ODIHR’s Work on Migrant Integration
What do we do? integration. Drawing on its extensive expertise, strong ODIHR supports participating States (pSs) across the relationships with state authorities, civil society and OSCE region in promoting the meaningful integration of human rights defenders, and long-standing partnerships migrants and refugees into host societies. By fostering with international organizations, alongside strong co- multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments, ordination with OSCE field operations. ODIHR supports local authorities, civil society and international participating States by: organizations, ODIHR helps ensure that migration • Identifying good practices and gaps in integration management and integration policies are effective, policies and practice, including by facilitating the inclusive and human rights-compliant, contributing to exchange of good integration practices among stronger social cohesion and sustainable security. participating States through platforms and training, Why is integration important? developing peer networks and fostering the exchange of experiences among civil society organizations and Migrant and refugee integration is an important factor national institutions; in promoting secure, resilient and cohesive societies. Effective integration helps prevent social exclusion, • Reviewing legal integration frameworks, at the reduce tensions and strengthen trust and resilience request of state authorities and OSCE field operations, within communities, while ensuring that migrants and to assess compliance with international human rights refugees can exercise their rights and freedoms while standards and OSCE commitments; and contributing to society. • Providing training, tailored guidelines and recommendations to state actors and civil society on How do we work? migrant integration, and supporting national and local ODIHR is uniquely positioned to support national, authorities in designing and implementing sustainable regional and local authorities on migration and refugee integration policies in line with human rights.
Key OSCE commitments: • Budapest 1994: Reaffirms participating States’ • Ljubljana Decision No. 10/05: Calls for addressing commitments to take measures against racist attacks migration and integration with respect for cultural and against migrant workers and their families, encouraging religious diversity, as part of broader OSCE efforts to states to make such actions part of integration policy promote tolerance, mutual respect and human rights. and promote the integration of migrant workers. • Brussels 2006: Encourages OSCE institutions to • Maastricht Decision No. 4/03: Undertakes to combat continue work on migration and integration in all three discrimination against migrant workers and to facilitate dimensions, including promoting integration with their integration in host societies. respect for cultural and religious diversity. • Ljubljana Decision No. 2/05: Reaffirms commitments on • Madrid Decision No. 10/07: Calls on participating migration, and acknowledges that successful integration States to protect migrants, national minorities, stateless policies, including respect for cultural and religious individuals and refugees from racism, xenophobia and diversity and protection of human rights, promote discrimination, and strengthen national integration stability and cohesion within societies. strategies, with active engagement by migrants. Examples of integration • Training courses as part of the Inter- training led by ODIHR: Agency Academy on the Integration Key ODIHR resources of Migrants and Refugees in the on integration • Training on good practices in Baltic cities (2025–2026) Shaping Balanced migrant and refugee integration, • Ten training courses delivered as part shaping balanced political discourse and constructive narratives on migration: Political Discourse and Ukraine (2021), Bosnia and Guidance and Good Practice from the OSCE Region
of the Inter-Agency Academy on the Constructive Narratives Herzegovina (2024), Moldova on Migration: Guidance Integration of Migrants and Refugees and Good Practice from (2024), Armenia (2025, 2026) in Polish Cities (2022–2024) the OSCE Region
Good Practices in good practices in migrant integration: trainee’s manual Migrant Integration: Trainee’s Manual COMPASS
In April 2025, ODIHR launched COMPASS: Comprehensive Assistance for Migration Policies in the OSCE Region. This almost four-year project Good Practices in aims to strengthen migration management and integration frameworks good practices in migrant integration: trainer’s manual Migrant Integration: Trainer’s Manual across the OSCE region, promoting social cohesion, protecting migrant rights and addressing emerging challenges in migration and border management. COMPASS delivers context-specific solutions and fosters collaboration to promote sustainable and human rights-compliant Local Authorities’ LocaL authorities’ Migrant migration and integration policies. Migrant integration guide
Integration Guide
COMPASS aims to: 1. Strengthen integration and social cohesion through training and guidance on how to enhance migrant and refugee integration, Good practices in integration of counter xenophobia and foster more resilient and cohesive migrants in line with societies. OSCE commitments and international 2. Promote human rights-compliant border management by standards training authorities and human rights defenders. Migrant political participation: a 3. Address emerging migration challenges by equipping state review of policies and officials and civil society with tools and strategies to help them integration results in the OSCE region adapt to the changing dynamics of migration, such as climate change and new technology. Local and central government co-ordination on the process of migrant integration: good practices from selected OSCE participating States
Local government and All ODIHR resources on migration are available at: migrant integration in line with OSCE commitments https://odihr.osce.org/odihr/536181 and international standards: A review of good practices
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
ul. Miodowa 10 00-251 Warsaw Poland Follow ODIHR Office: +48 22 520 06 00 office@odihr.pl