Slovakia gradually becoming final destination for foreigners moving abroad

Slovakia has gradually became a country of final destination for more and more foreigners, announced the International Organisation for Migration Slovak Republic head Zuzana Vatralova on Tuesday.

While in 2006 around 32,000 foreigners held residency permits in Slovakia, in 2015 the number reached 85,000, or 1.6 percent of the country's population.

"The center has already provided its services to more than 12,000 foreigners and has carried out more than 23,000 consultations," said Vatralova. The focus is on foreigners who would like to work legally in Slovakia.

Services at the center are mainly targeted toward citizens of countries outside the European Union, often from Ukraine, Russia, the United States, India, and Serbia.

"These are mainly people of productive age with a secondary school or university education," said Vatralova, stressing that the center has provided service to everyone from nuclear physicists to the uneducated.

Key information for immigrants concerns housing, family reunification, employment, education and health care.

"They're also interested in where and how they can procure specific documents and permits, how to communicate with offices, employers and the majority population," noted Vatralova.

Many immigrants fare well in Slovakia; some are successful entrepreneurs, doctors, foreign language teachers or owners of restaurants, she said. Endit