MICIC - Consular Contingency Plan

In times of crisis, migrants living, working, studying, traveling, or transiting in the country experiencing the crisis may require assistance. Although migrants are resilient and resourceful, they often face specific vulnerabilities that can hinder their ability to ensure their own safety and wellbeing

The Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative, a government-led effort co-chaired by the Governments of the United States and the Philippines and supported by a Secretariat hosted by IOM and an EU-funded project, implemented by ICMPD, was conceived to address migrants' specific conditions of vulnerability and increase the ability of States, international organisations, private sector actors and civil society to prepare for and respond to the needs of migrants in countries affected by conflicts or natural disasters, including by protecting their rights and dignity and by alleviating suffering they might experience.

The MICIC Initiative Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster are voluntary, non-binding, targeted suggestions to promote better protection of migrants in countries experiencing crises. Different stakeholders can use the MICIC Guidelines to inform and shape crisis preparedness, emergency response, and post-crisis action. The MICIC Initiative does not aim to replace or supersede existing legal frameworks that address the protection of refugees and stateless persons. Rather, the MICIC Initiative complements those existing protection frameworks.

For the protection of citizens abroad

Foreign posts serve not only as the bridge between a country and its nationals overseas but are also in the frontline of citizen protection in times of crisis. Over recent years, crises around the world have shed light on the pivotal role of consular staff in keeping their nationals safe from harm.

In the area of capacity building, since 2016, ICMPD has been providing technical assistance to Governments, strengthening consular crisis management.

The following tools were developed to support consular staff in the preparation and response to crisis situations.

• An interactive consular contingency plan template (available in AR, EN, ES, FR)
• A consular cheat sheet, great tips for pre-crisis and emergency phase (available in AR, EN, ES, FR)