Mediterranean Transit Migration (MTM)

Established: 2003

Objectives

The Mediterranean Transit Migration (MTM) Dialogue is an inter-regional inter-governmental consultative forum of more than 40 Governments of Partner States and 7 international organizations as Partner Agencies, aiming to build common understandings and to jointly develop evidence-based comprehensive and sustainable migration management systems. Its goals are to:

• Implement capacity-building and operational projects;  
• Elaborate recommendations, and agree on future steps and build-up spin-off initiatives;
• Address the issues related to irregular and mixed migration;
• Address medium and long-term issues related to migration and development; and
•  Promote cooperation on labour and circular migration. 

Initially focusing on transit migration, the MTM extended its scope over the years to cover the various aspects of irregular and mixed migration, as well as migration and development.

Current Focus

• Interception and apprehension of irregular migrants;
• Combating smuggling and trafficking, including the protection of victims;
• Reception and detention of irregular migrants;
• Asylum and refugee protection; and
• Return and readmission.

Chair

No permanent chair (chairing depends on activities)
 

Members

19 non-EU participating countries

• Algeria
• Cabo Verde
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Mali
• Morocco
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Senegal
• Syria
• Switzerland
• Tunisia
• Turkey

27 EU Member States

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

Observer States

• Australia

Partner Organizations (invited to meetings on an ad hoc basis)

• European Policy Office (EUROPOL)
• FRONTEX
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
• UN-Habitat

Past Observer Organizations (invited to meetings on an ad hoc basis)

• Community of Sahel and Saharan States (CENSAD)
• Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Force (DCAF)
• The European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust)
• General Secretariat of the European Council
• IGC
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• International Organization for Peace, Care and Relief (IOPCR)
• League of Arab States
• Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI)
• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA)”

Partners and Observer Institutions

• Caritas
• Community of Sahel and Saharan States (CENSAD)
• European Policy Office (EUROPOL)
• FRONTEX
• Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Force (DCAF)
• The European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust)
• General Secretariat of the European Council
• IGC
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• International Organization for Peace, Care and Relief (IOPCR)
• INTERPOL
• League of Arab States
• Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI)
• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Meetings

• 7-8 November 2012 – Gammarth, Tunisia, AMEDIP Workshop
• 17-18 July 2012 - Dakar, Senegal, AMEDIP Workshop
• May 2012 – Valletta, Malta, 10th Anniversary
• 4-5 June 2014 – MTM i-Map Final Conference, Brussels, Belgium
• 12-13 June 2013 – MTM i-Map Expert Meeting, Marseille, France
• 23-24 April 2013 – AMEDIP Workshop, Bern, Switzerland
• February 2011 - The Hague, the Netherlands (tbc), MTM Pillar II on Migration and Development, i-Map Expert Meeting on Migration and Development
• 13-14 April 2010, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: MTM Pillar II on Migration and Development, Joint ICMPD – IOM project Linking Emigrant Communities for More Development - Inventory of Institutional Capacities and Practices, Final Conference

Related Links

• View Printable Map
• MTM Factsheet [EN]
• Towards a Comprehensive Reponse to Mixed Migration Flows [EN ]
• The MTM Dialogue 2002-12 [EN]
• 2010 MTM Map on Irregular & Mixed Migration Routes
  [EN ]

Contact Information

Mr Julien Simon
Regional Coordinator for the Mediterranean
International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Tel:+356 27 81 55 55
E-mail: julien.simon@icmpd.org or mtm-dialogue@icmpd.org