EU and Global Ministers Convene for Vienna Migration Conference 2026
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Ministers and senior officials from 22 countries, including Albania, Armenia, Austria, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Jordan, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, Sweden, Uganda, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates, are set to convene in Vienna for the 2026 Vienna Migration Conference. The event, which aims to elevate migration discussions to a new level, will bring together key stakeholders to address the evolving landscape of migration.
Geopolitical tensions, conflicts, demographic changes, and economic transformations are reshaping migration patterns and policy priorities worldwide. Governments are reassessing their approaches to migration management, international protection, and labour mobility, while seeking to adapt cooperation with partner countries to changing political, security, and economic realities.
The conference will feature discussions on migration partnerships in a changing geopolitical and security landscape. Bart van den Brink, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Asylum and Migration of the Netherlands; Morten Bødskov, Denmark's Minister of Immigration and Integration; Athanasios Plevris, Greece's Minister of Migration and Asylum; Jim O'Callaghan, Ireland's Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration; and Mazin Al Farrayeh, Jordan's Minister of the Interior, will discuss how governments are adapting their migration strategies to a changing international landscape. Director General Susanne Raab will also participate in these discussions.
Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt will explore shared migration priorities and opportunities for closer cooperation. Ministers and senior officials from Albania, Armenia, North Macedonia, Norway, and Portugal will examine how geography and different national realities shape migration priorities across Europe.
Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens and the EU Agency for Asylum Executive Director Nina Gregori will examine evolving security and protection challenges at Europe's external borders. The Economist's David Rennie will explore the impact of global power dynamics on migration policy. Egypt's Assistant Foreign Minister Neveen Elhusseiny and UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Edem Wosornu, alongside senior representatives from Uganda and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will discuss how cooperation between countries of origin, transit, and destination can help address complex migration movements and translate whole-of-route approaches into practice.
The conference will also address displacement, recovery, and resilience. Ukraine's Deputy Ministers Dariia Marchak, Sweden's Migration Minister Johan Forssell, and Poland's Undersecretary of State Maciej Duszczyk will explore the role of skills, investment, and international partnerships in Ukraine's recovery. Rwanda's Interior Minister Vincent Biruta will offer perspectives on refugee protection, regional mobility, and international cooperation.
As demographic pressures and economic shifts transform labour markets, countries are rethinking how to attract and mobilise talent. Sripriya Ranganathan, Secretary at India's Ministry of External Affairs, will discuss the future of labour mobility cooperation with Europe. Senior representatives from the African Migration Observatory, the United Arab Emirates, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will examine changing demand for workers within and across different world regions, and the opportunities and challenges presented by international skills mobility.
The conference will conclude with a forward-looking discussion between Beate Gminder, Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs at the European Commission, and Susanne Raab on Europe's next migration priorities. All plenary sessions will be livestreamed, providing a platform for global stakeholders to engage in the critical discussions surrounding migration.