What does the Vienna-based ICMPD and its Director General Michael Spindelegger do?

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: April 26, 2018; 13:30 ♦ (Vindobona)

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) was founded in 1993 in Vienna on the initiative of Austria and Switzerland with the aim of making migration and mobility of people orderly, safe and regular, including through the implementation of planned and well managed migration policies. The aim is to counteract the often short-term thinking of governments so that sustainable solutions can be found and implemented in the medium and long term to combat and overcome the migration crisis. From this point of view, the tasks of the ICMPD have become extremely topical and important due to the refugee crisis.

Since 2016, Michael Spindelegger has been serving as Director General of the Vienna-based International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). / Picture: © ÖVP Bundespartei / Jacob Glaser

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) was established by Austria and Switzerland in 1993 and has since grown to 15 member states.

After its founding it was joined in 1995 by Hungary and then in 1998 by Slovenia. The Czech Republic became a member in 2001, followed by Portugal and Sweden in 2002, Bulgaria and Poland in 2003, Croatia in 2004, Slovakia…