Geneva – Information plays an essential role in a migrant’s decision-making process. The proliferation of differing and sometimes conflicting information makes it difficult for migrants to assess its reliability and validity.

In addition, the strain and inconvenience of navigating through bureaucratic loops makes it a struggle for migrants to find legitimate information. The absence of a practical and central portal containing essential migration-related information makes migrants predisposed to seek easy help from unauthorized agencies for a speedy answer to their migration needs.

IOM’s MigApp is the institutional tool that leverages current technology and the widespread use of mobile telecommunications to bring a secure, objective and user-friendly downloadable app which serves as a one-stop-shop platform where migrants can access current, reliable and practical information and IOM services.

Alex Dougan, IOM’s MigApp Project Manager at HQ said, “We developed MigApp to help migrants make informed decisions throughout their migration process. Irregular and unsafe migration often is a result of lack of awareness about the risks involved in the process such as ill-informed knowledge of visa, health risks, and travel regulations.”

Dougan added, “In many instances, irregular migrants have limited or non-existent interaction with legitimate service providers, and their plight is further exacerbated by the absence of a balanced and unified platform for reliable and updated migration information and services. MigApp fills the gap and our expectation is that it will improve the migration experience and most importantly make it much safer.”

MigApp aims to offset the volume of misinformation on migration in circulation today by providing information on: visa, health and travel regulations; alerts on global incidents arising from conflict or natural disasters; and contacts of counter-trafficking hotlines around the world.

MigApp aims to consolidate key IOM services, making these directly available to a wider group of migrants. Migrants who are therefore already benefitting from existing IOM programmes will be able to participate via the MigApp. Additionally, MigApp enables a secure two-way communication between IOM and migrants who are beneficiaries of its projects. Their feedback becomes an integral aspect of IOM’s communications process and is an important tool to ensure accountability and effectiveness of IOM services.

Dougan also noted that MigApp enables the capture and therefore analysis of migration trends and patterns at country, region or global levels. These could serve to inform IOM’s programmes, enabling it to be more proactive in formulating responses to migration-related concerns.

Download the IOM MigApp from GooglePlay or the AppStore now.

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For more information, please contact Alex Dougan at IOM HQ, Tel: +41 22 717 9352, Email: adougan@iom.int