Find Refugees International at IMRF 2026
Refugees International will be in New York City from May 5-May 8 for several events during the 2026 session of the IMRF. Here’s where to find us!
Breakfast Discussion with Civil Society on Bilateral Third Country Deportation Agreements
May 5, 2026 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. ET.
Invitation Only
Refugees International, Human Rights First, and the Global Strategic Litigation Council is hosting an in-person roundtable discussion on the sidelines of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) about the state of deportation diplomacy and third country deportation agreements.
The discussion will explore the nature of these agreements, the incentives driving them, and the implications of third-country removals for global cooperation on migration management and states’ adherence to international human rights obligations. We will examine the range of agreements currently in place, the role of international organizations in their implementation, and how these arrangements intersect with regional migration policy frameworks and states’ commitments under multilateral treaties and compacts. We also hope to discuss how civil society organizations – particularly across Latin America and Africa – are working to document these agreements, raise awareness of their impacts, and promote greater transparency and accountability.
Mixed Movements as a Governance Challenge: Strengthening Migration Pathways and Asylum Systems in Parallel
May 6, 2026 | 6:30 PM ET
Doors Open at 5:30 PM ET
Open Society Foundations, New York City
Open to All
Governments are responding to global displacement with restrictive measures and border controls. At the same time, crucial investments in asylum systems and legal migration pathways are declining, leading to severe backlogs and real humanitarian harm. The solution is not higher walls or externalization policies—it’s better governance.
Join R-Space at this side event at the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) building on discussions at UNGA last year. This panel examines mixed movements not as an individual failure, but as a structural governance challenge.
Supporting Resilience and Facilitating Safe and Regular Migration Pathways in a Changing Climate: Lessons Learned from GCM Implementation
May 8, 2026 | 1:15-2:30 PM ET
UN Secretariat Building, Conference Room B, New York City
For badged IMRF participants
Every year, millions are displaced or compelled to move in the context of disasters and the intensifying adverse effects of climate change. Unless these movements are safe, orderly, and regular, they pose significant challenges to human security and human rights, and can undermine sustainable development, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts.
At this official International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) side event, high-level speakers will assess the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), with a specific focus on Objectives 2 and 5. The panel will showcase effective practices for regular migration pathways in disaster and climate change contexts and present the updated CLIMB database, an online repository of policy and legal instruments addressing human mobility in the context of climate change.
Join Beyond Climate Collaborative; Climate Migration and Displacement Platform; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; International Organization for Migration; Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD); Refugees International; Republic of Chile; Republic of Costa Rica; and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a dialogue on practical solutions to bridge implementation gaps and strengthen partnerships across local, national, and regional levels.