‘Taking the “E” Out of ICEM’?

This chapter examines the transformation of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) during the long 1970s, as it expanded its focus beyond Europe to non-European refugees. This shift occurred due to diminishing European economic migration and rising crises elsewhere. Despite its name, ICEM’s activities adapted to new geopolitical flashpoints while maintaining Cold War priorities. Using archival sources from ICEM and its successor, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), this chapter analyses ICEM’s evolving role. It highlights the tension between expanding humanitarian concerns and the institution’s Western-centric structures. The study reveals how ICEM’s changes reflected both the emerging economic and political conditions of the 1970s and its ongoing continuities, ultimately foreshadowing present-day migration regimes.