Relocation and Resettlement

Both relocation and resettlement present legal and safe migration options for people in need of international protection.

EU Relocation Scheme

The EU relocation scheme is an expression of internal EU solidarity, through which people in need of international protection are transferred from Greece and Italy to another Member State of Relocation, where their asylum application will be processed. Only those nationalities for which the EU average recognition rate is above 75% are eligible.

The Slovenian government pledged to relocate 567 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece with IOM's assistance. By March 2018, 253 asylum seekers arrived to Slovenia with IOM's help - 172 from Greece and 81 from Italy.

In the pre-departure phase IOM Greece and IOM Italy conduct health assessments to ensure that beneficiaries travel in safety. Furthermore, the missions organize one day pre-departure and cultural orientation sessions, providing information in a language the beneficiaries understand, on their rights and obligations, on what to expect when they arrive, as well as pre-embarkation information. IOM also carries out a pre-embarkation fitness for travel check a few hours before departure and provides assistance during boarding. IOM representatives accompany individuals or groups of beneficiaries through their transit points and meet them at the final destination.

Between October 2015 and April 2018, IOM assisted the relocation of 34,694 persons in need of international protection with pre-departure health assessments, pre-departure orientation and movement management. A majority of them were male (63%), adults (68%), and of Syrian (52%), Eritrean (35%) and Iraqi (11%) nationality. The scheme also assisted 585 unaccompanied or separated migrant children.

Due to the strict eligibility criteria, the changes in criteria during the implementation of the scheme, as well as the drop in arrivals to Greece and Italy during the project implementation, the number of assisted beneficiaries is considerably lower than the target of 106,000 persons. Almost all eligible persons registered in Greece and in Italy have been successfully relocated to another European state with the assistance of IOM.

Latest figures (updates as of 30 April 2018)

Member State	From Greece	From Italy	Total
Austria	0	43	43
Belgium	700	471	1,171
Bulgaria	50	10	60
Croatia	60	22	82
Cyprus	96	47	143
Czech Republic	12	0	12
Estonia	141	6	147
Finland	1,202	778	1,980
France	4,400	635	5,035
Germany	5,391	5,434	10,825
Ireland	1,022	0	1,022
Latvia	294	34	328
Liechtenstein	10	0	10
Lithuania	355	29	384
Luxembourg	300	249	549
Malta	101	67	168
Netherlands	1,755	1,020	2,775
Norway	693	815	1,508
Portugal	1,192	356	1,548
Romania	683	45	728
Slovenia	172	81	253
Slovakia	16	0	16
Spain	1,124	235	1,359
Sweden	1,656	1,392	3,048
Switzerland	580	920	1,500
Total	22,005	12,689	34,694

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Resettlement is a symbol of international solidarity to find a durable solution for refugees who are unable to return to their country of origin for fear of continued persecution and do not have the option to stay in their country of asylum. IOM provides the following resettlement services upon the request of governments: case processing; health assessments and travel health assistance; pre-departure orientation, integration support and movement and travel operations.

In 2018, 34 Syrian refugees were permanently resettled to Slovenia from Turkey folowing the siganture of the Framework Agreement on refugee resettlement between the Ministry of the Interior of Slovenia and the IOM. The progamme was implemented in close partnership with the Governments of Slovenia and Turkey and the UNHCR.

The groups arriving from Turkey between July and October 2018 included 6 families, consisting of 13 adults and 21 children, of whom 15 are male and 19 female.