Since issuing a special report on the Syrian refugee crisis in February 2013, the OSCE PA has increasingly devoted attention to this critical issue. As the crisis deepened in 2015, PA delegations visited a refugee camp in Harran, Turkey, and met with migrants, refugees and officials in Rome, at the First Aid Reception Center in Lampedusa and several reception centers for asylum seekers in Sicily.

The PA debated migration at each of its meetings in 2015, and at the 2016 Winter Meeting, the bureau of the Assembly's human rights committee issued a report, "Migration Crisis in the OSCE Area: Towards Greater OSCE Engagement." The report provided a thematic overview of PA activities on the migration crisis and offered lines of action for further OSCE work on the issue.

Following a decision taken by the Standing Committee at the 2016 Winter Meeting, the OSCE PA launched the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, with Swiss parliamentarian Filippo Lombardi serving as its Chair, and holding its first meeting at the OSCE PA’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi. In February 2018, Nahima Lanjri (Belgium) succeeded Lombardi as Chair of the Committee, and two years later, Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) took over as Acting Chair. (For a factsheet on the Committee's work, please click here.)  In August 2021, Vice-President Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria) was appointed Chair by President Cederfelt and served until July 2022. The Rt Hon Mark Pritchard (United Kingdom) was appointed as the new Chair by President Cederfelt in July 2022. 

Serving as a focal point for the OSCE PA’s work in the field of migration in all three dimensions of the OSCE – political and security matters, economic issues, and human rights and humanitarian questions – the Ad Hoc Committee develops policy recommendations aimed at enhancing OSCE work in the field of migration and at improving the treatment of, and prospects for, migrants in OSCE countries.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Migration published the report "Ensuring a Coherent, Shared and Responsible Governance of Migration and Refugee Flows" at the 2017 Autumn Meeting in Andorra.

Below are links to press releases from recent years regarding the attention the OSCE PA has paid to this issue. Check back regularly for updates on the PA’s work.

2023

• Report by Vice-President Mark Pritchard, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, Bureau Meeting, 24 April 2023
• Report by Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Pritchard , Winter Meeting - 24 February 2023
• Moldova’s efforts in hosting and providing safe transit to Ukrainian refugees applauded by OSCE PA migration committee - 10 March 2023

2022

• Report on the field visit to the Czech Republic, Prague, 14-16 December 2022
• OSCE PA’s visit to Czech Republic highlights challenges of meeting Ukrainian refugees’ needs - 16 December 2022
• Report by Vice-President Kristian Vigenin, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, Annual Session - 3 July 2022
• OSCE countries must learn lessons from care and treatment of Ukraine’s refugees, says parliamentary migration committee head - 20 June 2022
• Report by Vice-President Kristian Vigenin, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, Bureau Meeting - 4 April 2022
• Visiting Greece, OSCE parliamentarians assess accommodations for migrants and efforts to care for most vulnerable - 25 March 2022
• At Polish-Ukrainian border OSCE parliamentarians and OSCE anti-trafficking Special Representative highlight need for solidarity - 15 March 2022
• Report by Vice-President Kristian Vigenin, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, OSCE PA Winter Meeting - 25 February 2022 

2021

• OSCE parliamentarians discuss situation in Afghanistan at meeting of Ad Hoc Committee on Migration - 24 September 2021
• OSCE representatives call for support for victims of trafficking following visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina - 14 July 2021
• Report by Vice-President Margareta Cederfelt Acting Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration - OSCE PA Remote Session, Plenary - 6 July 2021
• Recommendations issued to protect asylum seekers and ensure universal compliance with 1951 Refugee Convention - 18 June 2021
• Parliamentarians discuss migration challenges across the OSCE area in virtual meeting - 14 April 2021
• Report on the Online Visit To Bosnia and Herzegovina focusing on Combating Human Trafficking along Migration Routes, 22-25 March 2021
• OSCE closely looking at risks of trafficking faced by asylum-seekers and migrants transiting through Bosnia and Herzegovina - 25 March 2021
• Resettlement and assisted voluntary returns of people on the move discussed at House of Lords event - 5 March 2021
• Report by Acting Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Margareta Cederfelt to the Standing Committee - 24 February 2021
• Trafficking along migration routes, COVID-related challenges for refugees and asylum seekers discussed at meeting of OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee - 19 February 2021
• Dire humanitarian situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina requires urgent action, say OSCE PA’s migration and human rights committee leaders - 6 January 2021

2020

• On International Migrants Day, OSCE PA migration committee head emphasizes contributions of migrants, urges support to overcome COVID-19 challenges - 18 December 2020
• OSCE PA migration committee members discuss voluntary relocation of child refugees at House of Lords event - 4 December 2020
• In discussions with EU officials, OSCE parliamentarians focus on enhancing migration co-operation during pandemic - 6 July 2020
• Parliamentarians press for more action to help child refugees and prevent human trafficking ahead of World Refugee Day - 19 June 2020 
• Report by Margareta Cederfelt, Acting Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, 27 April 2020
• Urgent action needed on migrants and asylum seekers at risk of COVID-19, says OSCE PA’s Cederfelt - 3 April 2020
• Report by Margareta Cederfelt, Acting Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, 20 February 2020

