Bratislava, 20 July 2022 – This is shown by the 4th report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the mobility of people fleeing Ukraine who arrived to Slovakia, their needs, intentions and vulnerabilities.

Since 24 February 2022, more than 607,000 refugees from Ukraine, third-country nationals (TCNs) and EU nationals have entered Slovakia as a result of the war in Ukraine. To better understand mobility dynamics and rapidly assess the immediate needs of affected populations on the flee, IOM conducts with these people face-to-face surveys.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, IOM in Slovakia has been expanding the use of its data collection mechanism – the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) – at border crossing points in Vyšné Nemecké and Ubľa, the registration centre in Michalovce, the Červená Hviezda Hotspot in Košice and, in the past, at the registration centre in Humenné.

“We analysed 1,027 individual interviews conducted in person between 9 March and 30 June 2022 in the fourth report from Slovakia,” said Zuzana Vatráľová, Head of IOM Office in Slovakia.

When it comes to future movement intentions, the top three findings are that 64 per cent of respondents indicated they would return to Ukraine once it was safe. Eighteen per cent did not know their long-term intentions and 14 percent expected to stay in Slovakia.

Among the most urgent needs 70 per cent of respondents consider their need of support in communication with their close ones and information support. The other top urgent needs were financial support (68 per cent), transportation within Slovakia (64 per cent) and documentation and legal support (53 per cent). Based on the assessment type of support received in Slovakia, 68 per cent of 576 respondents asked on types of provided support indicated that they had received help with transportation, 66 per cent stated food, 61 per cent received information support and 48 per cent were helped with documentation and provided legal services.

As IOM’s data collection tool in crises, DTM gathers and analyses data on the mobility, locations, vulnerabilities and needs of displaced and migrant populations and ensures that assistance provided to affected populations is targeted to respond to their needs.

The overall number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine has surpassed the 6.27 million mark, with an additional 9.17 million people having fled the war in Ukraine.

In the region, IOM has been expanding data collection to dozens of transit and border crossing points in Belarus, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

The IOM’s DTM activities in Slovakia and other countries neighbouring Ukraine was made possible with financial support from the Council of Europe Development Bank, German Federal Foreign Office, Government of Japan, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and United States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

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More information:

Zuzana Vatráľová, Head of IOM Office in Bratislava, tel. číslo 02 – 5273 3791, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Find all published DTM reports at https://displacement.iom.int/reports.

Visit IOM Global website: Ukraine: IOM Response 2022.

Top findings of the 4th report – Slovakia

Slovakia – DISPLACEMENT SURVEYS: Ukrainian Refugees and Third-Country Nationals (09 March – 30 June 2022)

Regions of origin and demographic profile

Out of 1,027 respondents 99 per cent were refugees from Ukraine and 1 per cent third-country nationals. Respondents also included one German and Slovak national.

The respondents reported coming from 24 different regions in Ukraine while top five regions of their origin remained Kharkiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Odessa. Women and girls constituted 85 per cent of all respondents. The average age of women is 41. The vast majority of the interviewed were travelling in a group (79 per cent) with one or two people (63 %), consisting mostly of their immediate family or relatives, friends, or neighbours.

Intended destination

The most common intended final destination for refugees was Slovakia (67 per cent).

One quarter of respondents indicated another country in Europe, while 1 per cent reported other countries as their final destinations. Of the 260 respondents who identified their final destination country, the majority reported Germany (39 per cent) followed by Czechia (24 per cent), Poland (8 per cent) and Italy (5 per cent). Out of the respondents indicating these countries as their final destinations, 47 per cent reported having family there.

Intention to return

When it comes to future intentions, the top three findings are that 64 per cent of respondents indicated they would return to Ukraine once it was safe, eighteen per cent did not know their long-term intentions and 14 percent expected to stay in Slovakia.

Of the respondents, 56 per cent do not know how long they plan to stay in Slovakia, 22 per cent plan to stay less than a month, 4 per cent between one and three months, while 18 per cent plan to stay more than three months.

Where to stay in Slovakia

Most of the respondents stayed in organized reception centres (28 per cent), while 19 per cent stayed with friends and 17 per cent did not know where to stay at the time of the interview. Fourteen per cent reported renting a private accommodation, while twelve per cent of respondents stayed with relatives. Remaining ten per cent stayed at other locations.

The most urgent needs of people fleeing war in Ukraine and arriving in Slovakia

The majority of respondents (70 per cent) declared their need of support in communication with their loved ones and information support. The other top urgent needs were financial support (68 per cent of the respondents reported this), transportation (64 per cent) and documentation and legal support (53 per cent). The next most urgent needs were food (52 per cent of respondents), support with employment (48 per cent), followed by accommodation (46 per cent). The most urgent needs slightly differed for those travelling with children and the elderly. Food was ranked in the first place, education support was reported by 51 per cent of them and 45 per cent declared needed help with the children’s protection and safety.

Type of support received in Slovakia

Based on analysis of 576 surveys including a set of questions on types of support received in Slovakia, 68 per cent of respondents indicated that they had received help with transportation, 66 per cent stated food, 61 per cent received information support and 48 per cent were helped with documentation and provided legal services.

Employment, psychological counselling along with support for returning remain the most significant unmet needs with upwards of 95 per cent of respondents indicating they had not received this form of support.

About IOM:

International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an international inter-governmental organization established in 1951 with the aim of helping displaced persons, refugees and migrants in Europe. In 2016 IOM joined the UN system as the UN migration agency. At present IOM activities cover a wide range of migration issues in more than 150 countries in the world. As the leading international organization in the field of migration IOM works closely with governments and migrants and it is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. For more information visit www.iom.int.

IOM has been active in Slovakia since 1996. IOM Bratislava implements activities in the field of migrant integration, assisted voluntary returns to migrants’ countries of origin and assistance upon their return, fight against the trafficking in human beings, coordination of the activities of the European Migration Network, and humanitarian transfer of refugees. As part of these and other areas IOM carries out different activities – providing services to migrants, conducting research, raising awareness about migration and migrant integration through information campaigns, implementing educational and capacity-building activities for key stakeholders. For more information visit www.iom.sk/en.

IOM priority in all of its programs is providing direct assistance to migrants.

With support of:

IOM response to Ukraine was generously funded by the Airbnb.org, Council of Europe Development Bank, France, German Federal Foreign Office, Government of Japan, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and United States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.