Multifunctional facilities are intended as “one-stop shops” providing comprehensive protection and assistance services to migrants in vulnerable situations. Strategically situated in border areas and along key migration routes in countries of origin, transit or destination, these physical facilities are collaborative spaces where different services are provided in a single place to respond to beneficiaries’ urgent and immediate needs and to offer longer-term support.

The population assisted in each multifunctional facility and the services provided depend on location, caseload and needs. Similarly, the design and setting of each facility greatly depend on the specific context where it is set up. Although there is no standard IOM guidance on the layout of multipurpose facilities, in IOM’s programming the recommended terminology is Migration Response Center (MRCs) or – in case of a strong information provision component – Migration Resource and Response Centers (MRRCs). In Latin and Central America, equivalent facilities have been referred to as Support Spaces (Espacios de Apoyo, in Spanish). Multifunctional facilities are designed as inclusive spaces, where people on the move of all age, gender and profile can receive basic information, orientation and assistance. As such, they are an important protection tool that provide access to a friendly physical space, to accurate information and to a package of assistance services. Services are provided either directly at the facility, or through referrals to external partners following a first screening at the facility. All activities are conducted based on the individual needs and with the informed consent of the beneficiaries, and all services are provided free of charge.

The minimum set of services offered in these facilities usually include registration and screening of vulnerabilities; information and awareness-raising; orientation and basic counselling; first aid and psychological first aid; and referral for specialised assistance to governmental or non-governmental partners. Some facilities also offer accommodation or temporary shelter, food and non-food Items (NFIs), consular services, free calls and internet access, health care assistance, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), restoration of family links/family tracing, child friendly spaces and basic recreational and educational initiatives; domestic/onward transportation; and assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) or other sustainable solutions.