• If you’re looking to move to a new country, there may be options for you to move safely and regularly. Please check out the options for safe and regular migration section for more information.
• If you are fleeing persecution, a serious threat to your life, physical integrity, freedom or armed conflict, you may be eligible to seek asylum or protection in another country. Other pathways may also be available. For example, recognized refugees may be able to apply for resettlement to another country and family members of refugees settled abroad may be able to apply for family reunion.
  • For support available in different countries, including information on asylum procedures, visit https://help.unhcr.org/.

Actions you can take to stay safe:

Know your rights and find support

• IOM provides support to people on the move in more than 100 countries around the world. Visit https://www.iom.int/where-we-work to learn more.
• Download IOM’s MigApp on a mobile device to learn about safe and legal movement between countries and available assistance throughout the journey.
• Stay up to date with immigration rules and laws, which can change often. During unstable times, authorities may take measures to control migration.
  • Check verified and fact-checked news about migration at https://www.infomigrants.net/en/ . The website is available in five languages: French, Arabic, English, Dari and Pashto.
• Other useful sources of information are:
  • IOM’s Migration Data Portal – Migrant rights
  • ILO - Know your rights! A guide for migrant domestic workers
  • OHCHR | International standards governing migration policy
• Many countries have phone numbers you can call to access emergency services
  • Europe emergency lines

Protect your physical safety and that of those around you

• Stay in contact with family and friends, and if traveling with them, try to stay together.
• If you can, pack a first aid kit and any necessary medical supplies.
• When possible, map out your route in advance.
• Collect information on support hotlines and basic service providers such as hospitals and shelters located in the places you will be traveling through.
• Memorize at least two phone numbers of someone you may need to contact in an emergency.

Watch out for scammers

• Does what you are being offered sound too good to be true? Then it probably is.
• Do research on the background of anyone that offers migration opportunities. People who offer to help you move outside of legal channels may not be trustworthy. People may make unrealistic promises, claiming to help you move to a new country, but in reality they may intend to steal your money.
• To help keep others safe, please report content offering irregular migration or human smuggling services on Meta platforms if you see it.
• Always keep your ID, travel, and personal documents in a safe place and make copies.

Spot the signs

Exploitation

• Promises that seem too good to be true
• Someone is unwilling to let you take their name, ID, or picture of their documentation
• Threats to yourself or your family
• Aggression or violence
• Someone asks to keep your passport or other identification documents when arriving or entering the country of destination

False Job Ads

• The ad asks you for money in order to secure the job.
• The employer asks for a fee upfront. Insecure payment methods such as a Paysafecard should be a cause for concern, as money is difficult to trace through these platforms.
• The employer demands secrecy or encourages you to take immediate action.
• The ad offers an unrealistically high salary.
• The ad offers immediate employment without an interview.
• The ad offers a “fast track” for asylum or immigration benefits.
• The ad has many grammatical errors.
• The ad encourages you to click on numerous outbound links.
• Communication from a prospective employer comes from a personal email account.
• The ad is emailed directly to you from an unknown contact.
• The organization has a minimal online presence. Legitimate ads should lead to an appropriate online portal.
• The ad guarantees a visa for the country using documents they provide.

Options for safe and regular movement between countries

• Do you have valid travel documents? If possible, take them with you before leaving and keep them with you at all times while you travel.
• Can you prove your nationality? Remember that you can do so through passports of any kind, national identity cards of any kind, military service books/service cards, seaman’s registration books, skippers’ service cards and seaman’s passports, citizenship certificates, any other official document that mentions or indicates citizenship. If you have access to any of these documents, take them with you before leaving and keep them with you at all times while you travel.
• Do you have health certificates? If so, take them with you before leaving, especially if you need them to enter the country you wish to travel to, and keep them with you at all times while you travel.
• Do you have any education certificate(s)? If so, take them with you before leaving and keep them with you at all times while you travel.
• Have you checked visa related costs? Do you have the necessary funds ready to pay for the visa process before migrating?
• Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Singapore, use a point-based immigration system. Where do you sit within that system?
• Do you have any work certificate(s)? If so, take them with you before leaving and keep them with you at all times while you travel.
• Are you planning to migrate for work? Check if you are allowed to work in the country you wish to reach and whether your qualifications are recognized or can be converted through a certificate of equivalence. You may need to apply for a work visa on the country of destination to be allowed to work there.
• Are you planning to migrate to study? Check if you are allowed to study in the country you wish to reach and whether your qualifications are recognized or can be converted through a certificate of equivalence. You may need to apply for a student visa on the country of destination to be allowed to study there.

Be aware of the risks

• Getting scammed, robbed, kidnapped, extorted, injured or detained.
• Exploitation such as labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, or domestic servitude
• Separation from family and friends.
• Issues with identification documents.
• Death