EU developments and updates

In November and December 2021 the EUAA published new reports on Syria and Iraq. More specifically, the document on Syria represents the EU assessment of international protection needs of applicants in the country, updated to reflect recent events. The second report on Iraq is a Country of Origin Information (COI) Report. This publication is a part of a series of reports that will be produced in 2021-2022. They cover the security situation, key socio-economic indicators, and targeting of individuals in the country. The information is relevant for determining the international protection status of asylum applicants.

National developments

France: A decree publishing the memorandum of understanding between France and Togo on the talents in common scheme (voluntary framework for mobility in Africa - CVMA) was published in the Official Journal on 6 November 2021. This scheme aims to promote mobility to Togo and is funded by France, the French Development Agency and Togo.

Greece: With the adoption of Law 4840/2021, the national procedure for the accession of Greece to the International Centre for the Development of Migration Policy (ICMPD) was concluded. Greece officially became the 19th member state of ICMPD on 8 October 2021.

Italy: The Director General of Public Security and Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister of Interior, and Security of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, launched the implementation of a project aimed at strengthening the management of borders and irregular immigration. The Technical Protocol, signed in Rome on 7 October 2021, outlined the creation of  four border posts as part of the project.

On 21 November 2021 the National Strategy for the Engagement of Egyptian Expatriates 2022-2026 was launched. Promoted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of State for Emigration and Expatriate Affairs, the strategy identifies activities and monitoring mechanisms to ensure the involvement of Egyptian expatriates and their participation in the country's development.

The General Directorate of Immigration and Integration Policies of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, allocated more than EUR 10 million as part of the Public notice n. 2/2019  in 2019/2020. The funding helped launch projects aimed at the implementation of pre-departure training and orientation activities for foreign citizens who are eligible to enter Italy for reasons of family reunification, work, and internship. The projects have two objectives: :

• To facilitate the integration of those who enter Italy for family reunification through the involvement of the recipients in orientation and civic-linguistic training before their entry into Italy, while also providing general information on the country of destination;
• To guarantee professional training of figures particularly in demand on the Italian labour market through courses to be held in the countries of origin of the recipients. The recipients are also guaranteed Italian language training at a basic level and provided with information on the essential elements of civic education and on health and safety regulations in the workplace

The interventions are aimed at facilitating the entry into Italy of a number of third-country nationals. Of those entering, around 75% is for  family reunification, with the remaining 25% for employment opportunities or professional training. Financed initiatives promote information campaigns to target recipients (Third Country Nationals) through dedicated websites, in-person moments such as training courses, dissemination seminars, and individual meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing bodies have reorganised training methods using distance learning tools. Pre-departure training activities are currently held in 15 non-EU countries: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Mali, Morocco, Moldova, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, and Ukraine. In some of these countries bilateral agreements were signed with the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, aimed at cooperating to regulate  entry flows for work purposes. Many of these are countries of origin of the largest migrant communities in terms of the number of citizens legally residing in Italy. With regard to the economic sectors covered by the pre-departure vocational training courses, the area most taken into consideration is agriculture/agrifood. This is followed by construction, home and/or personal care services, logistics, warehousing, tourism, and catering; the latter two sectors, which were greatly impacted by theCOVID-19 pandemic, are showing signs of clear recovery, so much so that the demand for seasonal workers has exceeded the supply. Of particular note is the sectoral training proposal for medium-high profiles in ICT and for specialised workers in mechanics and the graphics sector.

Luxembourg: On 9 November 2021 Luxembourg signed a new Strategic Partnership Framework with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the period 2022 to 2025. The partnership will allow for flexible funding of up to EUR 32 million to the UN agency in the context of the most important humanitarian crises underway, notably in Syria, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia.

On 16 November 2021 the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, announced an additional voluntary contribution of EUR 2 million from Luxembourg to help the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) meet the funding shortfall in 2021.

In a joint response to the parliamentary question of 25 October 2021, several Luxembourgish ministers provided information on the costs of Luxembourg's military intervention and humanitarian and development aid in Afghanistan. The response from the Ministers included information concerning, among other things, Luxembourg’s financial contribution of EUR 4 000 000 to UNHCR operations targeting Afghan refugees, over the period 2017 to 2021.

Malta:  The Training Institute on Migration Capacity Partnership for the Mediterranean (MCP MED TI) was officially launched in Malta on 15 December 2021. Malta worked together with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) to establish the MCP MED TI and to reach out to potential donors and partners. To date, Denmark, Austria, and the EU have accepted to participate as MCP MED TI donors, and Lebanon and Libya have both responded positively to the invitation to participate as beneficiaries.

Poland: Bearing in mind that migrations caused by crisis situations pose a great challenge for both displaced persons and host countries, Poland is involved in humanitarian activities which target refugees, internally displaced people as well as local communities. We are also aware that urgent humanitarian actions have to be taken in order to bring some relief to the people of Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in the neighboring countries, which is why Poland decided to contribute PLN 1,5 M to UNHCR activities in response to the situation in Afghanistan. Moreover, at the same time, Poland decided to contribute another 1 mln PLN to the World Food Program actions: 750.000,00 PLN for Afghanistan and 400.000,00  for Tadschikistan accordingly.

Slovenia: The Slovenian Presidency continued intensive work on preparation of Action Plans for priority countries at the Council working level. The October and  December 2021 European Council conclusions addressed the external dimension of migration, calling for swift implementation of the Action Plans and mobilisation of sufficient funds for achieving the ambitious goals of the EU external migration policy. 

Georgia: On 7 October 2021, the MFA organised a webinar dedicated to the annual flagship programme "Become a Young Ambassador of your Country", where the winners of 2021 programme (17 young ambassadors) introduced their goals, future plans and activities within their upcoming mandate in the respective countries; 

In October and November 2021, the MFA and ICMPD held joint meetings with the Georgian Diaspora in Spain and Italy to present the Legal Migration Guidebooks produced under the EU project for familiarizing the Diaspora with various migration-related matters.

On 10-12 December 2021, under the EU project and cooperation with the IOM, the MFA organised a Diaspora Business Forum in Tbilisi. The forum aimed to promote Diaspora involvement in the country’s economic development, to stimulate cooperation between compatriots living abroad and local businesses, to establish business contacts and to increase access to new markets for local businesses;

On 27 December 2021, MFA hosted an official award ceremony for distinguished Georgian Diaspora. The aim of the event was to recognize the achievements of Georgian citizens living abroad, who have achieved professional success in the host countries and have also contributed to the popularisation of Georgian culture, sport and science.