News

Findings from the international PACES project, involving the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, show that African migrants’ decisions about whether to stay in Slovakia, move on to another country, or return home evolve in response to both their life experiences and government policies. Decisions about whether to migrate or stay are dynamically shaped by family circumstances, employment opportunities, residence policies, and access to public services.

Why do some people decide to stay in Slovakia after arriving, while others consider moving to another country or returning home? PACES research shows that the answer may change over the life course. These decisions are shaped not only by employment opportunities but also by personal and family circumstances, legal security or uncertainty regarding residence status, the functioning of institutions, and the design of migration, integration, and social policies. 

The National PACES Report, Decision-making of African migrants in Slovakia: The role of institutions and policies, was prepared by researchers from the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Lucia Kováčová, Lucia Mýtna Kureková, Jana Papcunová, and Terézia Zemeníková, as part of the international PACES project funded by Horizon Europe. The research draws on 34 semi-structured interviews with migrants from 11 African countries conducted between September 2024 and March 2025. 

Migration decisions are shaped by factors beyond economic opportunities

Factors influencing participants’ decisions to come to Slovakia included opportunities for study and employment, safety, and the relatively low level of corruption they perceived in everyday life. Before arriving, many participants knew relatively little about Slovakia and based their decisions primarily on information found online or recommendations from people they knew. 

The importance of safety in deciding where to migrate is illustrated by the experience of one participant from Nigeria: “It is not always just about the economy; peace and safety are also important. If you have them, you can build your life regardless of how big or small the country is.” At the same time, the research shows that future migration plans are shaped by more than employment or economic opportunities. Family circumstances, residence status, the ability to plan one’s life in the long term, and everyday experiences with institutions and services all play important roles. 

Obtaining permanent residence is an important factor in this context, as it can reduce uncertainty and facilitate longer-term planning. One participant from Kenya described his experience as follows: “I currently have permanent residence in Slovakia, which has made my life and travelling much easier.” Under his previous temporary residence status, he had to renew his permit every year, which he described as stressful. 

A service may be available on paper but harder to access in practice

An important finding of the report is that access to healthcare, housing, and integration services varied considerably among participants. Access was influenced by factors such as legal and employment status, language proficiency, and the availability of personal contacts. 

When looking for housing or accessing healthcare, participants described language and financial barriers. In some cases, these barriers prevented them from using services or led them to turn to commercial providers, increasing their living costs. Awareness of social entitlements and available support was also relatively low, and participants often relied on information and assistance from people in their communities rather than on official information sources when navigating the system. Educational services were viewed as relatively accessible, although language education remained an exception. 

Stay, move on or return? The answer may change

Almost half of the research participants expressed a preference to remain in Slovakia in the medium term, while approximately one-third were considering moving to another country or returning to their country of origin. These preferences, however, should not be understood as final decisions. The report shows that future plans respond to changes in legal security, access to services, family circumstances, employment opportunities and broader life opportunities. 

One participant described his future plans as follows: “At the moment, I plan to stay in Slovakia for another year or two at most. After that, if I do not move somewhere else in Europe, I will return home.” The findings, therefore, highlight the need to understand migration decision-making as a dynamic process in which individual life experiences intersect with conditions created by institutions and public policies. Migration and integration policies not only regulate opportunities to enter and reside in a country; they also shape migrants’ everyday lives and their expectations for the future. 

The National PACES Report was produced as part of the PACES project - Making Migration and Migration Policy Decisions Amidst Societal Transformations, funded by Horizon Europe. The research in Slovakia was carried out by the Institute for Forecasting and the Institute of Social Sciences of the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with the civic association Mareena. 

The National PACES Report, Decision-making of African migrants in Slovakia: The role of institutions and policies, is available in English and can be accessed online. 

More information about PACES and all project outputs are available here. Activities and outputs delivered by the Slovak PACES team are available here.

This project has received funding under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, grant agreement No. 101094279. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.