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Egypt has been an observer State to IOM since 1974, becoming a full-fledged member in 1991 when IOM established its mission in the country, with its office in Cairo. Soon after entering into an agreement with the Government of Egypt, IOM has established excellent working relations with migration-… Read More

This report synthesizes the main findings of qualitative research conducted between April 2019 and March 2021 by IOM’s Missing Migrants Project about the challenges and experiences of families of missing migrants in Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Zimbabwe. Across the four countries, 76… Read More

This research report contributes to the body of knowledge on the experiences of families of missing migrants in Zimbabwe as they search for their relatives and deal with the impacts of the loss. The disappearance of a migrant relative has deep impacts on the emotional, economic, social and legal… Read More

Le présent chapitre décrit la transformation du trafic illicite de migrants le long de la route de la Méditerranée centrale ces cinq dernières années. Les données disponibles montrent que les flux migratoires le long de cette route ont considérablement diminué par rapport aux niveaux constatés de… Read More

Le présent chapitre examine les interactions entre les migrants et ceux qui facilitent leur voyage. Il fait valoir que les préoccupations centrées sur l’Union européenne concernant la migration irrégulière, qui attribuent le trafic illicite aux seuls réseaux criminels organisés, ont conduit à des… Read More

le présent chapitre a pour but de mieux faire comprendre les profils des passeurs, les caractéristiques de leurs réseaux, la manière dont ils accompagnent ou facilitent les voyages des migrants, ainsi que le rôle qu’ils jouent dans les incidents touchant à la protection de ces derniers. Les données… Read More

Este informe se basa en una investigación cualitativa realizada con familias de personas migrantes desaparecidas y organizaciones de la sociedad civil en España. Los resultados muestran los retos a los que se enfrentan las familias a la hora de buscar a sus seres queridos, así como las acciones que… Read More

This report is based on qualitative research conducted with families of missing migrants and civil society organizations in Spain. The findings show the challenges that families face when searching for their loved ones as well as the actions that they are already taking to look for them.

This report explores the challenges and needs of Ethiopian families who have relatives who went missing or died in the context of international migration, against the backdrop of the legal, policy and institutional frameworks applicable to issues of missing migrants in Ethiopia.

This report explores the challenges and needs of families living in the United Kingdom who have relatives who went missing or died in the course of international migration, and provides a policy-oriented overview of laws, advocacies, initiatives and support services applicable to the issue of… Read More

People across Peru are vulnerable and exposed to a wide range of hazards, and studies demonstrate that these hazards are key drivers of migration in the country. Hydrometeorological hazards resulting in excessive amounts of water (in such forms as torrential rainfalls and floods) – or the lack… Read More

Ce rapport donne un aperçu global des flux migratoires au Niger entre 2016 et 2019, une période au cours de laquelle les flux ont évolué de manière significative. Elle explique comment différents événements et diverses évolutions ont affecté les mouvements migratoires dans le pays, et s’efforce à… Read More

This report provides an overview of migration flows in the Niger between 2016 and 2019, a period during which flows changed significantly. It explains how different events and developments have affected migration patterns in the country, and seeks to present a broad picture of migration from, to… Read More

IOM’s close collaboration with African Member States builds on African Union landmark policy frameworks that shape continental guidance on governing human mobility in all its dimensions. Following on from the launch of the Pan-African Forum on Migration, IOM’s 2020–2024. Continental Strategy on… Read More

The Africa Migration Report takes a distinctly regional approach to inform knowledge on migration in Africa. This first edition, titled Challenging the Narrative, aims to deconstruct negative perceptions of migration in Africa by addressing contextual realities and bringing to light practical… Read More

This contribution describes how migrant smuggling along the Central Mediterranean Route has transformed in the past half decade. Available data demonstrate that migratory flows along the Route have considerably shrunk in comparison with the levels seen in 2014– 2017. It remains questionable, though… Read More

This chapter examines the interactions between migrants and the facilitators of their journeys. It argues that European Union-centric concerns over irregular migration that attribute smuggling to organized criminal networks alone have led to simplistic views of mobility facilitation processes in… Read More

This chapter seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the profiles and network characteristics of smugglers, how they support or facilitate people’s journeys, as well as the role they play in protection incidents experienced by people on the move. The data analysed originate from the Mixed… Read More

This edited volume provides comprehensive evidence on migration from and within West and North Africa and across the Mediterranean. It highlights migrants’ agency and contribution to transnational development, as well as the inequalities that shape migration and the risks that migrants are exposed… Read More

The Austrian Annual Policy Report 2019 has been produced within the framework of annual reporting by the national contact points in the European Migration Network. The report outlines the most significant political and legislative developments in Austria in the field of asylum and migration for… Read More

This manual is a practical guide to providing hands-on training on countering migrant smuggling for both practitioners and those new to the thematic area. Developed by experts from IOM’s African Capacity Building Centre (ACBC), the manual is an Africa-oriented tool which seeks to address the issue… Read More

What makes migrants vulnerable to human trafficking and associated forms of exploitation and abuse? A new study, undertaken by Minderoo Foundation’s Walk Free initiative and IOM, examines the connection between migration and modern slavery, and focuses on which migrants are most vulnerable, and in… Read More

The “Tale of the Lion and the Coyote” is a short book focused on the risks of irregular migration that targets children and adolescents. The story narrates real-life events, as it is based on the vicissitudes of the reggae band “Talawa” from Costa Rica.

Authored by Abdullah Mohammadi, Ruta Nimkar and Emily Savage, this publication in the Migration Research Series analyses the perceptions that Afghan smugglers have of themselves and of their relationships with their communities in Afghanistan. The paper is based on interviews with 23 smugglers in… Read More

With the rate of global mobility on the rise, but pathways for legal migration being limited, estimates suggest that a growing number of people are moving irregularly.  More often than not, migrant smugglers facilitate some part of their migration journey. However, effective data gathering and… Read More

This report gives a comprehensive overview of the key messages, discussion points and conclusions articulated during the Regional Conference on Counter Migrant Smuggling: Innovative Ideas and New Models of Cooperation, and extends it with the authors’ analytical reflections. The conference was held… Read More

Migrant Smuggling Data and Research: A global review of the emerging evidence base (Volume 2) presents a unique review of what is being collected and what can be done to further build the evidence base on migrant smuggling globally. The second volume on the topic, and building on the 2016 report,… Read More

This report gives a comprehensive overview of the key messages, discussion points and recommendations put forward during the side event, Reflecting on the Necessity of International Cooperation and Supporting New Models of Cooperation to Counter Migrant Smuggling. The event was held at the fifth… Read More

Trafficking in human beings (THB) and smuggling of migrants (SoM), two distinct but often interrelated phenomena, occur on a global scale. Searching for a way out of economic inequalities, environmental crises, armed conflict, political instability and persecution, and in view of tightening border… Read More

Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du projet intitulé : «Lutte contre la traite des êtres humains au Burkina Faso à travers le renforcement du cadre national et des capacités en identification des victimes et l’amélioration de la collecte des données » financé par le Département de l’Etat Américain… Read More

The study focuses on assessing migrant vulnerabilities, protection needs and exposure to exploitation before migration, during their transit and upon arrival through a qualitative research based on migrants' experiences of irregular migration to Canada – with a focus on Afghan and Syrian migrants.… Read More

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international… Read More

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international… Read More

This booklet is a collection of IOM publications on smuggling of migrants. Among the publications featured are: Fatal Journeys: Tracking Lives Lost during Migration, the most recent publication on border-related migrant deaths; 

Climate change increases the risk of natural disasters and places a strain on livelihoods. This may contribute to high-risk behaviours and other negative coping strategies among affected populations, such as resorting to unscrupulous recruitment agencies associated with human smuggling and… Read More

The purpose of this study, “Assessing the Risks of Migration along the Central and Eastern Mediterranean Routes: Iraq and Nigeria as Case Study Countries” is to give breadth to the concept of “safe migration” by analysing patterns of migration and return from two case study countries: Iraq and… Read More

The fifth special anniversary issue of Migration Policy Practice focuses on “safe migration”. Based on the situation in Europe and the neighbouring countries, it explores how data on both “safe” and “unsafe” migration could be collected in a more systematic fashion.

Migrant Smuggling Data and Research: A global review of the emerging evidence base presents a unique review of what is being collected and what can be done to further build the evidence base on migrant smuggling globally. The report is the result of a collaboration between the International… Read More

This study focuses on illegal or irregular migration and particularly smuggling of migrants from Armenia. Together with IOM’s earlier report on trafficking in women and children, the report aims at providing a comprehensive picture of the nature and incidence of irregular migration in Armenia in… Read More

This publication is the outcome of the Round Table organized by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and IOM, in Sanremo in December 2008.The report, written in the original language of the authors and participants, covers specific issues such as trafficking and smuggling, migration and… Read More

An introductory guide for policymakers and practitioners on how to implement international legal obligations to criminalize migrant smuggling at the domestic level.

Published several times a year, Migration is an update on the Organization's activities and international migration policy issues. Migration is available in English, French and Spanish.

Published several times a year, Migration is an update on the Organization's activities and international migration policy issues. Migration is available in English, French and Spanish.

Published several times a year, Migration is an update on the Organization's activities and international migration policy issues. Migration is available in English, French and Spanish.

Migration from Nigeria to Europe has attracted considerable attention from governments and the media. This is partly because some elements of this migration flow are related to trafficking in persons and other criminal activities, and also because Nigerians have become prominent among sub-Saharan… Read More

Situated at the crossroads of trade and travel routes linking East and West, Turkey has always been a key junction for many types of migratory movements, whether by land or sea. During the last decades, millions of Turkish migrant workers have left their country to work abroad, but recently Turkey… Read More

Irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant smuggling not only lead to the infringement of migrants’ human rights, but also undermine their potential economic and welfare contributions to the development of countries. Drawing from a qualitative methodology that included the use of… Read More

An introductory guide for policymakers and practitioners on how to implement international legal obligations to criminalize migrant smuggling at the domestic level.  

Published several times a year, Migration is an update on the Organization's activities and international migration policy issues. Migration is available in English, French and Spanish.

Published several times a year, Migration is an update on the Organization's activities and international migration policy issues. Migration is available in English, French and Spanish.