Ex-Minister Raab takes over the top position at the ICMPD!

Ex-Minister Raab takes over the top position at the ICMPD!

Lipa, Bosnien-Herzegowina - The Austrian ex-Minister Karoline Raab has taken on a new responsible job. From January 1, 2026, she will follow the successor of Michael Spindelegger as general director of ICMPD . Spindelegger, who has been in office since January 2016, ended his term at the end of this year and has made significant progress in the organization in recent years.

The ICMPD, which was founded in 1993 by Austria and Switzerland in the context of refugee movements during the Yugoslav wars, has widened in its sponsorship and effect. During Spindelegger's term, several new members such as Türkiye , Malta , Germany and Greece included the ICMPD. In the current line -up, countries such as Poland and Hungary are also among the members of the organization.

challenges in the field of migration

Michael Spindelegger has headed the ICMPD in a time increasing challenges. The closure of offices in Kabul and the evacuation of employees show the effects of the tightening Situation in Afghanistan to the neighboring countries Pakistan and Iran as well as on Europe. The latest developments, such as the ongoing conflicts in Syria and the use of migration by Belarus as a political instrument, attract great attention to the challenges of migration policy in Europe.

The icmpd has also worked out a specific plan, which includes 72 specific measures for migration to the Member States of the EU and the European Commission (EC) . This plan could be crucial to better master future migrant flows and create even migration conditions.

internment tract in Bosnia and the reactions on it

In 2021, at the request of the EU Commission , the ICMPD established an internment tract in northern Bosnian refugee camp lipa , which, however, was demolished by politicians and activists, including the NGO " SOS Balkan route ". This decision illustrates the sensitivity and the challenges with which organizations such as the ICMPD are confronted while trying to find realistic solutions for complex humanitarian crises.

Due to the increasing number of refugees in response to the conflicts in Ukraine and the associated inquiries to the ICMPD to evaluate the situation, it becomes clear that effective and human migration policy is more necessary than ever. Despite the current focus on the Ukraine crisis, the ICMPD emphasizes the need to keep an eye on the older conflicts in order to be able to take adequate measures.

The last time has shown how important it is to balance between irregular migration and legal migration paths. The pandemic also led to an unequal economic recovery that further increased the pressure on migration. The path for Raab as the new general director will thus be shaped by a variety of challenges and expectations.