IOM MIGRATION INFORMATION CENTRE

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Activities of the IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC) as of 31 December 2023

In 2023, the IOM Migration Information Centre provided its counselling services to a total of 13,785 people. Read all the results in key programs and main areas of activity of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Slovakia for 2023.

Migrant Integration – IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC)

The IOM’s key programme in the field of integration of migrants in Slovakia is the Migration Information Centre (MIC), which accompanies citizens of other countries arriving in Slovakia from their first steps in their new country. It provides them with Slovak language courses, supports them in obtaining an education and improving qualifications or retraining, provides free legal and social counselling and job counselling, including job search assistance and organises social and cultural orientation courses with information on various aspects of life in Slovakia. The MIC has been supporting the community life of foreigners in Slovakia for more than 16 years.

Counselling for foreigners in Slovakia

In 2023, MIC provided 23,472 consultations in person, by phone or by email on residence, family, employment, business, education or citizenship in Slovakia. The number of consultations provided increased by more than 11% year-on-year.

MIC supports foreigners in their integration into the labor market in Slovakia. 3,263 clients used help with orientation on the labor market, preparation of a CV, preparation for an interview, communication with employers, search for job offers etc.

Online Assistance

Another MIC service is the website, which is a unique source of legal and practical information for foreigners about important areas of life in Slovakia. Information is available in Slovak, English and Russian. In 2023, 371,000 visitors looked up the information on the website.

In the past year, MIC held new webinars in the field of labor and family law. Recordings from them are available on the IOM YouTube page.

Slovak language courses for foreigners in the Slovak Republic

In 2023, MIC opened 219 Slovak language courses in Bratislava, Košice and other cities in Slovakia. A total of 4,423 people registered for the courses.

Supporting the cultural life of communities of foreigners in Slovakia

MIC also cooperated with cultural mediators – representatives of the communities of foreigners in Slovakia. With the support of the MIC, they organized events through which they support community engagement and create space for mutual understanding between communities and local society. In 2023, cultural mediators with the support of MIC organized 140 community information meetings for 3476 people (it's a 110% increase compared to 2022).

IOM Migration Information Centre – Supporting labour mobility and integration of migrants

From 2022 until 2024, the MIC implemented activities from the Slovak Recovery and Resilience Plan that specifically targeted talent, highly skilled foreign workers and international students from EU and non-EU countries, as well as Slovak returnees.

The MIC has provided consultations and services under the Recovery and Resilience Plan activities, which have contributed to supporting the attraction and retention of talent in the Slovak Republic. The MIC also extended its advisory services to employers employing highly skilled foreign workers from EU and non-EU countries, for whom it provided consultations and specialised training on the employment of foreigners.

As part of supporting integration and retraining support, MIC also provides grants for recognition of education and grants for education and retraining. In 2023 169 clients received financial support for the recognition of their education in Slovakia.

MIC also supports retraining courses, thanks to which clients can find employment in Slovakia, in 2023, 72 clients received a financial contribution for retraining courses.

Opening of MIC in the regions

In addition to Bratislava and Košice, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) opened offices of its Migration Information Center (MIC) in six other regional cities. Citizens from non-EU countries can use free comprehensive advice and MIC services in all regions of Slovakia (Trnava, Nitra, Banská Bystrica, Žilina, Trenčín, Prešov, Košice).

From April 1, 2024, MIC offers its core services only in Bratislava and Košice. The rest of the MIC branches in other regional cities ceased providing services as of March 31, 2024.

Migration Information Centre to Support Integration of Migrants in Slovakia (phase XI, Individual Project). The project is co-funded by the European Union from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Home Affairs Funds.