The 11th Meeting of the MARRI Permanent Working Group on Migration Statistics was held on 7 October 2026, bringing together representatives of the MARRI Participants, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) participating as an observer. Chaired by MARRI RC Director Angela Boranieva and coordinated by Migration Data and Policy Analyst Aleksandar Kostadinov, the meeting provided a platform for participants to review progress, exchange information and discuss key developments in the field of migration statistics.
In her opening remarks, Director Boranieva highlighted the importance of high-quality, comparable and harmonised migration data as a foundation for informed policymaking and effective regional cooperation. She also underlined the value of continued regional dialogue in strengthening the shared evidence base and supporting a better understanding of migration developments across the MARRI region.
Participants reviewed progress since the previous meeting, including the ongoing exchange of migration statistics, the introduction of new migration-related indices, and work related to statistics on international protection and the enforcement of immigration legislation.
The second part of the meeting focused on recent trends in asylum applications and international protection statistics involving citizens from the MARRI Participants. Discussions covered citizenship profiles, outcomes of international protection decisions and emerging patterns, as well as developments in the enumeration of asylum applicants and the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for delegations to share information on their latest work in producing migration statistics, interinstitutional cooperation and the challenges encountered in collecting, processing and reporting migration-related data.