Vientiane – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) today (18 June) launched the project - Enhancing COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness to Migrants and Mobility Affected Communities in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Thirty representatives from the Lao Government, IOM, and private recruitment agencies attended the ceremony. MoLSW and IOM presented on the current situation of return migrants affected by COVID-19 and how the project activities can support the government in assisting vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic.

The project was designed in close consultation with the Skills Development and Employment Department (SDED) under MoLSW to ensure a timely and thorough understanding of the needs of the Lao Government and vulnerable migrants.

The funds received from the Government of Japan under this project, will enable IOM to develop inclusive approaches, that take into account migrants and travellers, including cross-border coordination, tailored risk communication and community engagement. All this is set to enhance government officials’ capacity to mitigate migration-related challenges and enable migrants to make informed decisions during the pandemic, as well as to curb the stigmatization of migrants during the pandemic.

As the number of COVID-19 cases increases across a growing number of countries, IOM is extremely concerned about the impact on migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and other vulnerable groups.

Business closures and travel restrictions in neighbouring countries have affected the livelihoods of migrant workers. According to the Lao National COVID-19 Taskforce, over 200,000 migrants have returned to Lao PDR since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The six-month project is generously supported by the Government of Japan.

For more information please contact Karen HO at IOM Vientiane. Tel. + 856 (0)21 267 734. Email: kho@iom.int