More than 6,900 migrants and refugees have been voluntarily relocated across Europe through the European Union’s Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which implemented the program with funding from the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund in cooperation with the European Union Agency for Asylum.
The initiative supported the voluntary relocation of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection from five frontline countries—Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain—to 13 participating European countries.
“The results demonstrate what can be achieved through strong cooperation between national authorities, European institutions and international partners,” said Sanja Celebic Lukovac, IOM Chief of Mission in Greece, which coordinated the program.
She said the initiative had enabled thousands of people to relocate safely while contributing to a more balanced and humanitarian approach to solidarity within Europe.
Since the program began, the IOM has organized more than 230 relocation operations across the 13 participating countries. According to post-relocation feedback, more than 90% of participants said they were satisfied with the support they received throughout the process, from departure to arrival.
As part of the program, the IOM carried out more than 6,000 health assessments to ensure participants were fit to travel and organized pre-departure orientation sessions for more than 5,000 people aged 15 and older to help them prepare for life in their destination countries.
The organization also identified more than 275 vulnerable individuals with specific protection needs and referred them to specialized support services provided by national and local authorities.
Gianluca Rocco, Director of the IOM Sub-Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Brussels, said the experience gained through the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism would help inform the implementation of the European Union’s new Migration and Asylum Pact.
He said the lessons learned would strengthen cooperation among EU member states and improve preparedness for managing future migration pressures.
