ICMPD Silk Routes
ICMPD Silk Routes is the Vienna-based regional programme of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development that operates the Budapest Process dialogue and capacity-building framework for migration management across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, delivering training, Migrant Resource Centres and policy support funded primarily by the European Union and participating governments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersVienna, Austria
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ICMPD Silk Routes does
ICMPD Silk Routes is the Vienna-based regional programme of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) that supports the Budapest Process dialogue on migration across the Silk Routes region — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Established as a regional office in 2016 under a parent IGO founded in 1993 with 21 Member States and UN observer status, it operates as a policy dialogue and operational capacity-building platform rather than a commercial enterprise. Its core products are (i) the Silk Routes Online Training Platform, a digital and distance-learning hub serving government officials (law enforcement, border management, social and labour authorities) and prospective migrants across pre-migration, pre-departure, and post-arrival stages; (ii) Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) in six countries providing in-person counselling, safe-migration information, and reintegration referrals, complemented by airport reception desks in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar; (iii) the Risk Analysis Unit (RAU) institutional structure, which collects and analyses border data to produce risk profiles for border-management authorities; and (iv) knowledge products including research reports, webinars, and policy guidance on return and reintegration, smuggling and trafficking, labour migration and climate-induced displacement.
The business model is grant-funded project delivery: ICMPD Silk Routes does not sell services at a price but implements multi-year projects financed primarily by the European Union, with secondary funding from Norway (UDI), Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Austria, plus co-implementation partnerships with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and host governments. Services are provided free of charge to governments and migrants under project frameworks, with the 7th Ministerial Conference (Budapest, November 2024) convening 50 countries and 13 international organisations to set a 2025–2030 cooperation agenda. Customer segments are exclusively governmental — border agencies (e.g., Pakistan FIA), labour ministries (Bangladesh BMET, Iraq MOLSA, Tajikistan Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment), overseas-workers ministries (Pakistan MOPHRD), and migration-policy units (India ICM) — alongside migrants as end-beneficiaries reached through MRCs and awareness campaigns. Distribution combines direct field operations, the online training platform, multilateral conferences and working groups, and outreach media reaching over 80 million people.
ICMPD Silk Routes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ICMPD Silk Routes
- Legal name
- International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
- Website
- https://budapestprocess.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ICMPD Silk Routes is the Vienna-based regional programme of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development that operates the Budapest Process dialogue and capacity-building framework for migration management across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, delivering training, Migrant Resource Centres and policy support funded primarily by the European Union and participating governments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ICMPD Silk Routes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Migration Policy and Capacity Building Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Visa, Immigration Liaison & Travel Document Policy (Foreign Affairs) (BPAIAIAL)
Keywords
Where ICMPD Silk Routes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vienna
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
ICMPD Silk Routes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Project Funding and Grants: ICMPD Silk Routes is primarily funded through multi-year project grants from the European Union, national governments (Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Denmark, Austria), and multilateral institutions for migration management capacity-building initiatives
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
ICMPD Silk Routes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ICMPD Silk Routes operates a regional migration dialogue and capacity-building programme under the Budapest Process, coordinating policy cooperation among 50+ countries. It delivers field-level services through Migrant Resource Centres in six countries, provides digital training via the Silk Routes Online Training Platform, supports border management through the Risk Analysis Unit, and facilitates sustainable reintegration of returnees. The programme is funded by the European Union, Member States, and multilateral donors.
Product overview
The ICMPD Silk Routes programme operates as a portfolio of interconnected migration management products and services under the Budapest Process dialogue framework. The core offerings include the Silk Routes Online Training Platform providing digital learning for government officials and migrants, and Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) offering in-person and remote counseling services across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan. The programme also produces research publications, knowledge products, videos, and facilitates multilateral dialogue through working groups and ministerial conferences. The ICMPD Silk Routes Regional Office, established in 2016 and located in Vienna, Austria, coordinates these activities funded primarily by the European Union.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Budapest Process: A migration dialogue mechanism coordinated by ICMPD, covering European and Silk Routes countries to address migration challenges through ministerial conferences, working groups, and operational projects.
- Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs)
- RELEC
- MIGRA.P
- Silk Routes Online Training Platform
Products and services
- Silk Routes Online Training Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 16% increase in FIA interception of suspicious travellers at external borders through enhanced risk profiling
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ICMPD Silk Routes
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ICMPD Silk Routes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ICMPD Silk Routes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- International Labour Organisation (ILO)corePartner in India-EU Cooperation on Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (India-EU CDMM) project 2017-2022, working alongside ICMPD and India Centre for Migration.
