News

More than 60 employees of state and public administration and representatives of academia, non-profit sector, media and foreign embassies took part in the educational seminar entitled Irregular Migration – Borders and Human Rights organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as the coordinator of the EMN in the Slovak Republic in Bratislava on 25 – 27 August 2015. The guest speakers shared their knowledge of irregular migration in the world, EU and Slovakia, smuggling and other forms of irregular migration, fight against irregular migration, ways to deal with a situation of irregular migrants and protection of their rights as well as intermingling of forced and irregular migration.

On 26 August 2015, EMN held a discussion evening entitled Europe or Die? on irregular migration and current situation in the Mediterranean at KC Dunaj in Bratislava. The moderated discussion with guests from abroad and questions from the audience were preceded by screening of an episode from the documentary series VICE News – Europe or Die.

EMN prepared for the public the Slovak premiere of the Holywood film The Good Lie about the Sudanese refugees resettled to the United States of America. The film which was inspired by true stories of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” was on 25 August attended by more than 150 people. The film screening was launched by Zuzana Vatráľová, Head of the IOM Office in the Slovak Republic.

The Austrian EMN National Contact Point (NCP) held a conference entitled Irregular Migration and Return in the EU and Austria which presented and discussed European and national policies and measures on irregular migration and return. The conference took place in Vienna on 21 September 2015.

EMN National Contact Point (NCP) in Latvia, holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2015, organised EMN annual conference on Attracting and Retaining Talent in Europe. The event was held in Riga on 19 – 20 March, 2015. The organisers welcomed 135 participants including representatives from the European Commission, 26 EMN National Contact Points, international and regional organisations (e.g. the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, International Organization for Migration, Migration Policy Institute), national and international academics and researchers, representatives from governmental departments of third countries and the business community. The conference was attended by two representatives of the Slovak EMN NCP.