In January 2013, IOM International Organization for Migration organized two trainings for 45 employees of alien police, border control police departments, border police directorate, labor offices, district offices, city councils and legal advice centers from all over Slovakia. Trainings were focused on enhancing expert capacities and intercultural skills of employees of state institutions who provide services to migrants in Slovakia.

 Migrants were at the center of the whole program of the trainings. The trainings were led by the team of IOM staff. With the use of role plays, discussions, quizzes or group work, the participants were given overview of basic terms in the field of migration and integration of migrants, up-to-date image of migrants living in Slovakia, attitude of the public to migrants and trends in the field of migration and integration in Slovakia and in the world. The next part of the program was aimed at deepening intercultural knowledge and communication skills and improving regional cooperation of participants to the benefit of migrants.

Participants learned about the first-hand experience of migrants living in Slovakia. This experience was introduced by the representatives of migrant communities from Columbia and Afghanistan – so called cultural mediators who cooperate with the IOM Migration Information Center.

The trainings were the part of the project Enhancing Intercultural Competencies and Regional Cooperation of Professionals Working with Migrants in the Slovak Republic III and they build on the series of trainings organized in 2010 and 2011 (more at http://www.mic.iom.sk/dialog/projekt).

The project is funded by the European Union from the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows.