The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Country Office in Finland promotes safe, orderly and regular migration. Its activities touch upon the following five broad categories:

1. Safe and dignified movements for migrants
   IOM Finland manages operations related to refugee resettlement and family reunification to Finland, Sweden and Iceland. In addition, it provides assistance to migrants who want to return to their country of origin from Finland, Sweden and Iceland. In many cases, IOM Finland also coordinates the provision of reintegration support to beneficiaries, such as cash or in-kind assistance, following their return. 

2. Supporting migrant integration
   IOM Finland facilitates quota refugees’ integration into Finland, Iceland and Sweden by providing orientation courses before their departure. The courses give general information on the host country’s society and culture. IOM Finland has also organized trainings for professionals in municipalities and produced materials related to integration.

3. Countering human trafficking
   IOM Finland conducts work against trafficking in persons by assisting victims of trafficking to return to their country of origin. It has also raised awareness on the topic by organizing various trainings and producing materials for social workers and other professionals. 

4. Migration and development
   IOM Finland coordinates the assignments of Somali diaspora professionals temporarily traveling back to their country of origin to help strengthen the education and health sectors.

5. Sharing information on migration
   Besides assistance to migrants, IOM Finland provides timely and reliable information on various migration related topics for the authorities and the public.

Brief History

Finland has been an IOM Member State since 1991. Following an agreement with the Finnish Government, IOM established the Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic States in Helsinki in 1993. In July 2005, the IOM office in Helsinki extended its regional coverage beyond the Nordic and Baltic States to include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
 
Following a global restructuring in 2011, IOM Finland continued to be responsible for implementing a wide range of migration-related activities in Finland, Sweden and Iceland. The office also continued to supervise the IOM offices in Estonia and Denmark and remained a focal point for IOM's resource mobilization in the Nordic region. At the same time, the regional offices in Brussels and Vienna took over the responsibility for other countries previously covered by the IOM office in Helsinki.

As of 2022, IOM Finland continues to cover operations and project activities in Finland, Iceland and Sweden, whereas IOM Denmark is leading IOM’s resource mobilization functions towards Nordic governments for IOM’s global engagements.

READ MORE ABOUT IOM FINLAND'S FOCUS AREAS