The European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have reaffirmed their commitment to stronger migration cooperation in 2026. The agreement was reached during their 12th Senior Officials Meeting held in Brussels, as both sides discussed how to better manage migration amid growing global challenges.
The meeting took place at a time when migration routes are becoming more complex due to regional conflicts, humanitarian crises, and increasing loss of life along dangerous paths. With limited global resources, both organisations stressed the need for deeper cooperation to ensure migration is handled in a safe, humane, and well-organised manner.
The session was co-chaired by European External Action Service Managing Director Olivier Bailly and IOM Director General Amy Pope. They agreed that effective migration management along key routes is critical. This includes fighting migrant smuggling, reducing irregular migration, protecting the rights of migrants and refugees, and improving return and reintegration systems so they are humane and sustainable.
Amy Pope highlighted IOM’s 2026 strategy, noting that migration solutions must be people-centred and practical. She explained that as migration routes continue to change, closer EU-IOM cooperation will be essential to saving lives and strengthening protection systems on the ground.
EEAS Secretary General Belén Martínez Carbonell also addressed the meeting. She described the EU-IOM partnership as strong and dynamic, especially at a time when global cooperation faces challenges. She emphasised that building political and technical cooperation will help tackle migration issues using a whole-of-route and whole-of-society approach.
A major topic during the discussion was the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Officials also reviewed progress on creating nationally owned reintegration systems and responding to ongoing crises in countries such as Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. The importance of coordinated international support in these regions was strongly highlighted.
The officials further discussed preparations for the upcoming International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), scheduled to take place from 5–8 May in New York. The forum will review progress made under the Global Compact for Migration and provide an opportunity for the EU and its Member States to reaffirm their commitments.
Since establishing a Strategic Cooperation Framework in 2012, the EU and IOM have worked closely on migration governance, humanitarian response, and development. In 2025 alone, contributions from the EU and its Member States to IOM reached approximately USD 1 billion, making the EU one of IOM’s largest and most important partners.
As migration pressures continue worldwide, the strengthened EU-IOM partnership signals a clear commitment to safer, more orderly migration systems in 2026 and beyond.