IOM offices in El Salvador and Honduras are this week conducting initial interviews for the IOM-managed labour migration programme with Maple Leaf Foods in Canada.

"This is the first recruitment in Central America for Maple Leaf of Canada since 2009. It is a very positive sign for IOM and certainly for the hundreds of applicants we are seeing this week in both countries," said Norberto Girón, IOM Chief of Mission for El Salvador and Honduras.

The 265 male and female workers requested by Maple Leaf (135 from El Salvador and 130 from Honduras) will receive two-year contracts and are ensured earnings above the current minimum wage in the provinces where the plants are located.

After receiving the request from the employer, IOM works with the authorities in the countries of origin to place advertisements in the local media. This is followed by the initial processing and screening of applications, pre- selection interviews, and medical check-ups. The final selection is carried out by the employer during a face-to-face interview with the candidates pre-selected by IOM.

After candidates are selected, IOM provides assistance in gathering documents and filling in forms to obtain travel documents, in case of questions regarding their employment contracts, carries out medical exams, language training and cultural orientation.

There are currently 864 Salvadorians and 278 Hondurans working in Maple Leaf plants in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

IOM has carried out similar labour migration projects for Maple Leaf in Colombia and Mauritius.

Maple Leaf Foods is a Canadian-based food processing company with 21,000 employees across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia, and Mexico.

For more information please contact:

Yulissa Guevara
IOM El Salvador
Tel: +503 2 25 21 0500
E-mail: pressiomsansalvador@iom.int

and

Evelyn Andino
IOM Honduras
Tel: +504 220.11.00