IOM, working with the Honduran government, is assisting a group of
93 Honduran men and women travelling to Canada as part of an
on-going labour migration programme with Canadian-based food
processing company, Maple Leaf Foods.

The selected workers are travelling to Canada this month
accompanied by IOM staff to provide assistance until their final
destination in Brandon, Manitoba.

The IOM-managed labour migration programme between Honduras and
Canada began in 2007 when 35 people were selected for employment
with Maple Leaf Foods which has more than 22,500 employees. Since
then IOM Honduras has assisted a total of 393 Honduran labour
migrants.

Following a request from the employer, IOM's labour migration
selection process begins with advertisements in local media, the
processing and screening of applications, pre-selection interviews,
visits to the applicants' homes, and medical check-ups.  The
final selection is carried out by the employer during face-to-face
interviews with the potential candidates pre-selected by IOM.

Those selected receive IOM assistance in gathering necessary
documents and filling in forms to obtain travel documents, support
in case of questions regarding their employment contracts, medical
exams, language training and cultural orientation.

According to official statistics, Honduras has an official
unemployment rate of 3.0 per cent, but 40.9 per cent of its
working-age population is underemployed, and one million of those
who hold full-time jobs make less than the minimum wage.

For more information please contact:

Melanie Gomez

IOM Honduras

Tel: +504.220.1100 ext. 1531

E-mail: "mailto:melgomez@iom.int">melgomez@iom.int