This conference will provide an opportunity to exchange good practices used in creating and maintaining partner relations between diasporas and their countries of origin acknowledging the important role they have in their countries’ development.

In his State of the Union, President Jean-Claude Juncker presented proposals to ensure full EU solidarity on migration and better protection of Europe's external borders. The Commission is proposing to reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard and the EU's Agency for Asylum and is proposing a targeted review of the Return Directive.

At the height of the refugee “crisis” in October 2015, over 7,000 asylum seekers crossed the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece per day. This created problematic conditions for refugees in reception centers and overwhelmed Greece as a first country of entry to the EU. In this setting, the EU-Turkey Statement was concluded with the aim of managing migration across the Aegean Sea and curbing arrivals to the EU. Whilst the Statement was effective in reducing the number of arrivals, it has been met with a series of human rights concerns.

The European Commission proposes to reform the EU's common visa policy. It also reports on - and calls for - further progress under the European Agenda on Migration. Finally it mobilises additional funding for Syrian refugees in Turkey.

This Eurostat news release shows that workers remittances amounted to 39.1 billion euro in 2011, up by 2% compared with 2010.

This conference takes place within the framework of the project "Awareness raising of the risks associated with irregular migration and support to vocational reintegration of migrants in the Republic of Congo" (2011-2012).

ISC Intelligence in Science, together with Emer Costello MEP, organise a seminar to explore the impact of Diaspora on EU policy priorities and examine options for Diaspora as a theme of EU policy.

GFMD 2012 will focus on "Enhancing the Human Development of Migrants and their Contribution to the Development of Communities and States". A provisional agenda (as of 3 September 2012) was presented at the High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration on 13 September.

The workshop aims at sharing ideas on the relevance of mobility partnerships and projects supporting their implementation as well as enhancement of collaboration and funding opportunities.

The conference aims to foster the exchange of practices and experience among present and potential partners and to raise awareness of Mobility Partnerships in their full multidimensionality and reflect on their future.

The first issue on "Global Perspectives on Migration and Development" explores fresh strategies proposed by the GFMD in its fourth year of operation in Mexico and beyond.

The handbook was presented and commented on by panelists from IOM, MPI, Swedish Ambassador for the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) as well as representatives from the European Commission, Board of the Diaspora Forum for Development and other stakeholders.

Philippe Fargues, director of the Migration Policy Centre (MPC), presents the different tasks, projects and activities of the new MPC, founded in January 2012, with the support of the European Union.