- Government of PakistancorePartner through Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) for Sustainable Reintegration of Returnees project, providing political ownership and institutional framework.
- Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)coreKey implementing partner for integrated border management training, risk analysis unit establishment, and border official capacity building. FIA provides host framework for training programmes.
- WELDOmajorService provider for sustainable reintegration assistance in Pakistan, providing return, reintegration and resettlement services including psychosocial support, business guidance, and skills development under the RoR project.
- TurkeycoreInitiator and co-chair of RELEC (Regional Law Enforcement Cooperation) network established October 2015, facilitating cooperation on irregular migration, smuggling, and trafficking among six countries.
- Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)coreGovernment partner operating Migrant Resource Centres in Bangladesh, jointly managing MRC locations in Dhaka and Cumilla.
- Iraq Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA)coreGovernment partner for MRC operations in Iraq, managing centres in Baghdad and contributing to labour migration policy development.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ICMPD Silk Routes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): UN agency responsible for refugees and stateless populations. Comparable in intergovernmental structure, donor-funded project model, and field presence in the same Silk Routes countries, though focused on refugee protection rather than whole-of-route migration management.
- European Migration Network (EMN): EU-funded network providing information on migration in EU Member States and observer countries. Comparable as a knowledge-product and policy-dialogue platform serving ministries and migration authorities.
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC): Swiss federal migration-focused development actor with programme offices in Silk Routes countries. Comparable in donor profile and migration policy cooperation model across the same geographies.
- International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency that runs the Global Compact for Migration implementation work and labour migration programming. Already a documented strategic partner of ICMPD on India-EU CDMM, and addresses the same migrant worker and labour-mobility outcomes.
- Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency): EU agency delivering integrated border management, risk analysis, and capacity building in non-EU partner countries. Comparable in border management training and risk-profiling deliverables (FIA partnership mirrors Frontex-coordinated capacity programmes).
Others
- International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD): Parent intergovernmental organization of ICMPD Silk Routes. The Silk Routes Regional Office is a programme within ICMPD, so ICMPD is the operating umbrella; included as the closest structural counterpart for governance and funding comparisons.
Direct peers
- International Organization for Migration (IOM): UN-related intergovernmental organization and the largest global migration agency. Directly comparable in mandate (migration management, capacity building, assisted voluntary return, reintegration) and geographic focus, including substantial operations across the Silk Routes region.
- Danish Refugee Council (DRC): International NGO operating in conflict and displacement settings with significant return and reintegration programmes. Directly comparable in reintegration service delivery (CAIR Iraq is already a Danish-funded programme under ICMPD Silk Routes).
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ): German development agency implementing commissioned migration and reintegration programmes in origin and transit countries. Highly comparable in donor-funded, government-partnered migration project delivery model across Silk Routes geographies.
Emerging players
- Caritas Internationalis: International confederation providing humanitarian assistance, reintegration support, and migrant services through national Caritas chapters. Comparable in MRC-style direct beneficiary services for migrants and returnees in the Silk Routes region.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ICMPD Silk Routes social profiles
Digital presenceICMPD Silk Routes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ICMPD Silk Routes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
ICMPD Silk Routes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
ICMPD Silk Routes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ICMPD Silk Routes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ICMPD Silk Routes
What does ICMPD Silk Routes do?
ICMPD Silk Routes operates a regional migration dialogue and capacity-building programme under the Budapest Process, coordinating policy cooperation among 50+ countries. It delivers field-level services through Migrant Resource Centres in six countries, provides digital training via the Silk Routes Online Training Platform, supports border management through the Risk Analysis Unit, and facilitates sustainable reintegration of returnees. The programme is funded by the European Union, Member States, and multilateral donors.
Is ICMPD Silk Routes a public or private company?
ICMPD Silk Routes is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was ICMPD Silk Routes founded?
ICMPD Silk Routes was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ICMPD Silk Routes based?
ICMPD Silk Routes is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does ICMPD Silk Routes make money?
One revenue line is on record: project Funding and Grants.
Who are ICMPD Silk Routes's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), European Migration Network (EMN), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), International Labour Organization (ILO) and Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency). International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is listed as an others. Direct peers are International Organization for Migration (IOM), Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Caritas Internationalis is listed as an emerging player.
Does ICMPD Silk Routes have an API?
No public API is recorded for ICMPD Silk Routes.
What industry is ICMPD Silk Routes in?
ICMPD Silk Routes's product category is Migration Policy and Capacity Building Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAIAL, Visa, Immigration Liaison & Travel Document Policy (Foreign Affairs).