2003 Year Book on Illegal Migration, Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe [antikvár]

During the 1990s irregular migration to, through and from Central and Eastem European countries has assumed massive proportions. Rapid political changes worldwide, the proliferation of violent conflicts and protracted instability in many parts of the world, economic decline and rising income disparities between states and regions have all contributed to a seemingly endless rise in irregular migration from East to West and from South to North. Partly in response to increased migration pressures from many parts of the world, the Central and Eastem European countries have further intensified international cooperation on migration and have generally drawn closer to the European Union. This year marks the accession to the EU of 10 new Member States and in the coming years more countries of the region will either fully jóin the EU or establish privileged partnership agreements within the Wider Europe initiative. In fact, even before having to grapple with the complexities of the evolving EU migration acquis, many States covered in this survey had already developed close ties and considerable experience in international migration cooperation through participation in the Budapest Process, the Secretariat of which has been located at ICMPD since 1993. Since its inception in 1993, one of the aims of ICMPD and the Budapest Pröcess has been the enhancement of international cooperation in the management of migration. Clearly this effort alsó depends on an improved exchange of information. For this reason ICMPD began publishing an annual survey of statistics and other data related to illegal migration, humán smuggling and trafficking in Central and Eastem Europe in 1997. Since then, the goal of these surveys has been the compilation and analysis of the "broader picture" of irregular migration in the region in order to provide its readers with an up-to-date overview of bordér management activities and generál trends in irregular migration in Central and Eastem Europe. Originally published in pamphlet form, the first Yearbook compiled data from ten countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past years the survey has been progressively improved and expanded to include data and information from more bordér services and associated national migration institutions. This year's survey includes data from 19 States, based on the contributions of the responding bordér management services and including for the first time data from two Central Asian republics, as ICMPD is expanding its activities in this area. Compared to previous years, the resulting publication has considerable improved both in terms of qualitative and quantitative data covered and in terms of the comparative analysis provided. Over the past eight years the Annual Year Book on Illegal Migration, Humán Smuggling and Trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe has come to be regarded as an authoritative source of information on recent bordér trends and in particular on the phenomena of illegal migration, humán smuggling and trafficking. It has been widely welcomed by the bordér management community as well as by policy makers and academics. As the results of this year's survey clearly demonstrate, the combined efforts of Cooperating States do have a significant impact on irregular migration flows. Migration can be managed, but it must be managed in a spirit of cooperation and exchange. The 2003 Year Book hopes to make a contribution to that. Jonas Widgren Director General, ICMPD