IOM Holds the Working Meeting for Hotline Operators with Consuls of Target Embassies

29-30 October 2014, operators of IOM hotline on safe travel and stay abroad (administrated by IOM NGO partner the public association “Brest Business Women Club”), La Strada hotline (administrated by the international public association “Gender perspectives”) and the hotline of the Department of Migration and Citizenship had the opportunity to get the accurate information that are often required by the beneficiaries.

Today the number of telephone enquiries on safe travel and stay abroad as well as employment requirements recieved by hotline operators has increased. Among the countries that are of greatest insterest for the citizens of Belarus are Germany, China, Poland and Turkey. In this regard IOM invited the representatives of Consular sections of the relevant embassies in the Republic of Belarus who kindly provided the information about the procedures of family reunification, employment, education opportunities, marriage with a foreigner, the procedure of changing non-immigration visa to immigration while residing on the territory of foreign state; obtaining of residence permit and other related issues.

Due to the fact that Belarus has become the destination country for migrants from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and other countries, being the refugees or applying for the refugee status they also address the hotline to get information about what kind of assistance they may receive and agencies where they can receive it. In this regard at the meeting was also present the representative of UNHCR, who provided the detailed information about the possible assistance for the refugees.

IOM Minsk believes that the meeting will improve the quality of hotlines operation and increase the accuracy of the information provided.

Background:
IOM hotline on safe travel and stay abroad has been operating since 2003.
The hotline’s telephone number is +375 162 21 8888, for calls from abroad and mobile phones it is: 8 801 201 5555. The calls are toll free for the citizens of Belarus. The working hours are from 8am until 8pm. In 2011 the short National number (113) was assigned by the authorities to the hotline.