South Caucasus

Migration Issues

Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia share a number of general and region-specific migration challenges. At the border between Europe and Asia, South Caucasian countries are on the route of trans-Eurasian and intercontinental traffic, making them simultaneously countries of origin, transit and destination. Displacement issues in the context of unresolved conflicts continue to dominate national migration agendas. In addition, labour migration issues are increasingly prominent within the national political agendas of countries in the region, and IOM addresses these issues by providing capacity-building and training to government officials. Remittances continue to play an important role in the economic development of countries in the region; however, further interventions are needed to ensure that these private financial flows are put to optimum use towards the country's development.

Human trafficking is an issue growing concern in the region while border management remains a constant challenge. IOM will support governments in the region by providing technical assistance with the continued development of their national frameworks to tackle the aforementioned issues as well as conducting capacity-building activities, including training for officials of key migration management structures.