After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan faced with the significant wave of emigration of its citizens abroad because of the hardships the country was hit by, such as unstable political situation, economic slowdown and internal movement of refugees and IDPs due to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. As years passed, increasing role of the country as a transit country, economic development and implementation of large-scale projects in the fields of energy and transport enabled Azerbaijan to attract growing number of immigrants. Azerbaijan confronted with many-sided problems in the migration processes, therefore a number of actions have been carried out in this field to handle them. Adopting Stated Migration Policy Concept, approving State Migration Program for 2006-2008, establishing State Migration Service were among those actions. Moreover, a Task Force composed of representatives of public bodies was formed to work on the introduction of bio-metric identification. State Program on Bio-metric Identification in the Republic of Azerbaijan was compiled on their recommendations and approved by Ilham Aliyev on February 13, 2007. The Law on National Identity Card of the Republic of Azerbaijan was amended in December 2011 to provide identity cards carry electronic chips containing personal information. Azerbaijan joined he UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and Palermo Protocols related to trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. Decree on the development of migration management system dated 5 August 2008, Order on Integrated Migration Information System dated 6 February 2009, implementation of “Single Window” system on State Migration Service’s activities starting from 4 March 2009, issuing law-enforcement body status to State Migration Service on 8 April 2009 are among the core activities to improve migration management system.
