Stockholm, 17 February 2025 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Sweden held high-level consultations today to strengthen their partnership and collaboration on the most pressing migration and displacement challenges around the world.  

Senior officials from the Swedish Ministry of Justice, which hosted the meeting, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish Migration Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), met with an IOM delegation led by Director General Amy Pope. The meeting helped advance the strategic partnership between Sweden and IOM, and included a discussion of how IOM can support migration and development policies in Sweden, Europe and across the globe. 

“We are grateful to Sweden for its partnership, trust, and support to IOM. Working together, we can address the drivers of migration, support and stabilize vulnerable communities, and ensure the safe, dignified return of migrants to their countries of origin when safe and possible to do so,” DG Pope said.  

“The Swedish Government is a long-standing partner of IOM, an organization with strong presence across the world supporting governments, migrants and displaced communities,” said Swedish Minister of Migration, Johan Forssell. “Sweden values IOM’s technical and operational support to improve migration and border governance in countries of origin, transit and destination, assist in the return and reintegration of migrants and facilitating a routes-based approach along key corridors as well as their strategic role in countries of crisis, such as in Ukraine and Syria.” 

The partnership between IOM and Sweden dates back to 1954. Today, our joint efforts cover almost all aspects of migration governance, including resettlement of refugees, integration of refugees in host countries, integrated border governance, and return and reintegration assistance to stranded migrants and victims of trafficking. In 2024, Sweden contributed to IOM’s budget with USD 21.5 million. 

For more information, please contact 

In Copenhagen: Alessandro Lira,  alira@iom.int, +45 23667633