Government officials from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Libya are
this week visiting Colombia to learn about IOM's Circular and
Temporary Labour Migration Programme.

The 15 African officials were briefed about the IOM programme
and visited some of the participants who have benefitted from the
IOM programme.

The information and first hand knowledge acquired during this
visit will be used when developing pilot projects that will be
carried out in 2011 between West African countries and Italy.

"This visit has allowed us to clearly understand how to include
and implement the co-development component into the pilot project
to be carried out in 2011.  These well-managed labour
migration programmes can create a positive impact on regular
migration flows, as well as on local development," said Jo Rispoli,
Head of the Technical Cooperation Department of IOM Accra, who is
part of the learning tour.

The IOM circular and temporary labour migration model has been
successfully carried out between Colombia and Spain and Colombia
and Canada, as well as from Guatemala to Canada.

The IOM Circular and Temporary Labour Migration programme was
initially carried out with the Unión Pagesos de
Cataluña (Farmer's Union of Catalonia, Spain), which allowed
more than 3,800 Colombians to travel to Spain to work in the
agricultural sector for periods of 4 to 8 months, with participants
returning to their communities of origin.

"This programme proves how well managed migration, which
respects the human rights of migrants as well as the laws of the
countries of origin and destination and which fills the labour
needs of employers, can provide a positive outcome for all
involved," explains Marcelo Pisani, IOM Chief of Mission in
Colombia.

The delegation visited income generating projects created by
Colombian participants with money earned in Spain in the city of
Valledupar, in northeast Colombia.  They also met with
officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Learning
Service (SENA by its Spanish acronym) and local authorities.

The tour concludes today, 5 November, with a seminar on labour
migration, experiences and lessons learned in the Colombian
context.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel: +57 1 639 7777

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