Jeff Crisp questions migrant representation at Vienna Migration Conference

Former UNHCR policy chief Jeff Crisp has questioned the representation of migrants at the forthcoming Vienna Migration Conference 2026, asking how many migrants will participate compared with officials responsible for interior affairs, security and border control.

Crisp raised the question in response to a post by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) announcing that registration had opened for the livestream of its annual flagship conference.

“How many migrants will be at this conference? And how many officials from the interior, security and border control establishment?” Crisp wrote.

ICMPD said the 11th edition of the Vienna Migration Conference will be held on November 16 and 17, bringing together senior decision-makers, practitioners and experts from Europe and beyond for a high-level exchange on migration policy.

The organisation did not indicate in the post how many migrants or representatives of migrant-led organisations would participate in the conference.

Crisp’s intervention draws attention to the composition of migration-policy forums, particularly the extent to which people with direct experience of migration are represented alongside government officials and policy practitioners.

The Vienna Migration Conference is organised annually by ICMPD, an international organisation that works with governments and other stakeholders on migration and mobility policy.

The 2026 conference is scheduled to take place in Vienna, with livestream access available to registered participants.