Resettlement, repatriation and transportation assistance for migrants, and activities relating to the preparation of migrants for these movements, constitutes the core of IOM’s activities. Aspiring to provide the most efficient and most humane movement services for migrants, for Governments and other implementing partners, IOM assists in organising safe and reliable transfer of individual migrants, for resettlement, work, studies or any other purpose of orderly migration. Most of its regular movement services include selection, processing, language training, orientation activities, medical examinations and various activities to facilitate integration.
Governments are faced with a complex set of challenges to their ability to manage migration, particularly those associated with irregular migration. They find themselves involved as sending, receiving or transit countries of migration flows. IOM’s technical cooperation on migration helps these governments to facilitate cooperation among themselves and to develop the necessary legislation, administrative structures, knowledge and the human resources to better manage migration. IOM is especially active in this field in the CIS countries where it implements capacity building on migration management programmes.
Most migrants wish to return, at some point in time, to their country of origin. Others may be subject to return from a country of intended residence after having been denied the permission to stay by the authorities of that country. Migrants should be able to return in dignity and the return should, wherever possible and appropriate, contribute to the development of the country of origin. IOM’s assisted return activities comprise both hands-on voluntary return programmes for individuals and migration diplomacy targeting governments involved, with IOM as an independent and neutral broker and facilitator. Major return programmes for unsuccessful asylum seekers and other migrants in need are implemented by IOM on behalf of a large number of host countries, comprising for example: Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal or the United Kingdom.
Increasing irregular migratory movements entail a growing problem of trafficking in migrants through organized crime. Criminal networks misinform would-be migrants, exploiting their ignorance of the factual possibilities, often exposing them to economic despair, forced labor and vulnerability in destination countries. IOM contributes to the prevention of migrant trafficking, to the protection of migrants’ rights and to providing assistance to victims of trafficking. Activities generally comprise: research, compilation of data and dissemination/exchange of information and experience; information to potential victims in sending countries; assistance to governments to enhance capacity to counter trafficking; providing opportunities for voluntary return and reintegration assistance. Operations are implemented in Eastern and Central Europe, Nigeria, the Mekong region, and elsewhere.
Individual migrants as well as Governments need to make decisions pertaining to migration on the basis of accurate, reliable and timely information. Too many people are crossing borders in an irregular fashion, making unjustified claims for asylum or residence just because they were not aware of the prerequisites for their move. The public in receiving countries needs well-seasoned information on the implications of migration to counteract xenophobia. IOM develops efficient targeted public information campaigns adapted to specific audiences and cultural or social particularities and conducts/promotes research for better understanding of migration phenomena. IOM currently has active information campaigns in Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Thailand, Vietnam; other campaigns are under consideration in Russia, Cambodia, Central America, Morocco and the Baltic States.
Movements of people entail important aspects of public health. Migrants and mobile populations may carry health characteristics of their place of origin to new and different destinations. IOM has over time gathered considerable experience from medical screening of millions of individual migrants moving under IOM auspices. Based on this experience, IOM provides appropriate treatment and preventive health services to migrants, promotes and assists in the harmonization and standardization of immigration, travel and international health legislation/guidelines, and offers support to training and education of staff involved in migration health care.
IOM's prime objective in seeking to facilitate the management of labour migration is: To promote regular labour migration, within the framework of combating irregular migration, fostering the economic and social development of countries of origin, transit and destination, while respecting the rights and integrity of migrants.
Based on the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, IOM defines a migrant worker as a person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a state of which he or she is not a national (1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, Article 2).
These are specialized programmes dealing with the payments of compensation to migrants in diaspora. Due to their significant outreach and financial impact, they are reflected in the special section of the organigram. IOM became involved in the German Forced Labour Compensation Programme (GFLCP) and the Holocaust Victim Assets Programme (HVAP) in July and November 2000 respectively.
