The Committee was established following a unanimous decision taken by the Standing Committee on 25 February 2016 at the Winter Meeting in Vienna. 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.
Background
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. This also resulted in the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on Migration by the Standing Committee at the 2016 Winter Meeting.
The Committee has been chaired since September 2023 by Vice-President Daniela De Ridder (Germany).
Take a look at our PDF factsheet for more information on the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration.
Mandate:
- Serve 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 questions; economic issues; and human rights and humanitarian questions; and report back to the President and the Standing Committee;
- Develop 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;
- Promote discussion within the Assembly on issues related to migration, and promote parliamentary exchanges of best practice in these fields;
- Work closely with the OSCE Secretariat and Institutions as well as with relevant outside actors on issues related to migration to promote the understanding among the members of the Assembly of the importance of the work done in this field.
The Ad Hoc Committee consists of the following members.
Members:
- Daniela De Ridder (Germany), Chair
- Lord Alfred Dubs (United Kingdom), Vice-Chair
- Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Vice-Chair
- Farah Karimi (The Netherlands), Vice-Chair
- Gudrun Kugler (Austria), Vice-Chair
- Alessandro Alfieri (Italy)
- Susana Amador (Portugal)
- Jan Bauer (Czech Republic)
- Malik Ben Achour (Belgium)
- Valérie Boyer (France)
- Johan Buser (Sweden)
- Kemal Celik (Türkiye)
- Fabrizio Comba (Italy)
- Hedy Fry (Canada)
- Sheila Jackson Lee (United States of America)
- Laurynas Kasciunas (Lithuania)
- Kristian Klinck (Germany)
- Dimitrios Markopoulos (Greece)
- Gwen Moore (United States of America)
- David Stögmüller (Austria)
Below are links to press releases and reports from recent years regarding the attention the OSCE PA has paid to this issue. Check back regularly for updates on the Committee’s work.
2023
- Report by Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Daniela De Ridder, Autumn Meeting - 18 November 2023
- Support Armenia in overcoming the current refugee crisis, urges OSCE PA migration committee Chair, 11 October 2023
- Report of Vice-President Mark Pritchard Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, 30th OSCE PA Annual Session, 3 July 2023
- Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Report on the Field Visit to the Republic of Moldova, Chişinău, 9-10 March 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 Mark 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
