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What is IOM?

The International Organization for Migration is the principal intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. Committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management, advance understanding on migration issues, encourage social and economic development through migration and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

The organization is rapidly growing and currently counts 127 member states, 17 observer states, 77 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations with observer status from all regions of the world. With more than 2,360 active projects running at present, the operational staff of the organization has increased to over 7,000 people in 460 field locations worldwide. For IOM history click here.

IOM in Central and South-Eastern Europe

IOM is present in Central and South-Eastern Europe since the beginning of the 1990s. Since then, IOM has extended its activities to all the countries in the region.

IOM’s programmatic response in the last years has been inspired by the two significant political processes in recent European history which continue to have immense consequences for the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe: first, the consolidation of independent states after the break-up of Yugoslavia, and secondly, the EU enlargement process towards the East, which has become an overarching political objective for all countries of the region. These political changes will continue to have a significant economic and social impact across Central and South-Eastern Europe, largely affecting migratory flows - regular and irregular - to, within, and from the countries in the region.

While the countries of Central Europe have achieved EU membership as of May 2004, the EU has further expanded in 2007 to incorporate Bulgaria and Romania. Furthermore, the governments of the EU member states have agreed to extend the EU perspective to other countries in South Eastern Europe. Thus Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are formal candidate countries, while all the others are potential candidates. Migration issues are a top priority when it comes to EU integration and, and this is reflected in the EU’s policies in the areas of Justice, Liberty and Security as well as Enlargement and External Relations.

Throughout years, IOM has helped Governments in this region - through continued capacity building - to manage migration flows, focusing its direct assistance activities on areas of voluntary return and counter-trafficking. In more recent times, a wide variety of migration issues - ranging from the implementation of integrated border management to labour migration, integration of third-country nationals and migration and development - are acquiring increasing importance within IOM’s actions.

To meet the growing and complex migration challenges in Central and South-Eastern Europe IOM has sought to ensure a comprehensive, coherent, and balanced approach. For the upcoming years IOM’s primary objective is to act in full partnership with migrants, Governments and national and international partners towards strengthening regional cooperation and harmonizing standards in all key migration-related areas, while addressing new trends and challenges in this area.