IOM and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI by
its Spanish acronym) are launching a project in Costa Rica and
Nicaragua aimed at increasing the development potential of
migration.

The co-development project will promote initiatives that
generate increased social and economic conditions in migrant
sending and receiving areas in both countries.  Planned
activities to improve labour migration flows from Nicaragua into
Costa Rica include easier integration into the local labour market,
improve the psychosocial conditions of migrants and their immediate
families, and promote the social integration of the migrants.

The three-year project, funded by AECI, will also focus on
ensuring that the human rights of migrants and their families are
upheld, and will provide support to existing migrant forums in both
countries.

According to Costa Rica's 2000 census, 5.9 per cent of
Nicaragua's population, or 226,374 persons, currently reside in
Costa Rica. The census figures do not include temporary or seasonal
migrant workers, or the estimated 250,000 Nicaraguans in an
irregular and highly vulnerable situation working in the
agricultural and service sectors.  The census confirmed that
one in four or 24.5 per cent of Nicaraguan migrants worked in the
agricultural sector.  Other sectors where migrants were
working in 2000 included the hotel, restaurant and other areas of
the service sector, construction, domestic service industry and
security.

According to a survey on Nicaragua in 2004 by Medición de
Empleo (Employment Monitor), 14 per cent of all homes in Nicaragua
had a member of the family living abroad.  This represents 4
per cent of Nicaragua's total population of 5.5 million
persons.  This number could be higher as only those households
where someone was left behind participated in the survey.

The new programme will allow Nicaraguans wishing to work in
Costa Rica to apply for vacancies in Costa Rica.  Nicaraguans
already in Costa Rica will also be able to apply.  And as
dictated by Costa Rican law, migrants will be entitled to social
security benefits.

IOM and AECI will work with the Ministries of Labour, Foreign
Affaire and Migration Directorates in both countries.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Peraza

OIM San José

Tel: + 506.221.5348 ext 124

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

Raúl Rivas

IOM Managua

Tel: +505.278.9569

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