Type: Inter-regional forum on migration (regions covered: Europe and South Caucasus)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: none

Established: 2001

Informed Migration – An Integrated Approached to Promoting Legal Migration through National Capacity Building and Inter-Regional Dialogue between the South Caucasus and the EU (EU-South Caucasus Cluster Process)

Objectives

The Cluster Process was an initiative to promote interregional cooperation between three countries of the South Caucasus and six countries in western Europe. It provided a platform for consultative meetings to discuss and coordinate activities to better manage legal migration and reduce irregular migration.

The first phase of this initiative began in 2001 and had the following objectives:

  • To establish effective interregional practices and policies to prevent irregular migration;
  • To facilitate readmission agreements;
  • To enable improved reintegration.

In the second phase of the Cluster Process, the discussions shifted to also include the promotion of legal migration, including labour migration in countries of origin, transit countries and receiving countries. The initiative became part of an EU-funded programme, titled “Informed Migration – An Integrated Approached to Promoting Legal Migration through National Capacity Building and Inter-Regional Dialogue between the South Caucasus and the EU”.

The EU-South Caucasus Cluster Process was able to enhance cooperation between South Caucasus countries and their European counterparts. It furthermore led to improvements in return and reintegration, combating irregular migration and promoting legal migration in its respective regions. The initiative was discontinued in 2008.

Thematic Focus

  • Return, readmission and reintegration
  • Irregular migration
  • Partnership and cooperation on migration
  • Labour migration
Members

Member States [9 Member States]
Countries of origin in the South Caucasus [3 countries]

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Georgia

Countries of destination in Western Europe [6 countries]

  • Belgium
  • Denmark
  • Germany
  • Netherlands,The
  • Sweden
  • Swtizerland

Member Organizations [1 organization]
International Organization for Migration

Country Teams
In the second phase of the dialogue, several country teams have been established to increase inter-state cooperation. These comprise of:

  • Sweden and Armenia
  • Czechia, Germany and Georgia
  • Azerbaijan and Switzerland

The enhanced engagement between Member States through the country teams resulted in two assessments of migration management in Georgia and Armenia.

Meetings
  • May 2008, Nuremberg, Germany, Cluster Dialogue among the South Caucasus and the EU
  • March 14-15, 2007, Tbilisi, Georgia, Cluster Dialogue among the South Caucasus and the EU
  • May 10-11, 2006, Brussels, Belgium, Cluster Dialogue among the South Caucasus and the EU
  • June 2002, Tbilisi, Georgia, Third Consultative Meeting of the Cluster Process
  • November 14-15, 2001, Tbilisi, Georgia, Second Consultative Meeting of the Cluster Process
  • February 2001, Tbilisi, Georgia, First Consultative Meeting of the Cluster Process
Documents