Migration & Displacement

TRIANGLE in ASEAN (2015-2027), supported by Australia and Canada, protects migrant workers in Southeast Asia through research, policy advice, capacity building, and service facilitation. The program covers all ASEAN countries plus key destination countries. Activities include: applied research on labor migration to inform policy changes; legislative reviews based on International Labour Standards; training for government officials, workers' organizations, and private sector; public attitude tracking surveys (Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand); publications on skills mobility and recognition in ASEAN; COVID-19 impact studies on migrant workers. Related "Safe and Fair" project (ILO-UN Women) specifically addresses women migrant workers' rights.

An EU-funded non-formal education program in Kenya's Dadaab refugee complex providing catch-up education for out-of-school girls. Accelerated Education Centres help over-age girls build literacy and numeracy while addressing cultural barriers like early marriage through community engagement.

A UNICEF-supported program using female community mobilizers to deliver life-saving health information to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar camps. Mobilizers address sensitive topics like handwashing, malnutrition, and reproductive health in culturally appropriate ways.

A UNICEF-led Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program in Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp using community health volunteers to promote handwashing, safe water storage, and sanitation practices. The program transitioned from emergency response to sustainable household-level infrastructure.

The Fair Recruitment Initiative, launched in 2014, prevents human trafficking and forced labor by protecting migrant workers from abusive recruitment practices. The initiative's four-pronged approach: (1) enhance global knowledge on recruitment, (2) improve laws/enforcement, (3) promote fair business practices, (4) empower and protect workers. Since launch, FRI has covered 50 countries, contributed to 110 countries regulating recruitment fees, and supported 133 new ratifications of relevant ILO Conventions. The ILO General Principles state that NO recruitment fees should be charged to workers. The program addresses the estimated USD 5.6 billion annual illegal profits from exploitative recruitment fees charged to migrant workers.

Work in Freedom (2013-2018+), a partnership between ILO and UK DFID, addressed human trafficking of women and girls from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal to garment and domestic work in India, Jordan, Lebanon, and UAE. The £8.3M program targeted 100,000+ women with: (1) skills and pre-departure training for 50,000 migrants to secure legal contracts, (2) economic empowerment for 30,000 women to control income and send remittances, (3) prevention of migration for girls under 16 (keeping them in school), (4) recruitment agency codes of conduct with no-fee policies. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine measured outcomes including worker satisfaction, employer attitude changes, and agency adoption of ethical practices.

The largest early childhood development initiative in humanitarian history, combining localized Arabic 'Sesame Street' content with direct services including preschool, parenting sessions, and home visits. Features Muppet characters designed to help refugee children process trauma and develop social-emotional skills.

A comprehensive HIV/AIDS behavior change communication program in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, using peer education, community health workers, and culturally adapted messaging to promote safe practices and reduce HIV transmission among diverse refugee populations.

IOMs Community Stabilization Programme in Iraq addresses post-ISIS conflict through an integrated approach combining social cohesion, mental health (MHPSS), livelihoods, and protection services. Since 2006, IOM has supported Iraqi communities through the Community Revitalization Programme. Key activities include: community centers for IDP-returnee-host interaction, dialogue groups, non-competitive sports, mediation training, and memorialization/storytelling. MHPSS services include psychiatric consultations, support groups, relaxation workshops, psychological first aid, and suicide prevention awareness. IOM collaborated with Government of Iraq on national suicide prevention strategy. Livelihood support includes vocational training and income generation grants. Protection services address GBV, trafficking, and housing/land/property documentation.

Aware Migrants is an awareness campaign launched in 2016 by IOM and the Italian Ministry of Interior to inform potential migrants about the dangers of irregular migration across the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea. The campaigns slogan is Information is Empowerment. It features video testimonials from migrants who experienced perilous journeys, subtitled in English, Italian and Arabic and broadcast in 15 countries. The campaign uses social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter), radio/TV, community theatre, sports tournaments, cooking events, and photography courses. African artist Rokia Traore wrote the official song Be Aware Brother, Be Aware Sister. Between 2016-2023, the campaign reached 530,000+ people across 11 countries in North and West Africa.

IOMs global Migration Health Programme ensures migrants access high-quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate health services while strengthening health systems. The programme takes a route-based approach, strategically planning interventions along migration corridors with local communities. In MENA region alone, IOM provides approximately 1 million consultations annually through health facilities and mobile clinics, conducts 34,000+ health promotion sessions, and supports immunization services. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) uses community-based, interdisciplinary approaches including psychosocial mobile teams. The programme addresses communicable diseases (TB, HIV), non-communicable diseases, and climate-related health risks. Aligned with Global Compact for Migration and SDG Goal 3.

IOM X is a USAID-partnered campaign to prevent human trafficking and exploitation in the Asia-Pacific region. The flagship product Prisana: An IOM X Drama premiered in 2015, highlighting trafficking in the fishing industry through a compelling love story featuring popular actors. MTV Philippines and MTV Thailand were official distribution partners. The campaign provides free educational content to broadcasters and organizations. IOM Philippines also participated in MTV EXIT Live Manila (2011) reaching 25,000 attendees. The program addresses trafficking realities: fishermen endure 18-20 hour workdays, 1.5 years average entrapment, cramped conditions, and unpaid labor. IOM has directly assisted 100,000+ trafficking victims over 25 years.

Migrants as Messengers is an IOM peer-to-peer awareness campaign where returned migrants share their experiences with potential migrants in West African communities. The program trains returnees as community ambassadors who conduct outreach in schools, markets, community gatherings, and through social media. By leveraging the credibility of those who have actually made the journey, the campaign provides authentic perspectives on migration risks and opportunities. The approach complements mass media campaigns like Aware Migrants by adding personal, trusted voices. Returnees share balanced information about both dangers and legal migration pathways, empowering informed decision-making rather than discouraging all migration.