Nicaragua - The Central American Commission of Directors of Migration (OCAM by its Spanish acronym) is this week meeting in Nicaragua’s capital Managua, as part of their ordinary session, focusing on increased collaboration aimed and enhanced treatment of migrants.

Migration directors from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are exchanging information, shared experiences and best practices, and holding in-depth discussions on the dramatic increase of unaccompanied children traveling north to the United Sates, as well as ways to promote and increase regional cooperation to uphold the human rights of the minors and all migrants.

Migration from Central America to the United States has increased yearly since 2011. The vast majority are irregular flows. It is estimated that 40 per cent of irregular migrants (some 6 million persons) currently in the United States hail from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Created in 1990, OCAM has been instrumental in the recognition that migration is a vital part for the successful integration of Central America.

Werner Vargas, Executive Director of SICA’s (Central America Integration System) General Secretariat told migration directors: “Migration has been a major factor for the exchange and building of the Central American identity.”

Based on recommendations offered by OCAM’s technical working groups, the Directors are also reviewing progress made towards a regional migration policy; the creation of a regional migration school; the inclusion of migration in regional policies, such as the Regional Health Policy; and updates on current regional projects, including a regional border security project implemented by IOM.

IOM provides technical and logistical support to OCAM as its Technical Secretariat, which receives its policy direction and supervision from the incumbent Presidency Pro-Tempore, to follow up on the mandates and instructions issued at the end of the annual meetings.   IOM also implements migration-related projects on behalf of OCAM member countries.

For more information, please contact

Alexandra Bonnie
IOM Nicaragua
Email: abonnie@iom.int
Tel: +505 227 89 569