To address the cross-border co-operation issues arising with the EU enlargement eastwards and to promote dialogue on asylum and irregular migration issues among the countries situated along the EU eastern border, a proactive initiative 'The Söderköping Process' was launched in early 2001.

Since 2004, the Söderköping Process has specifically focused on sharing of experience on asylum, protection, migration and border management issues between Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Poland and Romania on the one hand and Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine on the other. In 2009 the Söderköping Process became a government led initiative.

The Söderköping Process was extended with new members in 2010 when Sweden joined it, and in 2011 with the accession of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Since the start of the Process, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have been project partners.

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