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There are over 121 thousand foreign nationals with residence permit In Slovakia. They represent 2.22% of the total population of Slovakia. Citizens from countries that are not Member States of the European Union (so-called third country nationals) represent 53.9% of the total number of foreign nationals in Slovakia. Despite the fact that the Slovak Republic is among EU countries with the lowest share of foreign nationals within the population, the number of foreign nationals has increased several times, and their numbers have grown since the accession of the Slovak republic to the EU. This migration trend leads to greater cultural as well as religious diversity, and according to various surveys, the majority population does not have sufficient information on migration and thus persists to have prejudices and stereotypes.
IOM in Slovakia responds to these trends by implementing the following activities in the field of integration of foreign nationals:
Direct assistance and counselling in integration for foreigners in SR
IOM‘s key program in the field of integration of foreigners in Slovakia, is the IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC), which provides to its clients – third-country nationals – free legal and social counselling, labour counselling including job seeking assistance, retraining courses and courses of Slovak language and supports community life of foreign nationals in Slovakia.
More information on: www.mic.iom.sk
Capacity building of professionals in the field of migration
From 2010 to 2015, IOM organized trainings and workshops for employees of the state Administration, local Authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations, who work with third-country nationals. Trainings provided by IOM emphasized reinforcement of knowledge in various aspects of migration and integration of foreign nationals, to enhance intercultural and communication skills and mutual cooperation among various institutions providing services to foreign nationals.
Raising Awareness on Migration
In the past, IOM has carried out several activities which helped to raise awareness on migration and migrants in Slovakia and to remove barriers between the native citizens and foreign nationals:
Migrants in the Spotlight: Training and Capacity Building for Media Representatives and Students
IOM in Slovakia and five other European countries, held an international media competition on migration and professional workshops by means of which it increased professional capacity of current and future media professionals, which should help providing the public with high-quality media coverage through balanced information on migration and thus to reduce stereotypes and prejudices towards the migrants.
Next Door Family EU
This international project, in an original way, united native families and those of foreign nationals through mutual lunches in seven European countries. Due to personal contact, the foreign nationals had a unique chance to gain personal experience with Slovak natives and the natives had the opportunity to host a lunch for foreign nationals living in Slovakia at their homes and thus to overcome mutual prejudices and barriers. In a number of European cities, such family meetings were filmed and the footage was later used to create a documentary called Next Door Family.
We Are At Home Here
Within the project, IOM prepared and released a documentary film, didactic material and an information poster, which all serve to introduce well balanced and substantiated information on migration to the public and also serve as educational resources for teachers and lecturers. Teaching staff may also use this material to introduce the topic of migration at schools and lecturers to use it in the training process of professionals working with foreigners.
Research on various aspects of migration
Causes, forms and consequences of violence against third country nationals in SR
In Slovakia, IOM examined the experiences of migrants with violence and abuse in the context of public places, domestic violence and violence at the workplace. Based on the research, IOM carried out an analysis on the phenomenon of violence against third country nationals, to form the basis for the introduction of effective legislative, political and practical measures aimed at preventing, detecting, combating violence and addressing its consequences. Results of the research are published in the publication Migrants' Experiences with Violence in Slovakia.
Migration in the Slovak Republic following its accession to the EU (2004 – 2008) – analysis of migration trends and public attitudes toward issues of migration and integration of foreigners
In the first component of research, IOM analysed the main elements of migration (legal and illegal migration, labour migration and emigration and naturalization) for a period of four years following Slovakia's accession to the EU. Research outlined the impact of migration on Slovak society, including demography, economy and the labour market, and mapped the evolution of migration management and current challenges of Slovak migration policy. Results of the research are published in a study Migration Trends in the Slovak Republic after Its Accession to the EU (2004-2008).
The second component of research focused on identification, representative survey, questionnaire survey, qualitative survey with focus groups and semi-structured interviews with public policy makers and experts, analysis and presentation of Slovak public attitudes towards foreign migration, integration and employment of migrants. Results of the research, along with recommendations for communication strategies and information campaigns on migration and integration of foreign nationals, are published in a study Public Attitudes toward Foreigners and Foreign Migration in the Slovak Republic.
Information on other IOM activities in the field of integration of foreign nationals may be found here.
Migration Information Centre to Support Integration of Migrants in Slovakia (phase IX, Individual Project). The project is co-funded by the European Union from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Home Affairs Funds.
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If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, you may use the following free services of the IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC):
Legal counselling
We will advise you in the matters regarding residence, employment, business, family reunion, housing, social security, health care and health insurance, education, citizenship and other fields of life and residence of foreign nationals in Slovakia.
Labour and social counselling
We will help you to navigate on the labour market, with your job search, with the preparation of your CV and cover letter, in communicating with your employer, to prepare for a job interview, in contacting the Authorities and also in the process of arranging social security benefits.
Support of education and retraining of foreign nationals
We will help you to correctly asses your skills and qualifications and also to seek training and retraining courses and to obtain information on study in Slovakia. We also provide allowance towards the completion of an educational/retraining course in different fields.
Slovak language courses for foreign nationals
We also provide language training for foreign nationals. You may attend our free Slovak language courses in Bratislava and Kosice.
Courses of social and cultural orientation in Slovakia
We organize courses that will help you to navigate in important fields of life in Slovakia and will facilitate your first steps in our country.
