The organization began operations in 1951 as the Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe. It started organizing transport for nearly one million displaced people across a shattered continent that year.
The entity adopted the designation International Organization for Migration in 1989 after changing its name four times between 1951 and 1989. This progression established the entity as the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration by the turn of the millennium.
Geneva serves as the headquarters for the organization while liaison offices operate in New York City and Addis Ababa. The Global Migration Data Analysis Centre maintains its base in Berlin.
As of 2023, the organization counted 175 member states alongside eight observer states. The Council acts as the highest decision-making body with all member states represented within it.
The Asian tsunami triggered a massive response effort involving shelter provision and life safety coordination. The organization also provided extensive logistical support during the 2010 Haiti earthquake and managed displacement flows during the European migrant crisis.