Activities

The Khartoum Process facilitates collaboration and information exchange among countries along the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe. Our activities include at the political level, Steering Committee Meetings and Senior Officials' Meeting and at the technical level, Thematic Meetings, Thematic Workshops and Trainings.

Webinar on Addressing the Issue of Missing Migrants in the Khartoum Process Region

  • Date:
  • Location: Online
Thematic Meeting

Under the French Chairmanship, the Khartoum Process convened for the first time to address the issue of “Missing Migrants” within its framework. The webinar brought together 63 participants from Khartoum Process Member States, as well as regional and international organisations. Discussions highlighted the strong political interest of Member States in addressing the issue of missing migrants and the need for a cooperative, operational, and humanitarian approach to the issue of missing migrants. As stated by the Khartoum Process Chair, Ambassador Baumgartner: “[The Webinar] is a crucial step to fulfil our collective commitments and to place human dignity at the heart of migration governance”.


Political momentum and knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing was at the centre of the discussions, with strong synergies identified between the Rabat Process (RP) and the Khartoum Process (KP). Since 2021, the Rabat Process has worked extensively on missing migrants, integrating the theme into the Cairo Action Plan in 2022. In 2024, Switzerland and The Gambia established the Network of National Focal Points for Missing Migrants, a mechanism that brings together national authorities to cooperate on specific cases and to strengthen cross-border information-sharing. While the Rabat Process primarily focuses on North, West, and Central Africa, its lessons are directly relevant to the Khartoum Process. Recommendations were multiple such as an inclusive decision-making approach, coordination of a multi-stakeholder approach and the designation of dedicated focal points.

Data, challenges & the role of States and stakeholders

The role of data is key when it comes to missing migrants. The Missing Migrants Project led by IOM, documents deaths and disappearances during migration, providing crucial insights into risks and causes of death along migration routes. This data supports advocacy for missing migrants and their families and inform prevention strategies. However, challenges remain. Few governments systematically publish data, many cases go unreported, and the identification of missing persons is complicated by fear, stigma, and limited forensic capacities. As participants underlined, data is essential but cannot stand alone. It must be linked to operational responses.


ICRC presentations echoed this idea, noting that recent years have seen the development of more data and policy frameworks. Nevertheless, genuine state engagement and inter-state cooperation are essential to move things forward. States have a central role in migration management through policies, key information and capacities. They are the only actors able to ensure search and rescue missions, support identification efforts, and provide a solid legal framework. ICRC therefore recommends establishing systematic states procedures to strengthen cooperation and information-sharing between stakeholders, as well as creating centralised and harmonised databases to facilitate coordination.


Operational solutions and good practices

Operational solutions were presented during the webinar. The Spanish Red Cross, through the PROMISE Project funded by the MMD Grants Facility, have set up Humanitarian Service Points in Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These centres provide short- and medium-term humanitarian assistance, while also focusing on longer-term goals such as improving access to services and restoring family links.
National practices of Khartoum Process’s member states also offered valuable insights. In Djibouti for example, authorities in cooperation with IOM have developed a structured system for recovering and documenting migrant cases.


Finally, UNHCR emphasised the importance of a route-based approach to protection, which calls for collaboration between countries of origin, transit, and destination. By examining both main and secondary routes, this approach makes it possible to better identify risks, available services, and the specific needs of migrants.  Moreover, mapping migrant movements and existing services along these routes helps to reveal critical gaps and guide more targeted responses.  


Looking Ahead

The webinar allowed for a rich exchange of knowledge among Member States and international and regional organisations. The Khartoum Process reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the issue of missing migrants and to moving from political dialogue to concrete action.