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The evolving global migration landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for states, international organizations, and civil society actors. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), as the leading intergovernmental organization dedicated to migration governance, plays a crucial role in supporting states in managing migration effectively and humanely. In Estonia and the broader Baltic region, IOM has been actively engaged in addressing migration dynamics, especially in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has led to significant displacement across Europe. As migration trends shift, there is a growing recognition that traditional resettlement programs alone are insufficient to address the needs of displaced populations. In this context, complementary pathways have emerged as essential mechanisms to provide additional legal avenues for refugees and vulnerable migrants to access protection and stability. These pathways include humanitarian admission programs, community and private sponsorship, education and labor mobility schemes, and family reunification initiatives. By offering structured and secure alternatives, complementary pathways not only enhance protection options for refugees but also promote economic and social benefits for receiving societies. This seminar aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of IOM’s presence in Estonia, its evolving role, and its contributions to migration governance in the region. Additionally, the seminar will delve into the concept of complementary pathways—alternative legal avenues for migration that enhance protection and durable solutions for refugees and vulnerable migrants. By examining successful examples from Europe and beyond, this discussion will contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable and rights-based migration policies.

Kari Käsper leads the team of IOM in Estonia since November 2023. Before joining IOM, he served at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition, he founded and led the Estonian Human Rights Centre, a human rights NGO. He also worked as a lecturer at Tallinn University of Technology, where he taught human rights and European Union law for over a decade. He holds a Master’s degree in European Union, International, and Comparative Law from Tallinn University of Technology.

Camilla Loli is a law graduate from the University of Bologna and the Australian National University, specializing in EU asylum and migration law. She also holds a Master’s degree in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. With over five years of experience working across all stages of the asylum process in Italy for the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), she recently completed a deployment as a resettlement expert with UNHCR in Colombia. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in sociology and law at the University of Bologna, where her research focuses on legal pathways for migrants using a socio-legal perspective.

Moderator: Lehte Roots

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