Eastern Europe

Migration Issues

The period of structural reform in the Western New Independent States (WNIS) was accompanied by a decrease in the standard of living and a rise in unemployment and underemployment. This stimulated migration from WNIS to countries abroad, which turned into a mass phenomenon and a source of income for many families through the transfer of remittances. The demand – mainly from the European Union and Russia – for labour from WNIS countries rapidly increased. At the same time, the global intensification of population movements caused an increase in the number of foreigners who came to WNIS countries for work and education as well as using it as a transit zone for irregular movements. In fact, given the current unfavourable demographic conditions in WNIS (i.e., declining birth rates), as well as the prospect of economic development and improved living standards, it is quite likely that WNIS countries will need and attract increasingly higher numbers of immigrants.

IOM programming in the region, developed in close cooperation with the respective governments, continues to concentrate on: capacity-building in migration management, counter-trafficking, migration health assessments, and labour migration. IOM works with civil society, local NGOs, community leaders and international partners in the WNIS to help the governments and civil society develop their capacities to respond to migration challenges. Together with WNIS governments, IOM participates in the Söderköping process, which was initiated by the Swedish Government, IOM and UNHCR in 2001 to address cross-border cooperation concerns that arise as the EU is enlarged eastward and to promote dialogue on migration and asylum issues. The countries of the WNIS region remain primary partners of the EU through its European Neighbourhood Policy.