Dr. Ágnes TÖTTŐS Migration Expert/ Ministry of Interior, Department of European Cooperation/ Hungary Tel: The Prague Process and the results of legal migration projects led by Hungary European Migration Network – Hungary 15th NATIONAL EMN CONFERENCE “The External Dimension of Migration ─ Cooperation with Countries of Origin and Transit” Budapest, 24 September 2015

OVERVIEW 1 – The Prague Process and its Action Plan 2 – Pilot Project 2 3 – Pilot Project 6 4 – Conclusions

1.THE PRAGUE PROCESS AND ITS ACTION PLAN

PRAGUE PROCESS ACTION PLAN Joint Declaration of Prague November 2011, Poznan Specific actions were identified –Illegal migration –Readmission, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration –Legal migration and mobility –Integration –Migration and development –Asylum and international protection

STRUCTURE

WHY FOCUS ON LEGAL MIGRATION The best tool to fight illegal migration Contributes to the development of both sending and receiving state Most beneficial to the citizens/potential migrants/families People are on the move all the time Better migration management

GOALS RELATED TO LEGAL MIGRATION  III. Addressing legal migration and mobility with a special emphasis on labour migration 1. To strengthen the capacities of employment services and authorities to manage labour migration in order to better respond to national labour market needs, and to better inform potential migrants on the possibilities of legal migration. 2. To share experiences and best practices in organising labour migration. 3. To share experiences and best practices on social protection schemes and to encourage negotiations and the conclusion of agreements on social security. 4. To create support programmes aimed at the reintegration of migrants into labour markets in their countries of origin, taking into account proper use of their skills and competences acquired abroad. 5. To strengthen cooperation on assessment of migrants’ skills and competences between countries of origin and destination in order to avoid “brain waste”, including through reinforcing the comparability of professional profiles. 6. To promote an exchange of students and researchers between higher education institutes of the Parties.

2. PILOT PROJECT 2 ON LEGAL MIGRATION

PILOT PROJECT 2 Leading state: Hungary Implementation: – Starts: August 2012 (contract signed) – 27 months – Partner States: Belarus, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia (FYROM), Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine – Partner EU States: PL, CZ, SE – Partners: IOM, ICMPD

PILOT PROJECT 2 Purpose: Share experiences and best practices in organizing labour migration In particular:- improve information flow towards potential migrants - with a view to promoting labour matching - discussing common interests and identifying practical difficulties - strengthen common cooperation, improve capacities, exchange best practices

PHASE 1: MAPPING AND ANALYSING Joint Kick-off Workshop on Pilot Projects 2 and 3 (Budapest, September 2012) -focused on discussion and final agreement of the objectives of the proposed Pilot Project 2 and developments of its Work Plan -preparing draft questionnaires -exchange of information and discussion on needs and practical difficulties of countries of origin and destination 2nd Joint Workshop on Pilot Projects 2 and 3 (Prague, 7-8 February 2013) -finalizing questionnaires, identifying possible gaps and best practices concerning access to information on labour migration and labour matching via evaluating questionnaires

PHASE 2: PRACTICAL COOPERATION Expert mission to Belarus within Pilot project 2 (Legal Migration) and Specific Objective 2 (Knowledge Base), October 2013

PHASE 2: PRACTICAL COOPERATION PP2 (Legal migration) Expert Mission to Kyrgyzstan, March 2014

PHASE 2: PRACTICAL COOPERATION Joint PP2 (Legal Migration) and PP3 (Migration and Development) Expert Level Workshop Yerevan, Armenia, 6-7 May 2014

PHASE 2: PRACTICAL COOPERATION Study visit within Pilot Project 2 (Legal Migration) to Finland, 3-5 June 2014

RESULTS Joint PP2 and PP3 Concluding Workshop, Prague, September 2014 Compilation of best practices of the participant states in organising labour migration between countries of origin and countries of destination Mainly focusing on access to information by potential migrants in view of improving labour matching Prague Process Recommendations on providing information to potential migrants based on analysis of both positive and negative feedback from participant states

3. PILOT PROJECT 6 ON LEGAL MIGRATION

PILOT PROJECT 6 Pilot Project ‘Legal Migration’ and ‘Migration and Development’ Purpose: to further promote the mobility of students in the Prague Process region with particular emphasis on the development impact of such an exchange on countries of origin and destination In particular: To identify and share Best Practices, findings and challenges of programmes of organizing, implementing and promoting the structured schemes of mobility exchange of students To explore and analyse the existing legal (bilateral and multilateral) and procedural framework regulating the exchange of students between Prague Process participating states To examine the labour market implications of student mobility in countries of origin and destination in particular the possible effects of encouraging employment in the host country after the end of studies

PHASE 1: MAPPING, ANALYSING, PRACT. COOP. PP6 2nd Workshop Moscow, June 2015 PP6 Kick-off Meeting Agenda, Budapest, January 2015

PHASE 2: POLICY DEVELOPMENT  Study visit to Portugal on October 2015 (immigration and education institutions)  Concluding Workshop focused on adoption of results of the Pilot Project and formulation of its guidelines including recommendations, Prague  Finalizing of the compilation of the guidelines on enhancing the mobility of students and researchers including best practices and recommendations.  Translating and circulating the guidelines.

EXPECTED RESULTS Compilation of best practices of the Pilot Project in enhancing exchange of students and researchers between countries of origin and countries of destination – the document will collect existing best practices in the covered area. The best practices and recommendations shall be compiled in a non-binding yet politically endorsed “Prague Process Guidelines on Students and Researchers´ Mobility” for policy- makers and practitioners. Further practical results might be the actual establishment of cooperation between higher education institutions for student and researcher exchange programmes in the future.

4. CONCLUSIONS

THINGS LEARNED The main intention is to bring closer countries of origin and destination with a view to discussing common interests as well as identifying practical difficulties Forgetting our preconceptions: „everyone wants to come to work to the EU” Getting to know interesting linkages between third countries What works in reality does not necessarily work in practice

TAKING STOCK

FURTHER INFORMATION

Thank you for your kind attention! Dr. Ágnes TÖTTŐS Migration Expert/ Ministry of Interior, Department of European Cooperation/ Hungary Tel: