The purpose of this paper is to explore the current status and challenges of governance of the Rohingya refugee problem in Southeast Asia, particularly the role and limitations of ASEAN in this context. One of the main reasons why the Rohingya refugee issue has not been effectively addressed for a long time is the lack of a targeted refugee protection framework. It is generally viewed by neighbouring countries as an internal matter of Myanmar or a historical legacy between Myanmar and Bangladesh, which has led to the absence of international cooperation and governance mechanisms for the issue. Against this backdrop, one of the options is to seek the help and intervention of ASEAN, a regional international organization, in order to adopt alternative modes of protection governance at the national level and to strengthen the governance capacity of the countries concerned through joint efforts. ASEAN's involvement in this issue has not yet been institutionalized into a systematic governance model, and most of the current refugee governance work is led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and ASEAN's roles and functions have not yet been fully utilized. Therefore, this paper will further explore the roles and challenges of ASEAN in regional refugee governance in light of this particular situation and try to provide some solutions to better realize the international refugee problem of the Rohingya people in Myanmar, as well as in other regions.

The "Stress in General Scale" (SiGS) is a measuring tool of work-related stress and a practical self-report scale in terms of time saving, and thus appropriate for demanding working environments. The aim of this study was the validation of the SiGS in a Greek professional population sample working with refugees. SiGS along with the Perceived Stress Scale, the Job Stress Measure and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were distributed to 200 professionals. The final sample consisted of 157 professionals (mean age±SD 32.87±7.61years; 64.3% males, 35.7% females) working with refugees, under demanding working conditions in the islands, the countryside and the capital of Athens. Specifically, the study sample was recruited from the following: National Center for Social Solidarity, International Organization for Migration, Asylum Service on the island of Rhodes, Reception and Identification Center, the island of Kos, SOS Children's Villages, Smile of the Child, Metadrasis, Praxis, NGOs "The Home Project," Zeuxis Iliachtida and Arsis. Two components were extracted that explained 30.2% and 22.6% of the variance, respectively. These factors were assessed as (i) pressure (items Demanding, Pressured, Hectic, Calm, Relaxed, Many things stressful, Pushed), and (ii) threat (items Irritating, Under control, Nerve-wracking, Hassled, Comfortable, More stressful than I'd like, Smooth running, Overwhelming). The Cronbach's alpha of the SiGS was 0.85 and 0.75 for Pressure and Threat factors, respectively. Cronbach's alpha reliability obtained acceptable levels for both subscales. We conclude that the "Stress in General Scale" can be used as a reliable, validated general measure of work stress in the Greek population.

Remittance has become one of Nepal’s most significant economic lifelines, substantially contributing to national income, employment, household livelihoods, and poverty reduction. Over the past several decades, remittance inflows have steadily increased, making Nepal one of the highest remittance-receiving countries globally in proportion to its GDP. This study examines the multifaceted role of remittances in Nepal’s socio-economic landscape using secondary data collected from Nepal Rastra Bank, the World Bank, the International Organization for Migration, and the Central Bureau of Statistics. It explores historical trends, destination countries for foreign labor migration, and the socioeconomic implications of remittance at the household and national levels. The findings indicate that remittances have enhanced household consumption, access to education and healthcare, gender empowerment, and rural development. However, challenges such as labor market dependency, increased consumption over investment, brain drain, and family separation remain prevalent. The paper concludes by recommending strategies for sustainable remittance utilization, including skill-based foreign employment, financial literacy development, reintegration support for returnees, and promotion of diaspora investment in productive sectors. Overall, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of remittance as a crucial component of Nepal’s long-term development trajectory.

When do states like Iceland finance international organizations (IOs) to carry out tasks that could, in principle, be handled domestically? This paper addresses this question through an analysis of Nordic states’ financing of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) between 1993 and 2024. While existing literature emphasizes donor states seeking influence over IO agendas or how donors balance strategic vs norm-driven considerations in multilateral aid giving, less attention has been paid to the use of IOs as substitutes for, or complements to, national administrative capacity. To investigate this dimension, the paper draws on an original dataset constructed from systematically coded IOM financial reports, including material obtained through archival requests. The analysis shows that Nordic states overwhelmingly rely on project-based funding with a significant share directed toward operational tasks such as assisted return that are important to national governments. Data shows that the Nordic countries differ significantly, both in terms of the number of projects and geographical distribution of funding. Iceland is distinct as it almost exclusively finances domestic projects compared to the more mixed portfolios of the other Nordics. This outsourcing of administrative capacity does not appear to be purely temporary, as demonstrated by a case study of Iceland, which delegates core migration administration to IOM. These patterns reveal that even high-capacity and norm-driven donors use IOM for domestic projects. The study contributes to scholarship on IO financing by demonstrating how international organizations can serve as instruments of domestic governance and showing how this can play out in high-capacity states.

The fundamental rights and guarantees of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine are studied against the backdrop of a full-scale war launched by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022. The fundamental rights guaranteed by the current legislation adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for internally displaced persons are considered, as well as the main programs of financial assistance to IDPs in Ukraine from the most authoritative international organizations. It has been established that calculating the exact number of displaced persons affected by the conflict is extremely difficult. Official statistics of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine show that the number of people registered in the Unified Register of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has increased from 1,446,881 in 2020 to over 4.6 million people as of mid-2025. The largest concentration of IDPs is observed in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk regions and Kyiv (47% of whom are children of all ages). Although this figure of 4.6 million is far from the actual number, as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates the actual number of displaced persons in Ukraine at over 8 million (27% from Kharkiv region, 16% from Donetsk region and 7% from Zaporizhia region), most of them are refugees from occupied territories who, for various reasons, refuse the official status of internally displaced person. According to UN estimates, approximately 12 million people may be affected by the war in Ukraine. In Ukraine, forced migration accounts for 14.2% of the total population, or 6.275 million people. Notably, between mid-2024 and mid-2025, this number decreased by 900,000, while the number of people returning home increased, although 12% of respondents indicated that they may have to leave their homes again due to the war. The rights of IDPs to employment and special housing assistance are analyzed, considering them as key guarantees. The conclusions focus on the need to improve mechanisms for the effective protection of IDP rights, which may also be useful for European countries that provided shelter to over 8 million Ukrainians during the war. The lack of appropriate mechanisms for quickly and effectively addressing the problems of IDPs, who often do not receive the necessary assistance due to the bureaucratic burden imposed on them by national state authorities, is identified.

Abstract PS 3: Conflict and Peacebuilding - Sultan Barakat and Irene Zaddach, Auditorium A & B (Rectory), September 4, 2025, 09:00 - 10:00 The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has resulted in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with over 12.7 million people affected, including 3.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 6.9 million displaced abroad, and 4.1 million returnees. The civilian toll is severe, with more than 40,000 casualties and extensive damage to critical infrastructure, including over 1,300 medical facilities and 721 educational institutions. These disruptions have led to widespread mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs, particularly among IDPs, persons with disabilities, women, and the unemployed, who are at heightened risk of depression and related conditions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) MHPSS programme in Ukraine operates across the humanitarian-development nexus and integrates its activities into recovery and peacebuilding frameworks. The rationale for integrating MHPSS into peace and recovery is grounded in evidence that conflict and displacement profoundly affect psychosocial well-being at both individual and community levels. Unaddressed MHPSS needs impede recovery, social cohesion, and long-term peaceful coexistence. IOM’s approach prioritizes restoring agency, dignity, and belonging, fostering social cohesion and trust, and encouraging inclusive identity and solidarity across diverse groups. IOM employs a multi-model strategy, combining psychosocial and?socioecological models with a multilayered intervention approach. This spans basic services, community and family supports, focused supports, and specialized mental health care, ensuring comprehensive coverage. The programme is evidence-based and community-rooted, with needs assessments conducted locally and tailored responses addressing newly emerged vulnerabilities, such as support for people after amputation and innovative interventions like equine-assisted psychosocial support for veterans and their families. Further, IOM integrates MHPSS with livelihood support, life skills training, and transitional justice processes, aiming for community empowerment, sustainability, and the rebuilding of trust in institutions. The multiprofessional and multisectoral approach underscores IOM’s commitment to resilience, recovery, and sustainable peace in Ukraine.

Abstract PTH 9: Miscellaneous 2, B302 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 11:30 - 12:24 This paper examines the mental health condition of vulnerable Liberia females in the Oru refugee camp in Ogun state, Nigeria. Unlike their male counterparts, before their arrival at the Oru refugee camp, many Liberian women and girl children refugees have already endured profound trauma, either directly or by witnessing the suffering of others. This pre-existing distress contributed to significant psychological breakdowns among a substantial number of them. The women and girl children’s vulnerability and exposure to forced labour, forced relationship, and marriage, gender-specific forms of violence, including rape, sexual harassment, and physical assault, malnutrition, impoverishment, health challenges, and homelessness in their home country and refugee camps immensely contributed to their alarming mental health problem. Through a desk study and application of secondary research methods derived from articles, textbooks, international organisations reports, and newspapers, the result shows that this vulnerable gender currently exhibits signs of acute mental health distress, including aggression, restlessness, violent and destructive behaviours, insomnia, incoherent speech, irritability, and a sensation of heaviness in the head. The study also revealed that during the Liberia war, some of the female victims lost their entire extended family and livelihood. When they sought refuge in the ECOMOG camp, they were subjected to repeated sexual violence, resulting in an unintended pregnancy and the birth of children whose fathers could not be identified. Some of them were diagnosed with a post-traumatic psychiatric disorder, characterized by an affective disorder and severe depression, and subsequently admitted to Psychiatric Hospital for treatment. The study’s conclusion indicated that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UHRC), the Nigerian Government, the Ogun State Government, and other stakeholders pay less attention to mental health issues affecting the Oru Liberia female refugees in the state.

EP2.2, e-Poster Terminal 2, September 3, 2025, 13:05 - 14:00AimThe East and Horn of Africa region by the end of 2024 due to conflict and climate change-related disasters hosts 23.6 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP). Aim of a capacity building initiative in the region is to Learn from community experts about practices in place for promoting refugees’ health.MethodsThe Center for Health and Migration, Austria (CHM) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM UN-Migration), in cooperation with stakeholders at international, national, and sub-national level organize Health and Migration online courses. By 2024, 5 courses have been implemented and a community of 332 experts who work for and with migrants and refugees, in policy making, program development, and health and social care in the East and Horn of Africa region has been built up. Provision of health care for refugees and IDP is an important topic in the course.ResultsOne successful practice model identified in the capacity building initiative, is the Refugee Life Support Network (R.L.S.N.), a local NGO in Kampala, Uganda, 2017 founded and since then led by a Burundian refugee. Funded by donations, R.L.S.N. with volunteering refugee professionals provides free medical consultation to around 2,000 refugees annually, including mental health services, financial assistance for medical examinations and medications. In a dedicated webinar the case of R.L.S.N. was presented to an international and interdisciplinary group of interested alumni from the five health and migration courses. The discussion highlighted the high impact of community-based grassroot organisations in low-resource settings and challenges faced, e.g. an increase in the number of patients and at the same time a decrease in financial resources.ConclusionDevelopment of inclusive health policies and programs could benefit from the practice knowledge of community experts. Sharing experiences and mutual learning within a group of experts working with refugees can impact practice development.

PTH 4: Mental Health and Refugees 2, B307 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 14:00 - 14:48AimMigration and Health has been identified as one of the crosscutting issues in the African Unions’ Migration Policy Framework for Africa. There is high demand to build up a critical mass of expertise and experts on health and migration that can engage in policy, programme and practice development.MethodsThe Center for Health and Migration, Austria (CHM) in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM UN-Migration), and the Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, in close cooperation with stakeholders at international, national, and sub-national level, are jointly organizing online courses on Health and Migration. It aims at capacity building in the East and Horn of Africa region in the field of health and migration, building a community of experts who work for and with migrants, refugees, and local communities. The initiative is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.ResultsBy 2024, 5 courses have been implemented. With the courses, a community of experts has been built up with 332 members from 15 African countries in 2024 in an Alumni database. Participants evaluation shows the importance of the course for capacity building on health and migration in participant’s countries as well as for personal development, and for the improvement of service provision for migrants. For sustainability and further capacity building, the initiative focuses on maintaining network and partnership by engaging alumni and collaborating with regional and national institutions and academia.ConclusionsThe online course proved to be important for building awareness and competence of professionals in the field of health and migration in the East and Horn of Africa region. Continuous engagement of alumni and networking can support intersectional and interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge and experiences.

EP2.2, e-Poster Terminal 2, September 3, 2025, 13:05 - 14:00AimClimate change and related forced migration is an increasingly important theme both in Europe and in Africa. Facilitating dialogue on climate change related impact on migrant health across the regions is one of the aims of an initiative from the Health and Migration field.MethodsThe Center for Health and Migration, Austria (CHM) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM UN-Migration), in cooperation with stakeholders at international, national, and sub-national level organize Health and Migration online courses. By 2024, 5 courses have been implemented and a community of 332 experts who work for and with migrants and refugees, in policy making, program development, and health and social care in the East and Horn of Africa region has been built up. The topic of climate change gained increasing attention, now being discussed in a dedicated training module and additional webinars.ResultsDiscussants from Africa reported to encounter climate change effects on health and migration in their professional practice. In their experience, climate change aggravates issues of health and migration by fueling forced migration and displacement, increasing health care needs, and deteriorating access to health care. Migration is described as an important mitigation strategy vital for survival. Answers on questions raised for European colleagues, e.g. how Europe does experience and handle migration movements related to climate change within Europe, and how Europe does experience the impact of climate change on general dissatisfaction and mistrust in existing governance structures, are yet to be formulated.ConclusionsCollecting knowledge and experiences from practice experts is crucial because they offer firsthand insights into challenges faced in practice, strategies in place, and related needs. A dialogue between experts from the Global North and South on the climate change impact on health and migrant can contribute to mutual learning and joint formulation of research questions.

This study investigates factors influencing migrants’ decisions to enter Europe via Bulgaria or Greece along the Balkan route, using logistic regression and machine learning models on data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Flow Monitoring Survey (August 2022–June 2025, n=5536). We examine demographic variables (age), push factors (economic reasons, war/conflict, personal violence, limited access to services, and avoiding military service), and governance clusters derived from the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGIs). An adapted migration gravity model incorporates corruption control as a key push–pull factor. Key findings indicate that younger migrants are significantly more likely to choose Bulgaria (β≈−0.021, p<0.001), and governance clusters show that migrants from high-corruption origins (e.g., Syria and Afghanistan) prefer Bulgaria, likely due to governance similarities and facilitation costs. The Cluster Model achieves a slight improvement in fit (McFadden’s R2=0.008, AIC = 7367) compared to the Base (AIC = 7374) and Interaction (AIC = 7391) models. Machine learning extensions using LASSO and Random Forests on a subset of data (n=4429) yield similar moderate performance (AUC: LASSO = 0.524, RF = 0.515). These insights highlight corruption’s role in route selection, offering policy recommendations for origin, transit, and destination phases.

Introduction. The article examines the migration system that has taken shape between Russia and Central Asian states at the turn of the twenty first century. Russian society traditionally associates labor migration with interactions between former Soviet populations. However, recent times have witnessed somewhat a securitization of migration. A possible increase in negative attitudes may lead to ignoring the significance of migration as a needed resource instrumental in maintaining Russia’s geopolitical influence across the region and boosting its socioeconomic development. Goals. The article attempts to determine a migration research model that would closest reflect actual (and supposed) changes in the Russia–Central Asia migration system — for efficient regulation of migration processes and distribution of migration flows. Materials and methods. The analyzed facts and figures have been borrowed from resources of the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, International Organization for Migration, National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, and online research databases. Migration has been considered within the network approach and actor-network theory, which makes it possible to include all material and non-material actors to describe certain transformational changes, their specifics and variability. Results. Shifts in the Russia–Central Asia migration paradigm are caused by a variety of factors as follows: 1) Central Asian republics tend to reorient their foreign policies toward the Middle East, Europe, Americas, and East Asia; 2) The sanctions pressure keeps growing, and ruble exchange rates keep falling. Furthermore, Russian society is experiencing a trend of naturalizing Soviet-born and segregating post-Soviet-born Asian migrants. Meanwhile, the choice of a host country increasingly depends on non-economic factors, such as ecology, social security, interethnic harmony, and availability of migration corridors.The paper also identifies some positive components of international migration. Labor migration is positioned as a necessary resource for the socioeconomic development of contemporary Russia. The publicly proclaimed negative impacts of migrants on Russian society prove objectively groundless. However, migration may (and sometimes does) exacerbate societal risks. Central Asian laborers still perceive Russia as a most economically optimal destination, even given that historical and cultural proximities, shared historical memories, and similar traditions are no longer of primary importance. Conclusions. The conducted analyses of migration process models and the current state of the Russia–Central Asia migration system justify the use of actor-network theory that — for modeling purposes — involves (and emphasizes the significance of) material and non-material, natural-climatic, and cognitive components of migration.

Abstract In this article, we analyse secretive practices of border and migration management we term covert borderwork . Covert borderwork comprises techniques of border and migration management which adopt varying forms and temporalities of secrecy in their design, implementation, and/or performance. Through primary source documents and interviews, we detail and analyse the European Commission, EU member states, and the Australian government's use of fronts such as the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, and private firms, as well as the use of incentivised agents and unbranded materials to obscure or conceal their involvement in their own migration information campaigns. We describe and analyse secretive forms of direct engagement with potential migrants and their communities to spread anti‐migration sentiment in Africa and the Asia‐Pacific. We show this covert borderwork to be facilitated through various astroturfing techniques designed to obscure and conceal the involvement of states in these campaigns.

ABSTRACT This research paper examines the impact of the Sahel crises on African migration in one of the Mediterranean countries, Algeria. The paper sheds light on the begging of Nigerien families in the city of Laghouat (Algeria). This topic focuses on the exacerbation of the Sahel crisis in Algeria, particularly through the case of begging by Nigerien families in Algerian cities. It also discusses policies related to illegal African migration in both Niger, the country of origin of the study sample, and Algeria, the host country affected by political and security fluctuations in the Sahel. A mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology was employed, as appropriate, through field investigations, including interviews and reports from the International Organization for Migration. The results allowed for a census of the volume of migrant movement between the two countries and a diagnosis of the state of begging activity in the city of Laghouat.

The rise of synthetic data has begun to inspire novel data-driven projects in highly sensitive development contexts. For example, a collaboration between the UN's International Organization for Migration and Microsoft Research has resulted in the release of four “Global Synthetic Datasets” (GSDs) on human trafficking—the 2025 iteration of which contains information on over 222,000 trafficking survivors. These datasets are expected to support the combat against human trafficking by leveraging the privacy promised by synthetic data. While existing scholarship has explored political-economic, ethical, and legal implications of synthetic data, this article presents a situated case study of the GSDs, exploring data justice issues that arise when synthetic data are used in global development projects. Drawing on Linnet Taylor's 2017 data justice framework, this paper asks: how do synthetic data both extend and reconfigure questions of political economy, (in)visibility, disengagement, and non-discrimination in development contexts? Methodologically, the article employs a technography of publicly available materials related to the GSDs, additionally drawing from three key informant interviews. The analysis highlights that while synthetic data-driven development projects enable new knowledge, they continue long-standing critical concerns around the political economy of “data for development,” the visibilization of marginalized communities, and the datafied abstraction from lived experience. Thus, development scholars and practitioners ought to recognize the risk of “ synthetic-washing ,” where faith in the presumed safety and privacy of synthetic data obscures their entanglement with power asymmetries. This underlines the need for further research on frameworks for synthetic data justice , in development contexts and beyond.

Abstract In line with the WHO Global Code of Practice and in response to the conflict in Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is actively involved in providing vocational training and education to Ukrainian migrants, including internally displaced persons and those who have fled the country. This initiative aims to facilitate their integration into host communities and the labor market. Thanks to collaboration with the EU, its member countries, and WHO within the framework of the EU4Health action ‘Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefiting from temporary protection in Member States,’ IOM has been able to implement Vocational Education Trainings (VET). These trainings facilitate the transition for Ukrainian medical workers by offering focused language classes, comprehensive guidance on the administrative processes necessary for the recognition of qualifications, and valuable insights into the structure and operations of the target healthcare system. Additionally, IOM has recruited Ukrainian health professionals through competitive selections directly into its workforce as health mediators. These mediators are identified as individuals who facilitate communication and understanding between healthcare providers and migrant or refugee patients, ensuring access to culturally sensitive and appropriate healthcare services. IOM will share findings, successes, and challenges linked to its collaboration with countries, the EU, and WHO to enable the inclusion of migrants into the European workforce. This collaboration aims to promote workforce mobility and adequate planning to meet national and migrant needs.

Abstract The influx of more than 6 million Ukrainian refugees since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has placed strain on the health systems of receiving countries. This is only one of many recent crises, following the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. Such a series of acute shocks leaves health systems with little time to recover, highlighting the importance of proactively building health system resilience. We draw on the resilience testing methodology that the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (OBS) and the OECD developed, tasked by the European Commission. Resilience testing brings together key stakeholders in a workshop to identify specific health system weaknesses and find opportunities to address them. This is the first time resilience testing has been used in the context of migration and the first time it has been used to understand, promote and improve health system resilience in an ongoing crisis. In this roundtable discussion, OBS and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will share learnings from our ongoing activity that tests health system resilience in Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Czechia and Latvia, in context of the large influx of refugees from Ukraine. This is part of the EU4Health funded project “Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting of temporary protection in Member States”. The session brings together international organizations (EC, OBS, IOM), policy-makers and health system experts who will share the experience of applying resilience testing as a practical instrument to strengthen health systems in the face of persistent adversity. The objectives of the workshop are to: • Discuss the implementation of health system resilience testing in the context of migration; • Present country examples that have used resilience tests to understand and improve their health system's resilience based on the influx of refugees from Ukraine; • Engage workshop participants in discussion to identify promising approaches to strengthen health system resilience in the context of mass population displacement and persistent adversity. The workshop consists of a short intervention by each panelist (20 minutes total) and panel discussion with audience interaction (40 minutes). The interventions will introduce the methodology, showcase countries’ experience, and provide an EU view on the value of health system resilience in the context of the refugee situation. The audience interaction will consist of a moderated discussion. The discussion will reflect on learnings for practitioners, researchers and policy-makers, so that countries can prepare more systematically for future mass population displacements and ensure health system resilience. Key messages • The ability to withstand change is crucial for health systems. Resilience testing allows us to be prepared to respond to these changes. • The influx of Ukrainian refugees provides an opportunity to examine health system resilience and strengthen access to healthcare for both refugees and current residents. Speakers/Panellists Elena Val International Organization for Migration, Brussels, Belgium Iwona Anna Bielska Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland Valeriu Sava Independent Consultant, Chișinău, Moldova

This paper investigates the extent to which the discourses of vulnerability developed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have been employed in migration management practices as part of the European Union (EU) border externalization agenda. The project brings together a close engagement with the literature on vulnerability in migration contexts, theories of humanitarian governance, and critiques of border externalization, to argue that the increasing use of the language of vulnerability in the field of forced migration has generated a hierarchy in classifications of displaced people with those most vulnerable deemed worthy of international protections or assistance and those constructed as less-than vulnerable or invulnerable excluded from any form of relief. Through a close reading of IOM’s migrant vulnerability framework, the paper contends that vulnerability becomes a key term through which the organization elaborates its own humanitarian governance regime focused on identifying, tracking, classifying, and controlling people on the move. The complex institutional practices, frameworks, and assessments regarding vulnerability developed by the IOM have been coopted by what I refer to as the EU governmentality of migration. Throughout IOM’s participation in EU border externalization strategies, including returns, securitized borderwork, and containment, vulnerability is employed as a key migration governance mechanism.

ABSTRACT Migration information campaigns are a popular approach to migration management and are being deployed by Western states across the globe. These campaigns are multifaceted communication strategies designed to identify, communicate with, and influence migrants and potential migrants through advertisements, community engagement, and interpersonal interventions. Using Australia’s campaigns as a case, this article demonstrates how migration information campaigns function as a form of pastoral power, contextualising migration information campaigns within broader rationalities of governance. Building upon the recent literature on peer messengers and migrant intermediaries, the article further shows migration information campaigns to be actualising pastoral government through a widely adopted approach to behavioural change, the credible messenger model. In addition to consideration of messengers and intermediaries of all kinds, Australia and the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) specific use of what they call ‘community liaisons’, a category of intermediary yet to be examined in the migration information campaign literature, is detailed as a case. Additionally, the article empirically documents and analyzes states’ use of field research to inform and refine the design of migration information campaigns.

ABSTRACTThis article examines the vulnerability of Ukrainian refugees to trafficking, abuse and exploitation in Poland and Romania following the full‐scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Drawing on survey data from the International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix and qualitative interviews with key informants, the study applies a multi‐level, intersectional framework to assess personal, situational and contextual dimensions of vulnerability. It introduces a ‘continuum of vulnerability’ model, recognising that risks are dynamic, relational and shaped by structural inequalities. Quantitative analysis identifies financial insecurity, age and discrimination as key predictors of harm, whereas qualitative findings highlight the impact of conditional protection regimes, housing insecurity and healthcare barriers. Although few trafficking cases were officially identified, the findings suggest that a well‐funded and coordinated rights‐based response helped mitigate risks. The article argues that such protection frameworks must remain in place for as long as necessary and that vulnerability should be continuously monitored across all three dimensions.