2019

• Report on Effective and Humane Returns by the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, 15 July 2019
• Report by Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Nahima Lanjri, 22 February 2019
• Report on the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Visit to Denmark and Sweden, 21-23 October 2018

2018 

• Marking International Migrants Day, OSCE PA’s Lanjri notes that migration’s benefits can be better enjoyed through enhanced international co-operation – 18 December 2018
• Denmark’s and Sweden’s approaches to migration offer lessons for broader OSCE area, say participants of fact-finding field visit – 24 October 2018
• Report of the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Nahima Lanjri to the OSCE PA Standing Committee meeting, Berlin – 7 July 2018
• United States must end practice of separating children from parents, says OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights and humanitarian committee Chair – 19 June 2018
• In visit to Serbia, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation welcomes progress in migration management, accommodations for unaccompanied minors – 12 June 2018
• OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair concerned over U.S. treatment of migrant children – 5 June 2018
• In Brussels, OSCE parliamentarians discuss Belgium’s migration experience with focus on sustainable solutions for unaccompanied minors – 6 February 2018

2017

• OSCE countries must show leadership on migration, says PA’s Lombardi on International Migrants Day – 18 December 2017
• Remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair Filippo Lombardi at the OSCE Permanent Council, Vienna – 23 November 2017
• Closing remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Vice-Chair Filippo Lombardi at Permanent Council, Vienna – 23 November 2017
• OSCE parliamentarians call for enhance international co-operation on migration in Malta conference – 16 November 2017
• OSCE parliamentarians explore responses to migration at OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Palermo, conduct fact-finding visit to Rome and Bolzano – 25 October 2017
• OSCE PA migration committee members present findings and recommendations to policymakers across North America, Europe and Central Asia – 10 October 2017
• Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Vice-Chair Isabel Santos speaks on OSCE PA's migration-related work at Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference – 5 September 2017 
• In Minsk, OSCE parliamentarians debate ways to increase effectiveness in addressing urgent challenges to security and stability – 6 July 2017
• Report by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair Filippo Lombardi to the OSCE PA Standing Committee, Minsk – 5 July 2017
• Op-Ed: Climate change and migration are security challenges that require a comprehensive response – 15 June 2017
• World’s largest refugee population requires greater international support, say members of OSCE PA migration committee on visit to Turkey – 18 May 2017
• In visit to frontline of refugee crisis in Lesvos, OSCE PA members highlight need for co-ordinated response to migration – 4 May 2017
• OSCE PA’s Migration Committee Chair Lombardi urges United Kingdom to stand by commitments on unaccompanied minors – 10 February 2017
• Concerns raised over U.S. travel ban by Chair of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee – 1 February 2017

2016

• On International Migrants Day, OSCE parliamentarians urge co-ordinated response based on principles of comprehensive security – 18 December 2016
• Refugee and migrant crisis in focus at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Autumn Meeting in Skopje – 2 October 2016
• In visit to Sicily, members of OSCE PA migration committee reiterate calls for greater responsibility-sharing – 9 September 2016
• Parliamentarians describe OSCE PA’s migration work to OSCE’s governmental side, urge comprehensive response to crisis – 27 June 2016
• On World Refugee Day, OSCE parliamentarians and human trafficking representative call for more humane response to crisis – 20 June 2016
• OSCE PA’s Nilza Sena emphasizes migration’s economic benefits at OSCE meeting in Berlin – 20 May 2016
• Migration crisis requires a Europe-wide response, OSCE parliamentarians’ visit to Calais confirms – 11 May 2016
• OSCE parliamentarians travelling to Calais to examine conditions for refugees and migrants, provide policy recommendations – 9 May 2016
• Migration and security in focus as OSCE PA Chairperson Santos, Secretary General Montella address Rome panels – 4 March 2016
• OSCE PA debates crisis of migrants and refugees, as special report released – 26 Feb 2016
• Migrants crisis, Ukraine in focus as OSCE PA Winter Meeting opens – 25 Feb 2016
• On Serbian border, OSCE PA delegation calls for more action on migrant and refugee crisis – 5 Feb 2016
• Crisis of migrants and refugees in focus as OSCE PA committee leaders visit Czech Republic – 3 Feb 2016

2015

• OSCE PA leadership discusses migrants crisis alongside OSCE Chair-in-Office Dacic, Serbian Parliament Speaker Gojkovic – 2 Dec 2015
• Multifaceted approach to migrant crisis the only way to overcome it, says OSCE PA’s Santos on European trip – 18 Nov 2015
• Refugee crisis in focus at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Autumn Meeting – 17 Sep 2015 
• Building walls won't solve migrant crisis, says OSCE PA humanitarian Chair –
  19 Aug 2015
• OSCE PA Annual Session: Ukraine crisis, refugee tragedy, climate change feature in Draft Resolutions – 25 June 2015
• Witnessing greatest refugee crisis in decades, OSCE parliamentarians call for increased burden-sharing – 22 June 2015
• OSCE PA humanitarian Chair marks World Refugee Day in Lampedusa – 20 June 2015
• As refugee crisis deepens, OSCE PA’s humanitarian Chair to visit Lampedusa, Catania, Mineo – 17 June 2015

You will find information on the  Ad Hoc Committee on Migration on the next page.