Resettlement Assistance

United States Refugee Admission Programme (USRAP)

IOM Azerbaijan’s involvement in the USRAP has started in 1998 and is summarized through the processing steps set within the programme. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between IOM and the US Department of State/Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (DOS/PRM), IOM is involved in the processing of refugee cases applying for refugee status to the USA through the United Nations High Commissionaire for Refugees (UNHCR)

IOM provides special services like pre and post case processing, medical examinations, cultural orientations, and facilitates assistance in transportation to the United States ensuring safe departure from Azerbaijan, transit and arrival at destination. IOM also arranges for the employment of special contract personnel on the request of the US Government to provide a pre-embarkation assessment and identity authentication procedure - face control upon departure. For USRAP beneficiaries with medical conditions IOM arranges for escorts and required medical equipment on board until their point of entry or destination in the USA when necessary.

Main actors of the US Refugee programme are IOM, UNHCR, US Embassy, airlines, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and government authorities.

Canadian Warrants (CW)

IOM has been implementing CW programme since 1998 and works in close cooperation with the visa section of the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, accredited to Azerbaijan. The programme is funded by the Government of Canada represented by the Citizenship Immigration Canada (CIC). 

IOM provides processing and transportation services to the UNHCR registered refugees or individuals of a humanitarian designated classes accepted by Canada. IOM is responsible for the health assessments and pre-departure treatment of certain health conditions of both refugees and other categories of migrants (self-payers) before resettlement. Medical assessment is performed by a designated medical practitioner who is a local doctor selected by the Canadian Government.  

Resettlement in Europe and Elsewhere

On ad-hoc basis, IOM provides counseling, document processing, medical examination, cultural orientation and transportation assistance to migrants granted resettlement conditions in European countries like France, UK, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, as well as in New Zealand, Australia and Chile upon the requests of the receiving countries’ governments to ensure smooth running of the process.  

Beneficiaries are mostly UNHCR registered refugees and sometimes individuals accepted by these countries on humanitarian basis, including family reunifications. IOM arranges smooth travel of ordinary cases as well as medical cases with special travel requirements (escort, wheelchair, stretcher, oxygen, etc) and arranges for medical evacuation when necessary. In fulfillment of its services IOM works in close cooperation with the UNHCR, embassies of receiving governments, ICRC, airlines and medical clinics.