— ABOUT THE EVENT

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum constitutes the most far-reaching restructuring of the European Union’s migration and asylum governance in recent decades. Beyond its legislative components, the Pact represents a structural recalibration of responsibility-sharing, border governance, data management, and the external dimension of EU migration cooperation. Its implementation will shape the operational and political architecture of European migration governance well beyond 2030.

Formally entering into force in June 2026, the Pact’s rollout will unfold progressively across Member States. This transitional phase represents a crucial window before implementation practices become fully institutionalised, allowing stakeholders to shape coordination mechanisms, identify implementation challenges, and anticipate operational and political pressure points.

Against this backdrop, the Ankara Migration Symposium—bringing together approximately 150 senior representatives from government institutions, international organisations, academia, and civil society—will serve as a forward-looking platform at this critical pre-implementation stage. Rather than offering a retrospective review, the Symposium will facilitate early policy dialogue on governance, implementation, solidarity mechanisms, financial instruments, and external cooperation.

Particular attention will be devoted to the implications of the Pact for EU–Türkiye relations. Although the Pact does not directly apply to Türkiye, its operational, financial, and geopolitical effects are likely to be significant. As a key host, transit, and destination country along major migration routes, Türkiye occupies a central position in the broader European migration landscape. Developments within EU migration governance will therefore have important implications for bilateral cooperation, institutional coordination, and responsibility-sharing.

The Symposium aims not only to analyse these developments but also to contribute to early implementation debates and strategic alignment between the EU and Türkiye. It will provide a platform for structured exchange among technical experts and senior policymakers on governance trajectories, external partnership models, and the evolving balance between solidarity, sovereignty, and protection standards.

By convening policymakers, operational actors, international organisations, civil society, and academic experts at this pivotal moment, the Symposium seeks to strengthen strategic dialogue, enhance predictability in cooperation, and identify practical avenues for future EU–Türkiye engagement within the evolving European migration governance architecture.

Further details on the programme, speakers, venue and registration will be shared in the coming days.