Prague Process (co-operation in migration management)
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| Formation | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Membership | 50 members |
Official languages | English, Russian |
| Website | www |
The Prague Process is a regional policy process and a targeted migration dialogue promoting migration partnerships among its 50 participating states of the European Union, Schengen Area, Eastern Partnership, the Western Balkans, Central Asia, and Turkey. [1][2][3][4][5]
The Process was developed as a part of the EU external migration and asylum policy in line with the overarching framework called the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM).[6] In the context of the GAMM the Prague Process has been given a priority as a regional dialogue process towards the East.[7][8]
History, key principles and co-operation areas
[edit | edit source]The Prague Process originated from the EU financed project "Building Migration Partnerships", and was initiated during the Czech EU Presidency with the signature of the Prague Process Joint Declaration at the Ministerial Conference in April 2009.[9][2]
In the Joint Declaration the participating states agreed to "strengthen co-operation in migration management, to explore and develop agreed principles and elements for close migration partnerships between their countries, following a comprehensive, balanced, pragmatic and operational approach, and respecting the rights and human dignity of migrants and their family members, as well as of refugees."[10] The Joint Declaration together with the Prague Process Action Plan 2012–2016, adopted at the second Ministerial Conference of the Prague Process in Poznan in November 2011, set the key principles, and main co-operation areas (mirror the GAMM), which are as follows:
- Preventing and fighting illegal migration;
- Readmission, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration;
- Legal migration with a special emphasis on labour migration;
- Integration of legally residing migrants;
- Migration, mobility and development;
- Strengthening capacities in the area of asylum and international protection (this topic was first brought up in the Action Plan).[11]
The Ministerial Declaration signed by the parties at the 3rd Prague Process Ministerial Conference in Bratislava gave a mandate to the Process for the years 2017–2021.[12][13] The 4th Ministerial Conference held in Prague under the Czech EU Presidency in October 2022 saw the adoption of the Joint Declaration and the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027.
Leading and participating states
[edit | edit source]The Czech Republic acted as a leader of the Prague Process until December 2010, followed by Poland (until 2017), Lithuania (until 2020), and the Czech Republic once more, which chairs the process at present.[14][15]
The list of members consists of:[16]
- File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania
- File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia
- File:Flag of Austria.svg Austria
- File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan
- File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
- File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina
- File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
- File:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
- File:Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus
- File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
- File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark
- File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia
- File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland
- File:Flag of France.svg France
- File:Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia
- File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany
- File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece
- File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary
- File:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland
- File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy
- File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan
- File:Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo
- File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan
- File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia
- File:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein
- File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
- File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg
- File:Flag of North Macedonia.svg Macedonia
- File:Flag of Malta.svg Malta
- File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro
- File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
- File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway
- File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland
- File:Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal
- File:Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova
- File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania
- File:Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
- File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
- File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
- File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain
- File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
- File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland
- File:Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan
Turkey- File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan
- File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
- File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan
The role of the Secretariat/ support Team is carried out by International Centre for Migration Policy Development.[1][2]
Projects under the Prague Process umbrella
[edit | edit source]Prague Process Targeted Initiative (PP TI)
Full name:Support for the implementation of the Prague Process and its Action Plan.
To support the implementation of the Prague Process and its Action Plan, in August 2012 the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Poland and the European Commission initiated a project called the Prague Process Targeted Initiative. The project is being jointly implemented by Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and ICMPD in its role of the Prague Process Secretariat.[17] All Prague Process member states participate in the project to certain extent.
The project strives to strengthen and maintain an expert level dialogue and information exchange through co-operation within the network of Prague Process National Contact Points. It also works on building up a Knowledge Base in a form of state-owned Migration Profiles (Extended and Light versions), which describe migratory situation of the Prague Process states, and interactive online map – I-Map.[18] Additionally, 7 Pilot Projects, that complement implementation of certain actions of the Prague Process Action Plan, are being implemented within the PP TI framework. The Pilot Projects focus on Illegal migration, Legal migration, Migration and Development, and Asylum & International protection.[17]
ERIS
Full name: Development of joint principles, procedures and standards on integration policies between the Russian Federation and European partners.
The ERIS project, implemented in the period February 2013 – January 2015 and led by the Czech Republic, Austria, and the Russian Federation, was focused on further development of migration management systems in the sphere of integration of legally residing immigrants. The project aimed at exchange of knowledge on integration policies between project partners, at establishment and maintenance of institutionalised co-operation between migration and integration authorities of participating partners, and at development of joint principles, procedures and standards for integration policies.
As an outcome of the project, a Manual on the principles, procedures and standards for integration policies was developed.[19]
EaP-SIPPAP
Full name: Eastern Partnership co-operation in the fight against irregular migration – Supporting the implementation of the Prague Process Action Plan.
The 2-year project EaP-SIPPAP was implemented by Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania[20] in the period April 2013 – July 2015 under the lead of the Hungarian Ministry of Interior.[21] The project targeted institutions in the border management sphere in 6 Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Weiner, Agnieszka. Migration cooperation in Europe. CARIM-East Explanatory note 12/118,2012, p. 4. European University Institute. Robert Schuman Centre for Applied Studies.
- ^ Biavaschi, Costanza. Zimmermann, Klaus F. Eastern partnership migrants in Germany: outcomes, potentials and challenges. IZA Journal of European Labor Studies 2014, 3:7
- ^ Eisele, Katharina. The External Dimension of the EU's Migration Policy: different legal positions of third-country nationals in the EU; a comparative perspective. Leiden, Boston, Brill, 2014, p. 237. Call No. KJE6044.E37 2014
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ European Commission- Fact Sheet. Towards a Comprehensive European Migration Policy: 20 years of EU Action. Brussels, 04 March, 2015
- ^ European Commission. The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility. "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions." COM (2011), 743 final, p. 8
- ^ Global Approach to Migration and Mobility
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Joint Declaration "Building Migration Partnerships". Prague Ministerial Conference, April, 2009
- ^ Action Plan 2012–2016. 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Prague Process, Poznan, November, 2011
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ EU-projects.html?search=6877#Prague%20Process%20and%20Targeted%20Initiative EU Projects. Prague Process and Targeted Initiative
- ^ Kulesa, Agnieszka.Migration Bulletin, December 2013, p.10
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