The International Organization for Migration (IOM), as the coordinator of the European Migration Network (EMN) in Slovakia, visited the Business Academy in Levice with educational workshop. First, students learned about the United Nations - how it works and how it addresses global challenges, including migration. They then took part in the interactive EMN Destination Europe activity, which allowed them to experience migration policy decision-making in practice.
At the start of the Destination Europe workshop, students were introduced to current migration trends and statistics from Slovakia, the European Union and the world. They learned about the most common reasons why people migrate, the difference between migrants and refugees, as well as the political tools and mechanisms that influence the movement of people across borders and why migration patterns vary from country to country.
A total of 27 students took part in the workshop assuming different roles – from policymakers to representatives of the public and organisations. Each stakeholder group followed its own goals and priorities, which made the search for common solutions challenging. Through dynamic discussion, students practiced argumentation, negotiation, and compromise-building.
The workshop helped them realise that migration is a complex topic requiring many factors to be considered — economic, social, security-related and humanitarian. One of the participating students shared: “Only during the simulation did I realise how difficult it is to find a solution that is fair to everyone. I was surprised by how many arguments need to be considered before making a single policy decision. What I liked most was that we had to cooperate - without agreement, no policy could be created.”
We thank the Business Academy in Levice for the cooperation and the students for their active engagement, openness and insightful questions.
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..
