The International Organization for Migration (IOM), as the coordinator of the European Migration Network (EMN) in Slovakia, delivered two educational EMN Destination Europe workshops last week for grammar school students in Levice and Bratislava. In Levice, 18 students took part in the activity, while 53 students joined the workshop at Gymnázium Jura Hronca in Bratislava. Through an interactive role-play simulation, students gained a practical insight into how migration policies are shaped and debated at the European, national and local level.
Each session began with an introduction to migration, including key concepts and common drivers of migration. Students learned more about migration trends in Slovakia, the EU and around the world. This provided a shared foundation before moving into the activity itself.
During the Destination Europe activity, students stepped into the roles of various stakeholders involved in migration policy-making – such as ministers, EU commissioners, mayors, representatives of the public, and other actors with different priorities and concerns. As discussions unfolded, participants experienced how quickly decisions become challenging when multiple perspectives and competing interests must be considered at the same time.
Based on students’ feedback, many were surprised by how complex migration decision-making is in practice – how many factors need to be weighed, and how a single policy choice can have different consequences for different groupsof migrants as well as for the wider public. The workshops supported students in developing a deeper understanding of migration, while also strengthening skills such as critical thinking, communication, and teamwork.
About Destination Europe
Destination Europe is an educational and training tool based on role-playing for groups of 4 to 6 participants. Over the course of 90 minutes, participants experience a comprehensive decision-making process on migration policies involving various stakeholders with sometimes conflicting interests.
The tool was developed by the European Migration Network (EMN) and is aimed at youth and adults aged 16 and older.
If you would like more information about this educational tool or are interested in organizing a similar workshop and/or lecture on migration topics, please contact EMN Slovakia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
