Ukrainian war migrants in Slovakia: the experience of civil society-local government cooperation in providing humanitarian and integration assistance 2022–2025
The article analyses the experience of cooperation between the civic sector and local authorities in Slovakia regarding the provision of humanitarian and integration assistance to Ukrainian war migrants during the period 2022–2025. The research draws upon the preliminary results of the project “Best partnership practices of NGOs with local authorities in advocacy Ukrainian refugees’ issues”, implemented by the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations (MIOK) with the financial support of the International Visegrad Fund. It is further supplemented by empirical observations of the activities of Slovak non-governmental organisations covering the subsequent period from the summer of 2024 to the autumn of 2025. The study examines the dynamics of migration processes to Slovakia since the onset of the full-scale invasion according to quantitative, age-related, and gender-based criteria. The state’s response and the role of civil society regarding the events in Ukraine are outlined. Furthermore, the legal and regulatory framework for granting temporary protection status to newly arrived Ukrainians is investigated. The paper presents examples of partnership projects implemented through interaction between municipalities, civic associations, and (where applicable) international bodies. The author operationalises the concept of “cooperation between state and non-state institutions” through a series of concepts, allowing this interaction to be viewed as a form of crisis governance. Drawing on the activities of organisations such as People in Need, the Human Rights League, Equita, MEMO 98, and CVEK, the study demonstrates how partnerships with local and regional authorities facilitated the institutionalisation of humanitarian support and the transition from short-term responses to sustainable integration practices. It is concluded that this format of cooperation, whilst not the sole mechanism for assisting migrants, is characterised by the highest level of inclusivity, as it ensures broader engagement of state, civic, educational, religious, and international actors. The author notes that the Slovakia’s experience represents an effective model of multi-level governance, combining the institutional stability of the state with the flexibility of the non-governmental sector. This may serve as a reference point for other countries when formulating social integration policies regarding forced migrants, not limited to those from Ukraine.
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