The Vienna Migration Conference (VMC) is Europe’s premier platform for high-level dialogue on migration. Set against a backdrop of shifting geopolitics, economic pressures, labour shortages, and regional conflicts, VMC2025 will examine how these and other forces are shaping migration patterns and policies in Europe and beyond. Key sessions explore progress and challenges in EU Pact implementation and the future of European migration governance, the role of migration partnerships, the future of international protection, skills and mobility, return and reintegration in different contexts, and the impact of technological innovation on migration management.
VMC2025 also features a formal leadership handover: After a decade of dedicated service and successful growth, Director General Michael Spindelegger will formally transfer leadership responsibilities to Susanne Raab, who will begin her five-year term as Director General of ICMPD in January 2026.
To find out more about VMC’s mission and format, visit our About page. For highlights from last year’s conference, see the VMC2024 page.
Last year’s Vienna Migration Conference (VMC2024) featured 15 live sessions with 32 speakers and 327 in-person participants from 48 countries, alongside 1,551 online attendees. Under new EU leadership and as the Pact on Migration and Asylum moved into implementation, discussions spanned labour migration, safer routes, public sentiment on migration and Pact rollout. The conference was once again livestreamed globally.
VMC2024 takeaways
Discover key insights from VMC2024 on labour migration, strategies for safer routes and handling irregular arrivals, public sentiment on migration, and the work ahead to start implementing EU’s new Pact.
VMC2024 report
Download the full VMC2024 report for expert analysis and recommendations from last year’s conference, reflecting key discussions and insights from the 9th edition of ICMPD’s annual flagship event.
VMC2024 highlights video
VMC2024 featured a high-level programme on key priorities: labour migration, safer pathways, irregular arrivals, shifting public sentiment, and implementing the EU Pact.