Syrian children gather around image of Norway during a cultural orientation class in Istanbul, organized by IOM. Photo: IOM/Shiva Adhikari IOM Norway, through the Norwegian Cultural Orientation Programme (NORCO), organises trainings for selected target groups of refugees on the practicalities of life in Norway. The first cultural orientation session of the year was conducted in Istanbul from 15th to 26th of January, which brought together Syrian refugees from different parts of Turkey who all share one common characteristic; accepted for resettlement in Norway. The primary objective of the programme is to promote a smoother transition and integration of refugees into the Norwegian society by

JOINT STATEMENT: Coercion of children to obtain fingerprints and facial images is never acceptable Brussels, February 28, 2018: We, the undersigned civil society and UN organizations, are concerned by proposals now under consideration as part of the ongoing reform of the Common European Asylum System which would allow the use of coercion to take the fingerprints and facial images of children. The new EURODAC proposal being considered by the European Commission, Council and Parliament expands the purpose of the current database of asylum applicants to facilitate the identification of “irregularly staying third country nationals” through the use of biometric data. It also lowers the age at whi

Women and girls represent a significant proportion of people on the move worldwide, all of whom carry with them a heart full of hope, a mind filled with ideas, and a diverse range of migration experiences. IOM, the UN Migration Agency, stands with each and every one of them on International Women’s Day 2018 and embraces the official United Nations theme: Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives. We stand together with them and raise our voices with and in support of all migrant women and girls. On this day, we honour the women who have worked tirelessly to make their voices heard and pave the way towards women’s rights and empowerment. Displaying great strength and r