IOM is an international, intergovernmental organization established in 1951 in Geneva. The original mission of the organization was to assist refugees and displaced persons in Europe after the Second World War. However, during the decades after the war, the number of migrants increased significantly and migration gradually became one of the most significant social issues affecting modern societies and thus there remained a need for the Organization’s involvement. The scale and scope of IOM activities gradually broadened and at present the Organization implements projects relating to all areas of migration management in the world.

IOM has been present in Slovakia since 1996 when an Agreement between IOM and the Government of the Slovak Republic was signed, based on which the office of IOM in Bratislava was established. In 2000 a branch IOM office was established in Košice. At present the main areas of IOM activity in Slovakia include assisted voluntary returns, prevention of trafficking in human beings and assistance to trafficked persons and integration of migrants. Within these areas, IOM implements various types of activities including provision of services to migrants, research, information campaigns, education and capacity building. Since 2009 IOM has also been the National Contact Point of the European Migration Network in Slovakia.

IOM activities are funded exclusively by projects. In recent years, the major donors have been the Slovak Government and the European Commission mainly through the Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows programme.

On this webpage which we launched in November 2009, you will find information about the mandate and mission of IOM, our current projects and the results of our activities, including research studies, publications and other project materials. More information about IOM in the world can be found on the global webpage of the Organization www.iom.int.