The Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) organised the 12th Meeting of the Council of Europe Network of Focal Points on Migration in Strasbourg, bringing together national focal points from 20 member states, representatives of other Council of Europe entities, UNHCR, IOM, EU, and migration and asylum experts to address key developments and challenges in migration governance.
Discussions during the first day centred on the human rights compliant end of refugeehood through integration, naturalisation or voluntary repatriation , with contributions from representatives of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants and from UNHCR and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) specialists working on durable solutions.
Participants reviewed recent policy and operational trends in return systems, drawing on presentations from the European Commission’s DG HOME, and the EU Agency for Asylum.
The meeting also explored gender-sensitive approaches to returns to countries of origin and the specific preconditions required for the safe return of children, including those displaced by the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The representatives of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine and the Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU) outlined ongoing efforts to support internally displaced persons and returnees on the ground as well as to create the necessary preconditions for the safe return of Ukrainian children from Council of Europe member states.
Representatives of the Council of Europe member states shared national practices and perspectives, offering practical insights into how different countries address the complexities of migration management, safeguarding the principles of human rights and rule of law.
The meeting concluded with updates on migration-related work across the Council of Europe, including reports from the Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity, and Inclusion (CDADI).
The 12th meeting of the NFPM reaffirmed the importance of coordinated action, information-sharing, and human rights-based approaches in shaping effective migration policies in Europe.
Thematic paper on protecting vulnerable persons in migration and asylum contexts
