strategic vision

Type: Interregional forum on migration (regions covered: Europe - Asia - Americas)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: None

Established: 1985

Objectives

The Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees (IGC) is an informal, non-decision-making forum for inter-governmental information exchange and policy debate on all issues of relevance to the management of international migratory flows. IGC is considered as the first inter-state consultation mechanism on migration. 

IGC Map

Current Thematic Focus

IGC places its principal focus on the exchange of national strategy, policy, best practices and data. Areas of thematic focus include:

  • Asylum and refugees
  • Border management, including admission, control and enforcement
  • Data (asylum, removal)
  • Country of origin information
  • Human smuggling and trafficking
  • Immigration (labor, student, family, business)
  • Integration, settlement and citizenship
  • International engagement on migration
  • Multidisciplinary Approach (country- and theme-specific)
  • Return, reintegration and readmission
  • Technology

Chairing Country

Current Chair: USA

Past chairs: Netherlands (2022), United Kingdom (2021), Canada (2019-2020), Spain (2018-2019), Norway (2017-2018), Belgium (2015-2016), Australia (2014-2015), Denmark (2013-2014), New Zealand (2012-2013), Germany (2011-2012), USA (2010-2011), Finland (2009-2010), Switzerland (2008-2009), Sweden (2007-2008), Ireland (2006-2007), Netherlands (2005-2006), Canada (2004-2005), Norway (2003-2004), Belgium (2002-2003), UK (2001-2002), Australia (2000-2001).

Secretariat

IGC Secretariat is administratively hosted by the International Organization for Migration, under the terms of an Administrative Agreement.

Members

Member States [called by IGC “Participating States”] (19 States)

  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Netherlands, The
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America

Note: Founding Members: Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and UK. 

Member organizations [called by IGC “Participating organizations”) (5 organizations)

Partners
Observers

Observer organizations  (1 organization)

 

Working Groups

IGC has the following working groups:

  • Asylum and Refugees Working Group
  • Country of Origin Information Working Group
  • Admission, Control and Enforcement Working Group
  • Technology Working Group
  • Immigration Working Group
  • Integration Working Group
Documents

 

Contact Information

Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Consultation on Migration, Asylum and Refugees (IGC)
Rue de Vermont 37-39
1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 229196600
Fax: +41 (0) 229196610
E-mail: admin @ igc. ch

Webpage
www.igc.ch