Support of the life of foreigners in Slovakia
We have had a long-term cooperation with the representatives of migrant associations and communities in Slovakia – cultural mediators who support social life of the community, help their fellow countrymen and also organize multicultural events, which subsequently help to introduce the culture of the country of their origin to the public and by doing so, are creating space for mutual understanding between foreign nationals and the majority society.
More information
You may use these services personally at MIC offices in Bratislava on Grösslingová Street 35 and in Košice on Poštová Street 1. You may also contact MIC staff by telephone on our information helpline 0850 211 478 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Further information may also be found on the MIC website www.mic.iom.sk.
Migration Information Centre to Support Integration of Migrants in Slovakia (phase IX, Individual Project). The project is co-funded by the European Union from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Home Affairs Funds.
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International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with a film, director Marcel Pázman created a documentary We are at home here, which through specific story lines of three migrants from different cultures – a Palestinian doctor, Florist from Ukraine and an entrepreneur from Vietnam – talks about the life of migrants in Slovakia. The film also uses footage of public opinion surveys that took place in the streets, asking people to express their attitudes on migrants in Slovakia. On the other hand, the film brings substantiated information based on which it portrays the reality of migration in Slovakia.
See the film and make your own opinion:
The film is also available on the IOM YouTube website, from where it may be directly projected. The film is part of the IOM educational materials on migration.
The film is freely usable and distributable for the purpose of its non-commercial use for educational purposes in schools, in training of intercultural skills and for its public presentation with the aim to support the creation of an well-informed public opinion on migration and migrants, for the debate on migration and migrants, to get rid of stereotypes and myths and to prevent manifestations of intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia in the society. No part of the film or the film as a whole may be reproduced for any other purpose, stored in search engines or distributed in any way and in any form without prior consent of IOM.
Implemented with the financial support of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic within the framework of the Grant Programme Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms. Only International Organization for Migration is responsible for the content of this document.
Production of film was financially supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund.
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Activities of the IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC) as of 31 December 2018
MIC is a counselling centre of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Slovakia, whose main objective is to promote integration of migrants in Slovakia. It has been providing its services since 2006. MIC is the first and unique information centre in Slovakia that provides comprehensive services to foreigners at one place. MIC services include legal, social and vocational counselling, retraining and further education, inclusion in the labour market and support of community life of foreigners.
During its operation, MIC has provided free legal, social and labour counselling to 22,193 clients and their families in the main fields of life in Slovakia, such as residence, family, employment, business, education, citizenship and so on.
MIC’s clients come from more than 160 countries, however most from Ukraine, Russia, Serbia, India, Iran and the US.
During this period MIC has provided 38,443 personal, e-mail or telephone consultations by mean of the information helpline 0850 211 478. Another unique source of information and advice in various fields of life and residence of migrants in Slovakia is also MIC’s website, which has been since 2006 sought by more than 1,118,930 users.
The Visa Check web application provides information to foreigners from any country of the world who plan to come to Slovakia if they need visa to enter the country and what kind of residence permit is required if they want to study, work or do business in Slovakia. Since 2017 the application has been used by 5,352 persons from 181 countries, mostly from Ukraine, India, the US, Russia and Serbia.
Since 2012 MIC has been organizing days of specialized counselling to foreigners, so-called One-Stop Shops. This model of integrated counselling allows foreigners to arrange their agenda and to obtain information at one place, from the staff of several institutions. By 2017 MIC had organized 26 One-Stop Shops in Bratislava and in Kosice and received a positive feedback. Complex counselling was used by 416 foreigners from more than 30 countries.
MIC supports foreigners in obtaining education, increasing their qualifications or retraining and organizes free open Slovak language courses and courses in social and cultural orientation with information on various aspects of life in Slovakia – activities that facilitate integration of foreigners into the society. Since 2011, Slovak language courses in Bratislava and Košice, have been attended by 6,749 foreigners and courses of social and cultural orientation by 1,189 foreigners. Additional 647 clients received support for further education and for a retraining course.
The Centre cooperates with cultural mediators – representatives of foreigner associations and communities in Slovakia. With the support of the Centre, they organize events through which they introduce the culture of the country of their origin to the public, support social life of the community, help their fellow countrymen and create space for mutual understanding of communities and the majority society. Since 2006, cultural mediators, with the support of MIC, have organized 179 multicultural and community information meetings for 13,893 people.
More information on: www.mic.iom.sk
The results of training and capacity building of professionals (Strengthening of intercultural skills and regional cooperation of professionals working with migrants in the Slovak Republic) as of 31 May 2015
From 2010 to 2015, IOM trainings and the follow-up workshops on migration, intercultural skills and regional cooperation, have been attended by more than 510 employees of the state and public administration, who work with migrants in the Slovak Republic. Participants acquire skills in intercultural communication, knowledge in the field of migration and integration of migrants in Slovakia, which may be utilised when working with migrants and to strengthen the cooperation between the institutions.
Migration Information Centre to Support Integration of Migrants in Slovakia (phase IX, Individual Project). The project is co-funded by the European Union from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Home Affairs Funds.
Following IOM activities in the area of migrant integration – the project Migration Information Centre to Support Integration of Migrants in Slovakia (phase VII – Individual project) and the project Enhancing Intercultural Competencies and Regional Cooperation of Professionals working with Migrants in the Slovak Republic V (Individual project) – are co-financed by the European Union from the European Fund for Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows.