Prague Process

The Prague Process is a targeted migration dialogue and a policy process promoting migration partnerships among the countries of the European Union, Schengen area, Eastern Partnership, Western Balkans, Central Asian, as well as Türkiye. The Process originated from the EU-financed project “Building Migration Partnerships” and was initiated during the Czech EU Presidency at the 1st Prague Process Ministerial Conference in April 2009, culminating in the endorsement of the Prague Process Joint Declaration. In the Joint Declaration, serving as a common political framework, the participating states agreed to strengthen cooperation in migration management, to explore and develop agreed principles and elements for close migration partnerships between their countries, following a comprehensive, balanced, pragmatic and operational approach, and respecting the rights and human dignity of migrants and their family members, as well as of refugees. The main principles and cooperation areas, set by the Joint Declaration and by adopted at the 2nd Ministerial Conference Prague Process Action Plan 2012-2016, and reconfirmed in 2022, include: Preventing and fighting illegal migration; Readmission, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration; Legal migration with a special emphasis on labour migration; Integration of legally residing migrants; Migration, mobility and development; Strengthening capacities in the area of asylum and international protection. The current, 4th phase of the Prague Process, is shaped by the Ministerial Declaration 2022 and the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027 adopted at the 4th Prague Process Ministerial Conference, held by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU on 24-25 October 2022 in Prague. The Parties decided to widen the scope of their joint work, signifying the commitment to deepen the established cooperation, while recognising present realities and pressing challenges that require joint solutions.