining Director General Vitorino and senior IOM officials were senior representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), and the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR).
For Editors:
In July 2012, the EU and IOM established a Strategic Cooperation Framework to enhance collaboration on migration, development, humanitarian response and human rights issues. This built on both partners' shared interest in bringing the benefits of well-managed international migration to migrants and society. Today's meeting, the eighth since the launch of the EU-IOM Strategic Cooperation Framework, was one of the high-level discussions that advance cooperation between the two organisations on these issues.
Together, the EU and its Member States are the largest contributors to IOM's budget. Between 2015 and 2020, the European Commission and the IOM worked together worldwide through nearly 650 projects with an approximate value of EUR 2.5 billion. The EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, launched in December 2016 with the support of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, and implemented in Africa with the engagement of partner countries, is an example of a multi-region, comprehensive programme that has yielded significant and tangible results. Saving lives has been the highest and most urgent priority. Over 70,000 migrants were reached in search and rescue operations at sea or in the desert through activities carried out by the Joint Initiative. More than 100,000 migrants were supported with assisted voluntary return, post-arrival and reintegration assistance to date.
