IOM Guatemala began this week its "2010 Remittance Survey,
Protection of Children and Adolescents," investigating the role of
remittances among the families of Guatemalan migrants with a focus
on the effects of migration on children and adolescents.

The study, the ninth such investigation by the IOM Guatemala
office, will survey 3,000 households throughout the country to
establish quantifiable data on remittance patterns of migrant
households with the aim of informing public policy. Survey
questions will focus on the relationship between remittances,
economic development and protection of children and adolescents of
migrant families.

Activities began this week with a two-day training for a corps
of survey staff including: 24 interviewers and six project
supervisors, to be divided into six teams covering as many regions
throughout Guatemala; six workers tasked with analysing and
qualifying information collected by the interview teams; and four
data entry specialists. Interviews will be conducted continuously
over the course of one month in both rural and urban areas. The
results of the survey are expected to be finalized by February and
to be presented in March 2011.

The IOM Guatemala survey is a response to the phenomenon of
family remittances and new thinking on its potential to complement
national development policies. The latest data on remittances from
2008 shows that Guatemalan families received approximately USD 4.5
billion from migrants working abroad. However, labour migration and
dependence on remittances has also led to protection issues for
children and adolescents of migrant families as minors are often
left in the care of extended family, and/or may also migrate
unaccompanied either to join parents, or to work abroad
themselves.

The 2010 survey is carried out in the framework of the IOM
funded project Regional Migrant Labour Flow; Current Situation,
Challenges and Opportunities, with additional support from the UN
Children's Fund.

For more information contact:

Karla Villamar

Tel: +502.2333 6052, Ext. 215

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