Costa Rica - Combating the fraudulent and unethical recruitment of migrant workers is a constant challenge for countries of origin and destination committed to ensuring the transparency of the process, as well as the rights of migrants.

In order to provide the knowledge and necessary tools to stem this practice, the countries that make up the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) – Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and United States – this week held a three-day workshop in Guatemala City attended by governments, the private sector and civil society.

The workshop, which was co-sponsored by Canada and Guatemala, was designed to exchange information, create networks and explore increased opportunities for cooperation among countries of origin and destination.

IOM was invited to present its International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), a voluntary international ethical recruitment framework that benefits all stakeholders in the labor migration process.  

Often the most vulnerable migrants from Mesoamerica and Caribbean are tricked by bogus employment agencies that charge exorbitant fees, confiscate passports, or simply present false documents to employers. This increases the risk of abuse, exploitation and even human trafficking.

IRIS aims to create a global public-private alliance of like-minded governments, employers, recruiters and other partners committed to ethical recruitment through a voluntary accreditation framework, so that its members can be recognized as bona fide fair recruiters and distinguish themselves from unscrupulous intermediaries.

Marcelo Pisani, IOM Regional Director for North and Central America and the Caribbean said: “IRIS is an IOM-developed global certification system which is based on adherence to common principles for ethical recruitment and a code of conduct. Establishing a recruitment network based on ethical standards that ensure transparent and fair hiring will benefit not only migrant workers, but also employment agencies and employers. The IRIS system will maximize the benefits of orderly and humane labor migration.”

“IRIS will provide better information for job seekers through an information portal and publicly available roster of accredited IRIS members internationally and will also administer a complaints and referral mechanism to assist victims of unethical or illegal recruiters to file grievances with the appropriate authorities,” he added.

For more information about IRIS please visit: http://iris.iom.int/.

For other information, please contact

Ricardo Cordero

IOM Regional Office in Costa Rica

Email: rcordero@iom.int