Marek from eastern Slovakia found himself in financial troubles. To solve them, he was looking for a job but with no success. In summer 2013, he was approached by Laco – his acquaintance who had already been living in England for a long time and came to Slovakia just for holidays. He offered Marek an opportunity to earn some money in Bradford working as a construction worker. Marek was told that he could live at Laco’s place and did not have to arrange anything apart from getting to the place. Marek liked the offer so he left Slovakia.
Mr. Vitalie left Southeast Moldova in order to search for work in Slovakia. Southeast Moldova is industrially one of the least developed and poorest countries in Europe. He lived in Slovakia for two months illegally. He could not find any work and decided to return home with the assistance of International Organization for Migration (IOM). After his return IOM provided him with support which helped him to expand his family’s farm specialised in growing fruit trees seedlings. He sells cherry pear and apple seedlings in the marketplace in Chisinau. The assistance provided by IOM allowed Vitalie and his family to gain an important source of income and a life with dignity. “I am satisfied with provided help. I do not want to go back abroad and I recommend anyone who is illegally in Europe to return through IOM,” says Vitalie.
Alexander had lived in Moldova – Transnistria region. He went abroad and worked three years in various European countries as a welder, mechanic and constructions worker. He arrived in Slovakia in February in search for a job. Since he had no residence permit, the Alien police detained him and placed him in a detention centre for aliens in Secovce where he was awaiting his deportation from Slovakia. Following the information meeting during which the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR) was presented to him, the returnee decided to return home with the assistance of IOM and registered into the AVRR programme. The information meetings on AVRR are organised by IOM staff in detention centres for aliens in Secovce and Medvedov.
After a car accident Rado is able to move only in a wheelchair. He does not have a close family and is wholly dependent on assistance provided in social care centre. Approximately one year ago, a man called Karol started visiting him in the centre. He introduced himself as his distant relative. Karol seemed trustworthy to Rado and so he agreed to move to Karol’s house. There were already two other disabled men - Marek and Ivan - living at his place. They both had their legs amputated. Marek had been homeless before and Ivan had recently come to Karol’s place from similar centre as Rado. Soon after Rado moved to Karol’s place, Karol invited all three men to go on a car trip.
Peter was left in England without any documents, without access to his bank account and he was denied contact with his family. He became the victim of trafficking in human beings. Thanks to the IOM reintegration assistance, Peter is currently at home and is able to earn his living and support his family.
Mrs. Alexandra comes from Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe. She left for Slovakia to make some money and pay back all of her debts. “In Slovakia I was working as a cleaning lady and I paid back all my debts,” says Mrs. Alexandra.
In 2011 IOM Bratislava within the framework of the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme provided reintegration help in total amount of 35 783,79 € to 26 individuals or entire families from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Moldova, Serbia (Kosovo), Ukraine and Vietnam who applied for assisted voluntary return and reintegration grant. For example, targeted IOM aid helped to improve living conditions of a 50-year old client and his family, who have returned from Slovakia to their home village in Velesniv, Ukraine.
Family with three small children left Kosovo, where they had lost a house during the armed conflict, and asked for asylum in Slovakia. During the asylum procedure, they decided to return home and registered to the IOM Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR).
Mahmoud is one of the 50 refugees from Yemen whom the Slovak Republic provided with a temporary shelter on its territory in the Emergency Transit Centre (ETC) in Humenné. Mahmoud’s secret dream came true. „The word ‘happy‘ only weakly describes how I feel now. Every day we get food that we saw in Yemen, but couldn’t afford it”, says Mahmoud with a smile on his face. In Humenne he saw a bed for the first time after 20 years; he even has his own one.
A group of 50 refugees from Yemen who landed at Košice airport on 19 July 2012 will spend 6 months in Slovakia. The Slovak Republic provided the refugees with a temporary shelter on its territory, the refugees will be accommodated in the asylum facility of the Ministry of Interior in Humenné and they will be gradually resettled to the United States of America. Zahra is also in the group of refugees who will spend half a year of their lives in Slovakia.