During the last decades Italy changed from an emigration country to an immigration country. Italian migration policy is made of different components, namely the coordination strategy at European level, bilateral cooperation with countries of origin and transit and multilateral in the context of IOM and other agencies (especially UNHCR with regard to refugees).
IOM is an international organization founded in 1951 and it is the leading agency at global level on the issue of migration. With a partnership agreement, IOM became officially part of the UN system on 19th September 2016 and added since then “The UN Migratory Agency” to its title. Its main goals are the study of migration as a phenomenon, the safe and humane management of migration, the integration of migrants and their reintegration in countries of origin whenever possible, as well as the protection of migrants’ rights and dignity. During the last years IOM has been growing significantly, reflecting the more and more crucial role of the topic at global level: the numbers concerning the personnel and the operational budget have triplicated during the last 10 years, Member states have increased from 60 to 175, and there are 8 observer States. Its structure is particularly flexible, with more than 590 offices located in more than 100 countries; its sectors of competence have been expanded, and the Council of the Organization has started a regular dialogue on migration policies.
In Italy, IOM established the Office for Coordination in the Mediterranean, based in Rome. Italy supports and cooperates with the Organization financing its projects in Italy, as well as in third countries. Moreover, many programs concerning health, border control, and migrants’ assistance, have been activated in our country. Among the several initiatives, the main ones are the projects Praesidium, in collaboration with IOM, UNHCR, the Italian Red Cross, and Save the Children, aiming at improving the reception procedure for migrants arriving by sea to Italy, particularly in Lampedusa, Sicily, Apulia and Calabria; the A.MI.CO. project (Migrant Associations for Co-Development), through which Italy supports migrant associations in strengthening their capacities, through training programs and funding initiatives that encourage integration and sustainable development; and the Y-MED project, for the promotion of regular migration pathways, offering young graduates and undergraduates from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya a six-month internship in Italy. Upon completion of the programme, participants return to their countries of origin to use the skills and know-how acquired and contributing to local development.
Amy E. Pope is currently the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). She was elected on 15th May 2023, during the Sixth Special Session of the IOM Council, and started her mandate on 1st October 2023, becoming the first woman to lead the IOM in its 72-years long history. She succeeded the Portuguese António Vitorino, Director General since 1st October 2018.
On 26th November 2024, during the 115th Session of the IOM Council, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva, was elected as Rapporteur to the IOM Bureau, representing Member States of the European Expanded Group (EEG) for a year-long mandate. Ambassador Grassi is the first Italian diplomat to join the IOM Bureau since 1985, a time when migratory issues had a different relevance in Italy.
Website: www.iom.int