United States - IOM is today bringing together consular officials from 18 countries to promote contact between countries of origin, transit and destination and to increase cooperation to face the challenges faced by Member States of Regional Conference on Migration (Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Dominican Republic) and African and Asian countries to protect and assist vulnerable and stranded extra-continental migrants.

Data on detentions of Asian migrants in transit countries in the Americas from 1995 to date confirm four peak periods: 1995-1996; 1999-2001; 2003-2007; and 2010-2011. Detention of African migrants in transit since 1995 saw a constant increase from 2003 to 2010, then a sharp decline in 2011, and a small increase in 2012-2013 period.

Main countries of transit for extra-continental migrants are Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. Extra-continental migrants travel along the same routes and work with the same smugglers as regional migrants in transit through Central America on their way to the United States. However, they pay higher amounts to smugglers in transit countries.

Robert Paiva, IOM Regional Director for North and Central America and the Caribbean points out: “Some migrants go into heavy debt, with costs ranging between USD 6,000 and USD 65,000. And so migrants are forced to continue paying off these debts well into their first few years in the destination country.”

Main countries of destination are Canada and the United States. In the past few years, Argentina and Brazil have also become destination countries for extra-continental migrants.

“The challenges for transit countries are not due to the high numbers; many times it is simply a language barrier which makes communication very difficult. This also makes migrants more vulnerable to xenophobia and racism. Some migrants remain stranded and jobless for months in certain countries. Others have been abandoned by the smugglers,” added Paiva.

Today’s meeting, being held in Washington D.C., aims to offer practical solutions for African and Asian countries, most of which have their consular offices and services for the region in the United States, and migration authorities in RCM Member States.

“Countries of origin have a central role to play in protecting and assisting their nationals in the voluntary return process. Consular officials can resolve cases of migrants with expired visas or criminal records, also to confirm identities and find relatives. By bringing together countries of origin, transit and destination, IOM sees this meeting as a first step to build permanent and sustainable coordination and cooperation amongst countries,” concluded Paiva.

Topics to be discussed include: proposals to improve the certification of nationality, age, and personal status; document issuance; identification, protection and assistance needs; facilitation of return and reintegration, and combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

For more information, please contact

Salvador Gutierrez
IOM Costa Rica
Email: sgutierrez@iom.int

or

Niurka Piñeiro
IOM Washington DC
Tel: + 1 202 862-1826 Ext. 225
Email: npineiro@iom.int