Dominican Republic - IOM last week (10/8) hosted a dialogue on migration and development in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.

Some 60 key migration stakeholders from government, the private sector, trade unions and civil society took part in the event, which was part of a project funded by the IOM Development Fund.

The dialogue was part of IOM’s efforts to support the government’s holistic approach to migration policy in the context of its 2030 National Development Strategy and national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda.

"The dialogue on migration and development aims to promote a climate of trust with the diaspora as the basis of all its activities," said IOM Dominican Republic Chief of Mission Jorge Baca Vaughan.

The meeting agreed to create two working groups – one on management tools, including an IOM proposal for the creation of the International Guarantee Fund for Dominicans Abroad; and the other on labour migration and co-development.

Attendees included the Deputy Minister for Immigration and Naturalization (Ministry of Interior and Police), the Deputy Minister of International Cooperation (Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development), and the Office for Social Policy Coordination of the Vice Presidency.

Other participants included representatives from the Mesa Nacional para las Migraciones y el Refugio (MENAMIRD), the Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico Haitianas (MUDHA), the Bonó Center, the Confederación Autónoma Sindical Clasista (CASC) and the Confederación Nacional de Unidad Sindical (CNUS). The diplomatic community was represented by the European Union Delegation.

IOM works with the Government of the Dominican Republic, migrants and civil society to promote the protection and care of vulnerable migrants. Programs include the regularization of irregular migrants, and the assisted voluntary return and reintegration of migrants to countries of origin.

For more information, please contact IOM Santo Domingo. Alicia Sangro Blasco, Email asangro@iom.int or Josue Gastelbondo, Email: jgastelbondo@iom.int, Phone: +1 809 688 81 74.