After the closure of the so called “Balkan route” a number of migrants remained stranded in Croatia. A prolonged stay and uncertain destiny of stranded migrants and refugees requires a tailored response to their needs.  To best accommodate this need, IOM used its internal specialist training capacity to prepare the field staff for community work. 

In this view, courses in international migration law, gender and migration, gender-based violence, asylum and policy on protection, as well as counter trafficking, have been delivered to the field team members to gain a better understanding of critical and psycho-social needs and appropriate response requirements and referral mechanisms existing on the ground. 

IOM focusses on the community work with the migrants and continues with the delivery of language courses (English and Croatian) to the migrants and asylum-seekers at Hotel Porin.

 As of 09 May 2016 a two-week curriculum “Introduction to cultural orientation” will be delivered to the migrants and asylum- seekers with the aim to enhance their medium to long-term integration potential. IOM interpreters will continue to provide support when required and to act as cultural mediators for information dissemination and communication among the asylum- seekers, stranded migrants and refugees.