Assistance to vulnerable migrants

IOM provides protection and assistance to all migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation, abuse and/or violation(s) of their rights, globally. IOM programming, guidance documents and policies address the protection and assistance needs of individual migrants in vulnerable situations and/or in mixed migration flows. Thus, IOM Protection teams assist victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), migrants of diverse SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics), migrants with disabilities, and Roma people, while they advocate for alternatives to detention.

IOM recognizes that vulnerability and resilience of individual migrants, migration-affected households, communities and groups, stem from various factors at the individual, household, community and/or structural level. IOM also considers that sudden or unforeseen changes in circumstances at any of the aforementioned levels can have a significant impact on the vulnerability of a person or a group.

Based on its longstanding operational experience, the Organization has developed a "Determinants of Migrant Vulnerability Framework. This holistic Framework assists IOM staff and practitioners worldwide in better assessing and identifying migrant vulnerabilities, capabilities and skills and providing more comprehensive and sustainable protection. It is a practical tool to analyse vulnerability on a scale based on the interaction between risk and protective factors at different levels (individual, household, community, and structural levels). It offers a standard methodology for identifying migrants vulnerable to (or who have experienced) violence, exploitation or abuse and provides guidelines, standards, and tools for providing them with appropriate case management, protection, and assistance services. 

To achieve this mission, IOM engages in:

• Protection and Direct Assistance;
• Training and Capacity Development;
• Data, Research and Learning;
• Convening and Dialogue;
• Advocacy and Communications;
• Provision of thematic guidance.