1. “Support to the Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE-2)” project

Funded by the European Commission the project realized on the results of the MOBILAZE project implemented in Azerbaijan during 2015-2019 and aims to support migration policy development, institutional capacity building, improvement of labor migration management, and provision of information and awareness raising on the regulation of migration processes in Azerbaijan. Implementation of the MOBILAZE-2 project began on June 1, 2021 and is scheduled to be finalized by May 31, 2024. The main purpose of the project is to contribute to the development and implementation of evidence-based migration and border management policy agenda in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The project includes activities on developing a study on the best practices in migration and border management, improving research and analytical skills, strengthening institutional capacity to provide integration services for migrants, including refugees, increasing training capacity on migration and border management, as well as raising awareness on migration.

The project aims to achieve the following specific objectives:

• Developed institutional capacities on migration policy development and implementation;
• Institutionalized migration data collection, analysis and application;
• Enhanced and standardized institutional procedures for capacity building on migration and border management;
• Developed institutional and public awareness on migration policy agenda and irregular migration threats.

2. “Reintegration Support to Azerbaijani Returnees (RESTART)” project

RESTART project, which was implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, was launched on January 1, 2019 and finalized on April 30, 2021 while the State Migration Service acted as a beneficiary. With 400.000 euros budget, the project was jointly funded by the Ministry of Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Repatriation and Departure Service of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Ministry of Interior and Administration of the Republic of Poland.

The overall objective of the project which had been implemented for 28 months was to support the implementation of the Readmission Agreement with the European Union through strengthening the capacities of authorities and civil society in Azerbaijan in the area of reintegration, to actively facilitate sustainable return from the European Union Member States and reintegration of Azerbaijani nationals.

Within the framework of the project meeting of the project partners was held, “Reintegration Guidelines for Azerbaijani returnees from the European Union Member States” was developed, information leaflets in Azerbaijani and English were published and shared among Azerbaijani returnees, vacancy for 1 reintegration coordinator and 2 reintegration mentor positions was announced among NGOs for providing reintegration support to those persons, the winner NGOs were determined and cooperation was established with them. The project provided reintegration support to 87 Azerbaijani returnees belonging to vulnerable groups. 

3. “Support to the Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE)” Project

“Joint Declaration on a Mobility Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan, European Union (EU) and its Participating Member States” was signed in Brussels on December 5, 2013 and was approved by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated March 6, 2014. In 2015 with the consent of the Republic of Azerbaijan EU has entitled the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) to implement “Support to the Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE)” Project arising from from the Joint Declaration.

The overall objective of the project was to support the implementation of the Mobility Partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan with a specific focus on strengthening the capacity of the government to develop and implement its national migration policy.

An agreement was concluded between EU and ICMPD on implementation of MOBILAZE Project on December 31, 2015. The project which was launched on January 15, 2016 was finalized on July 14, 2019. 9 institutions from 7 EU Member States (the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic) were involved in the project. Baku Office of the project was opened in March 2016. Total budget of the Project consisting of 5 components was 2.5 million euros.

The components of the project

Component 1 - Building of analytical capacities for informed migration policy making;

Component 2 - Legal migration from and to Azerbaijan;

Component 3 - Document security;

Component 4 – Improvement of the asylum decision making procedure;

Component 5 - Return and reintegration.

During the relevant period international events, including trainings, workshops, study visits and meetings on various topics were conducted within the framework of the project.

Moreover, significant documents such as, “Inception reports”, “Assessment report on reviewing legal and labor migration mechanisms in the Republic of Azerbaijan”, “Report on determination of the demand for foreign labor force in the labor market of Azerbaijan”, “Baseline study on migration in Azerbaijan”, “Analysis report on readmission and reintegration in Azerbaijan”, “Travel documents/Security features production technology and examination-training manual and curricula”, “Recommendations for the roadmap to refugee integration policy in Azerbaijan” “Pocket vocabulary for border control” and other relevant documents were  developed within the MOBILAZE project. Furthermore, 4 “Mobility Partnership” newsletters, “What you need to know before leaving Azerbaijan to study in the EU” booklet and “What do you need to know after residing abroad and returning back to Azerbaijan” brochure were published and distributed to partners.

Mobility Partnership conferences organized in Baku, “International summer schools on migration research” held in Azerbaijan and Georgia, the participation of the delegation of State Migration Service in Vienna Migration Conference on November, 2016 upon the invitation of the Director General of ICMPD Mr. Michael Spindelegger, official visits to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Austria in 2017, as well as Mr. Spindelegger’s visit to Azerbaijan upon the invitation of the Chief of the State Migration Service, Training of trainers on document security can be mentioned among essential events implemented within the project.