CCME Executive Committee meets in Brussels to deepen strategic work and engage with EU actors
By Marie Bischofs
The Executive Committee of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) gathered in Brussels from 31 March to 1 April 2025 to reflect on ongoing developments in migration and asylum in Europe and to further implement CCME’s strategic and thematic work for the coming years, based on the work programme for CCME (2024-27).
Meeting in person at the CCME office, committee members and staff engaged in a wide-ranging agenda, from national reports to updates on EU policy, CCME’s financial situation, and plans for 2025 initiatives, as well as reflecting on the 60th anniversary celebrations last year and Second Africa-Europe Ecumenical Forum on Migration this March.
On the second day of the meeting, the Executive Committee welcomed Misachi Josef Ogawa, of the office of MEP Birgit Sippel, who is chairing the European Parliament´s group monitoring the implementation of the EU asylum and migration pact . He provided valuable key insights into the current implementation of this Pact The exchange underscored CCME’s commitment to engaging constructively with EU institutions while continuing to raise concerns about the rights of migrants, the role of civil society, and the ethical dimensions of migration policy.
The task force convened the following day on the project “Protecting People More Than Borders” to reflect on its progress and explore next steps. The group discussed how the initiative could contribute meaningfully to ongoing policy debates, particularly considering the shifting political and legal context around migration in Europe.
As part of its engagement with broader political perspectives, the task force welcomed two guests for an exchange on the current climate within EU institutions: Jean-Louis De Brouwer, Director at the Egmont Institute and former Director of DG Justice and Home Affairs at the European Commission, and Vit Novotny, Senior Research Officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, the think tank of the European People’s Party (EPP). Their insights helped illuminate the complex dynamics shaping migration and asylum policy across Europe.
The Executive Committee will next meet in a follow up to the General Assembly in June 2025, continuing to shape and implement CCME’s strategic direction.