The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a strange creature within the constellation of international organizations involved in migration matters. It is both a leader and an outsider, within the system and outside it. The reasons for its ambiguous stance are numerous, be they political, legal, institutional or cultural. The agility of the IOM and its perpetual adaptation to its changing environment are a legacy of its turbulent history. Still today, its hybrid nature represents a key marker of its elusive mandate and its ambivalent relations with the United Nations (UN).