The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has been active for several years in addressing the refugee and migrant crisis that has impacted Europe and the broader OSCE area. Issuing a special report on the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the early impacts of the refugee crisis as far back as February 2013, the OSCE PA has increasingly devoted attention to the issue as the crisis deepened. A subsequent report, "Migration Crisis in the OSCE Area: Towards Greater OSCE Engagement," was issued at the 2016 OSCE PA Winter Meeting, providing a thematic overview of PA activities on the migration crisis and offering lines of action for further OSCE work on the issue.

Following a decision taken by the OSCE PA’s Standing Committee at the 2016 Winter Meeting, the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration was launched, with Swiss parliamentarian Filippo Lombardi serving as its Chair, and held its first meeting at the OSCE PA’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi. In February 2018, Nahima Lanjri (Belgium) succeeded Lombardi as Chair of the Committee. (For a factsheet on the Committee's work, please click here.)

Serving as a focal point for the OSCE PA’s work in the field of migration in all three dimensions of the OSCE – political and security matters, economic issues, and human rights and humanitarian questions – the Ad Hoc Committee develops policy recommendations aimed at enhancing OSCE work in the field of migration and at improving the treatment of, and prospects for, migrants in OSCE countries.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Migration issued the report "Ensuring a Coherent, Shared and Responsible Governance of Migration and Refugee Flows" at the 2017 Autumn Meeting in Andorra.

Below are links to press releases from recent years regarding the attention the OSCE PA has paid to this issue. Check back regularly for updates on the PA’s work.

2018

• Marking International Migrants Day, OSCE PA’s Lanjri notes that migration’s benefits can be better enjoyed through enhanced international co-operation – 18 December 2018
• Denmark’s and Sweden’s approaches to migration offer lessons for broader OSCE area, say participants of fact-finding field visit – 24 October 2018
• Report of the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Nahima Lanjri to the OSCE PA Standing Committee meeting, Berlin – 7 July 2018
• In visit to Serbia, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation welcomes progress in migration management, accommodations for unaccompanied minors – 12 June 2018
• OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair concerned over U.S. treatment of migrant children – 5 June 2018
• In Brussels, OSCE parliamentarians discuss Belgium’s migration experience with focus on sustainable solutions for unaccompanied minors – 6 February 2018

2017

• OSCE countries must show leadership on migration, says PA’s Lombardi on International Migrants Day – 18 December 2017
• Remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair Filippo Lombardi at the OSCE Permanent Council, Vienna – 23 November 2017
• Closing remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Vice-Chair Filippo Lombardi at Permanent Council, Vienna – 23 November 2017
• OSCE parliamentarians call for enhance international co-operation on migration in Malta conference – 16 November 2017
• OSCE parliamentarians explore responses to migration at OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Palermo, conduct fact-finding visit to Rome and Bolzano – 25 October 2017
• OSCE PA migration committee members present findings and recommendations to policymakers across North America, Europe and Central Asia – 10 October 2017
• Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Vice-Chair Isabel Santos speaks on OSCE PA's migration-related work at Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference – 5 September 2017 
• In Minsk, OSCE parliamentarians debate ways to increase effectiveness in addressing urgent challenges to security and stability – 6 July 2017
• Report by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair Filippo Lombardi to the OSCE PA Standing Committee, Minsk – 5 July 2017
• Op-Ed: Climate change and migration are security challenges that require a comprehensive response – 15 June 2017
• World’s largest refugee population requires greater international support, say members of OSCE PA migration committee on visit to Turkey – 18 May 2017
• In visit to frontline of refugee crisis in Lesvos, OSCE PA members highlight need for co-ordinated response to migration – 4 May 2017
• OSCE PA’s Migration Committee Chair Lombardi urges United Kingdom to stand by commitments on unaccompanied minors – 10 February 2017
• Concerns raised over U.S. travel ban by Chair of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee – 1 February 2017

2016

• On International Migrants Day, OSCE parliamentarians urge co-ordinated response based on principles of comprehensive security – 18 December 2016
• In visit to Sicily, members of OSCE PA migration committee reiterate calls for greater responsibility-sharing – 9 September 2016
• OSCE parliamentarians in Tbilisi adopt wide-ranging Declaration on human rights, security and the environment – 5 July 2016
• OSCE parliamentarians consider resolutions on security, economic and environmental concerns and human rights – 2 July 2016
• Parliamentarians describe OSCE PA’s migration work to OSCE’s governmental side, urge comprehensive response to crisis – 27 June 2016
  
• On World Refugee Day, OSCE parliamentarians and human trafficking representative call for more humane response to crisis – 20 June 2016
• Crisis of leadership in human rights to be debated at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session – 16 June 2016
• OSCE PA’s Nilza Sena emphasizes migration’s economic benefits at OSCE meeting in Berlin – 20 May 2016
• Migration crisis requires a Europe-wide response, OSCE parliamentarians’ visit to Calais confirms – 11 May 2016
• OSCE parliamentarians travelling to Calais to examine conditions for refugees and migrants, provide policy recommendations – 9 May 2016
• Migration and security in focus as OSCE PA Chairperson Santos, Secretary General Montella address Rome panels – 4 March 2016
• OSCE PA debates crisis of migrants and refugees, as special report released – 26 Feb 2016
• Migrants crisis, Ukraine in focus as OSCE PA Winter Meeting opens – 25 Feb 2016
• Crisis of migrants and refugees in focus as OSCE PA committee leaders visit Czech Republic – 3 Feb 2016

2015

• Multifaceted approach to migrant crisis the only way to overcome it, says OSCE PA’s Santos on European trip – 18 Nov 2015
• Building walls won't solve migrant crisis, says OSCE PA humanitarian Chair –
  19 Aug 2015
• OSCE PA Annual Session: Ukraine crisis, refugee tragedy, climate change feature in Draft Resolutions – 25 June 2015
• Witnessing greatest refugee crisis in decades, OSCE parliamentarians call for increased burden-sharing – 22 June 2015
• OSCE PA humanitarian Chair marks World Refugee Day in Lampedusa – 20 June 2015
• As refugee crisis deepens, OSCE PA’s humanitarian Chair to visit Lampedusa, Catania, Mineo – 17 June 2015