IOM and the Maldives today signed a cooperation agreement that will
allow IOM to open an office and develop migration-related projects
in the Indian Ocean island nation.

The Maldives, an archipelago of islands southwest of Sri Lanka,
is the smallest country in Asia and the lowest lying country in the
world at just 1.5 meters above sea level.

The country faces a wide range of migration management
challenges, including the risk of climate-induced migration caused
by rising sea levels, high levels of irregular migration from South
Asia and limited migration management legislation and capacity.

With a population of a little under 400,000, it hosts an
estimated 90,000 to 120,000 migrant workers, many of whom get visas
on arrival and then overstay. Some 60,000 to 70,000 of the migrants
are believed to be Bangladeshi.

At the request of the Government of the Maldives, a team of IOM
experts visited the country in June for consultation on potential
areas of cooperation over a broad range of migration management
issues including training and capacity building for
counter-trafficking activities, labour migration management, and
migrant health challenges.

For further information, please contact:

Akio Nakayama

IOM Geneva

Tel: +41 22 717 91 30

Email: "mailto:anakayama@iom.int">anakayama@iom.int