8th International Border Management Conference

Day 1 / 18 November 2025 (Tuesday)

• 11:00 – 12:00

  On-site registration

  Courtesy refreshment

  Session I: Opening session

  Chair Mr. Borut Eržen, ICMPD Directorate of Policy, Research and Strategy

  12:00 – 12:40

  Conference room

  Welcoming address

  • Mr. David van Weel, Minister of Asylum and Migration, the Netherlands
  • Ms. Susanne Raab, incoming Director-General ICMPD
  • Tunisia (tbc)
  12:40 – 13:00

  Conference room

  Keynote Speeches

  • Mr. Hans Leijtens, Executive Director, FRONTEX
  • High-level partner country representative (tbc)
  13:00 – 13:15

  Conference room

  Introduction of the Conference agenda

  • Chair Mr. Borut Eržen
  • Photo, all participants
  13:15 – 14:15

  Lunch
  14:15 – 15:15

  Conference room

  High-level Panel

  Moderation: Ms. Monika Sie Dhian Ho, General Director, Clingendael Institute

  Amid renewed geopolitical uncertainty and transnational challenges, state borders are evolving beyond control functions to serve as key instruments of resilience, crisis response, and international cooperation. This high-level panel will gather senior leaders and experts to discuss how national and regional border management can adapt to current realities while safeguarding rights and fostering collaboration.

  Speakers:

  • Ms. Corinna Ullrich, Director for International and Horizontal Affairs, DG HOME, European Commission
  • Mr. Victor Cramer, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Asylum and Migration, the Netherlands
  • Ms. Nicole de Moor, Member of the Flemish Parliament, Former Federal Minister of Asylum and Migration, Belgium
  • High level speaker from Algeria (tbc)
  15:15 – 15:35

  Conference room

  Armchair Discussion on Migration Dynamics in the mediterranean region

  Moderation: Mr. Julien Simon, Head of Mediterranean Region, ICMPD Speakers:

  • Mr. Michael Karnitschnig, Deputy Director-General, DG MENA
  • Ms. Sedef Dearing, Deputy Director General, Director MDC, ICMPD

  Session II: Panel discussions
  15:45 – 16:45

  Conference room

  Panel 2: Emerging Challenges, Responses and Opportunities

  Moderation: Mr. Tony Mihaitoaia, Senior Advisor, Border Management and Security, ICMPD

  Building on the previous panel’s geopolitical reflections, this session examines how border management systems are adapting to increasingly complex and fast-evolving threats — from the instrumentalisation of migration and hybrid tactics to disinformation, digital fraud, and adaptive criminal networks. It will explore how innovation, digitalisation, and stronger cross-border cooperation can enhance operational resilience and interoperability while avoiding over-militarisation and safeguarding fundamental rights.

  Speakers:

  • Mr. Eugen Levco, Deputy Head of the General Inspectorate of Border Police of Moldova
  • Col. Pascal Wolf, Deputy Director of Operations, Royal Marechaussee, the Netherlands 
  • Ms. Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service
  • Mr. Albert Siaw-Boateng, Director, Free Movement of Persons and Migration, ECOWAS
  • Col. Bohdan Ihnatiuk, Head of the Border Department of the State Border Guard Service, Ukraine
  16:45 – 17:00

  Coffee Break

  Parallel sessions
  17:00 – 18:00 Incl. Q&A

  Plenary

  Case studies: Bridging innovation and Border management – Ethical application of technologies to serve operational goals

  Moderation: Mr. Tamer Kilic, ICMPD Regional Coordinator (tbc)

  • Mr. Petr Malovec, Deputy Head of Alien and Border Police of the Czech Republic
  • Mr. Taavi Pehme, Head of Digital Solutions Operations Department, EU-LISA
  • Mr. Blerim Gashani, Deputy Minister, Cabinet of the Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kosovo
  • Mr. Robbert-Jan de Graaf, Business Change Manager, Future Border, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee 
  • Tunisia (tbc)
  17:00 – 18:00 Incl. Q&A

  Meeting room 2

  Practical demonstration: Virtual reality in the training of border management agencies

  Moderation: Mr. Emanuel Preda, ICMPD

  • Mr. Sergiu Vasile, Head of Border Police Faculty of Police Academy, Romania
  • Mr. Henk Wentink, Head of Simulation Centre, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee Training Facility (OTC)
  17:00 – 18:00 Incl. Q&A

  Meeting room 3

  Case studies: Women empowerment in border management

  Moderation: Ms. Monika Weber, Senior Advisor on Border Management and Security, ICMPD

  • Ms. Jagoda Walorek, Senior Fundamental Rights Monitor, FRONTEX
  • General Marwa Saoud, Brigadier General, Head of Department, Lebanese Armed Forces (tbc)
  • Ms. Marta Dubrovskiy, Expert, Joint Coordination Platform, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Austria
  • Brigadier General Sandra Keijer, Head of the Directorate for knowledge, strategy and innovation, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee
  • Ms. Olga Derkach, International Expert on Human Rights and Border Management, Ukraine 
  18:00 – 18:15

  Closing of the 1st day – plenary
  19:00 – 21:00

  Dinner Reception

  Welcoming speech by Ms. Annet Bertram, Secretary-General for Asylum and Migration/Director- General for Migration