Tisková zpráva v češtině k dispozici zde.

Prague, 19 December 2023 - The United Nations agency International Organization for Migration (IOM) marks twenty-five years since Czechia became a state and thus established direct cooperation with the organization. Since 1998, IOM in Czechia has focused on supporting migrants and partnership with the Czech public administration. The organization’s activities have included, in close cooperation with Czech ministries, the implementation of Assisted Voluntary Returns (AVR) of migrants to their countries of origin, the development and management of labour migration, and the prevention of human trafficking. Since February 2022, it has focused intensively on assisting the situation related to the arrival of more than half a million refugees from Ukraine. Thanks to the solidarity of donor governments from other countries, in less than two years IOM has provided financial support of 7,6 million USD in more than 100 municipalities in the country, either directly or through partner organizations, to effectively assist refugees.

The International Organization for Migration began operating in Czechia in 1998 based on a treaty concluded between the IOM and Czechia on 15 October 1997. One of its main activities was the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme. Through this programme, in which IOM became involved in Czechia in 2000, the organization has facilitated the dignified and safe return of more than 7,500 persons to their countries of origin. In the most recent project (2018-2022), funded by the European Union's Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, IOM assisted in the return of more than 800 people, while supporting almost 400 of them to reintegrate in their countries of origin. IOM also played a significant role, for example, in the evacuation of refugees from Burma in 2012, working with the Czech state apparatus to resettle people living in extreme conditions. Continuous cooperation with Czech public institutions, in particular the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, played a key role in the implementation of these projects.

In late February 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, triggering the largest refugee wave in Europe since World War II. In less than two years, IOM's Czech office has grown from eight staff members to more than fifty. Thanks to the solidarity of countries such as the US, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Norway, and Sweden, which are IOM’s main donors in Czechia, the organization has been able to respond to the needs of those who have had to leave their homes because of the war and to support the Czech state in coping with the unprecedented situation of hosting more than half a million refugees. IOM's main areas of activity in Czechia include supporting the most vulnerable migrant groups. IOM has established networks of partners with nationwide coverage from state institutions, regions and municipalities, NGOs and the private sector, academia, and the Ukrainian diaspora. It is actively involved in providing information on the rights and obligations of temporary protection holders, focuses on the economic and social inclusion of migrants into Czech society, supports community-based projects, and focuses on data-driven strategic approaches through its own field teams.

The strategic direction of the IOM Czechia is based on the belief that it can constructively harness the power of migration to address not only global but also local problems and challenges. "Migration can be the key to alleviating problems in migrants' countries of origin, such as poverty, inequality, climate change and conflict. Together with our key partners - government, municipalities, NGOs, and companies - we will focus on specific steps to effectively address the ever-growing challenges associated with migration," says Petr Čáp, who has been Director of the IOM Czechia since July 2022. He identifies the prevention of labour exploitation, support for the ethical employment of foreigners in companies, facilitation of regular routes to Czechia mainly in the context of labour migration, and support for a safe and dignified return to the country of origin in case of failure, as specific areas of cooperation between IOM and Czechia.

"We live in an era of unprecedented human mobility. Migration often becomes a topic of discussion before elections, when it is necessary to find a common theme that appeals to the public. IOM brings a rational perspective and a constructive approach to the debate through the transfer of international know-how and data-driven practices," concludes Petr Čáp, promising that IOM is ready to continue to serve Czechia as a member state.

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Historical selection of IOM activities and projects in Czechia

Prevention of trafficking in human beings
The first major project of the local IOM office, which was headed by Alena Slámová until 2000, was to address and prevent the trafficking of Czech citizens abroad, mainly women to Italy and Albania. In addition to this issue, the office also worked on projects focused on Roma communities in Czechia, focusing on alternative accommodation in addition to a series of studies and research.

Large Assisted Voluntary Return Programme
In 2000, Lucie Sládková took up the position of Director of the IOM Czechia and led the office for the next nineteen years. At that time, the IOM in Czechia joined the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme, which was implemented here in cooperation with the Refugee Facilities Administration and the Ministry of the Interior until 2022.

Assisted Voluntary Returns (AVRs) are one of the IOM's flagship programmes designed for the voluntary return of migrants or refugees back to their country of origin. These programmes provide assistance and support in the organisation and implementation of the return, including assistance with travel documents, logistics and, where appropriate, the provision of financial support or reintegration assistance upon return. The aim is to enable people to return voluntarily to their country of origin with dignity and support if they decide to leave the country to which they have migrated. The programme primarily targets people for whom returning to their country of origin is a better option than remaining in the host country, whether for economic, family, or legal reasons.

The director, Lucie Sládková, advocated for expanding the target group of the voluntary return program to include foreigners in detention facilities for foreigners (ZZC), where the program was offered to migrants as a dignified alternative to deportation. In total, IOM has assisted over 7,500 people in Czechia with voluntary return to their countries of origin. The record year was 2009, when 2,420 people went home through the programme, including 1,509 Mongolian citizens. This was due to the economic crisis, with massive layoffs in factories, which also affected foreign workers.

Czechia joins the EU
With Czechia's accession to the European Union, the migration situation has fundamentally changed, with applications for international protection dropping by up to 90 %. At that time, for example, the IOM operated an information line for Romani migrants emigrating to the United Kingdom to raise awareness of their rights and obligations.

Before Czechia joined the Schengen area at the end of 2007, it had very active border controls. The Foreign Police and the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, in cooperation with the IOM, provided training in Moldova, Georgia and Turkmenistan to increase capacity in the area of border controls. Together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, IOM ran a programme until 2008 aimed at promoting legal labour migration as a key tool for national migration management. The programme targeted the recruitment of highly skilled workers, mainly from Central Asian countries, Mongolia, but also Bulgaria and Romania.

Summer School of Migration Studies
The year 2009 brought the first edition of the Summer School of Migration Studies, which brought together experts in the field of human migration. The curriculum, which has become an internationally recognised forum attracting participants from all over the world, combines academic sessions with practical workshops, contributing to a better understanding of migration trends and policies. Currently, the Migration Studies Summer School is organised by the Geomigration Centre in cooperation with IOM Czechia.

Evacuation of refugees from Burma
In 2012, IOM worked with the Czech state apparatus to resettle Burmese refugees who were living in extreme conditions in Thailand and Malaysia, where the Geneva Convention was not in force. At the time, the migration policy led by Tomáš Haišman focused on supporting smaller but most vulnerable groups of people in actual danger, and the programme emphasised Czechia's humanitarian commitment.

Responding to migration waves
During the migration situation in 2015 and 2016, IOM cooperated intensively with the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic in monitoring and analysing the migration routes of Turkey, Greece, and Italy. For five years until 2021, the organisation supplied the Czech state with reports on these migration routes daily.

Cooperation with the Prague City Hall
In 2017 and 2018, the IOM Czechia was also involved in cooperation with the Prague City Hall in organising major international conferences. These conferences focused on sharing best practices and strategies for cities and municipalities on migrant integration, highlighting the importance of a local approach to global challenges.

The period of the COVID-19 pandemic
The Director of IOM Czechia from September 2020 to September 2021 was Eva Sebbane. During this period, IOM was almost exclusively dedicated to the voluntary return programme. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many factories had to significantly reduce production, resulting in massive layoffs of workers, often third-country nationals. During this period, IOM arranged for the safe return home of more than 300 Mongolian workers.

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For more information please contact: fstowasser@iom.int