IOM and Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) this week
launched a new programme to strengthen the reception and assistance
provided to Mexican migrants returning from the US, and to
facilitate their reintegration into their communities of origin.

The Human Repatriation Programme (HRP) will define reception
procedures in Mexico's northern border and strengthen the capacity
and responsiveness of border officials as well as INM's
relationship with civil society organizations that provide support
to returnees.  The programme, funded by IOM, also seeks to
enhance INM's physical infrastructure alongside the border.

At the initial stage, INM will offer basic assistance to
returning migrants, including water, food, shelter and free
telephone calls to their families. 

With IOM support, civil society organizations will offer the
returning migrants and local communities psychological, financial,
cultural, and social support.

"We want to help returning migrants to recognize Mexico, once
again, as a land of opportunities," said Thomas Lothar Weiss, IOM
Chief of Mission in Mexico. "INM and IOM will work together to
identify best practices in the reception of the returnees."

The new HRP programme follows a Presidential decree to provide a
more humane reception to Mexican returnees.

Cecilia Romero, Commissioner of the National Migration Institute
underlined: "Thanks to IOM's 1035 funding, IOM will be able to
contribute its expertise in migration management."

With IOM's technical and financial support, the programme will
be piloted in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.  The programme will
eventually be replicated in every border post along the
Mexico–US border, and has the potential to benefit an
estimated 500,000 Mexican migrants returned each year by US
authorities.

The 1035 Facility provides special support to IOM Developing
Member States and Member States with Economies in Transition, for
the development and implementation of joint government-IOM projects
to address particular areas of migration management.  Since
its inception in 2001, the Facility has supported over 200 projects
in various areas of IOM activity and has benefited over 85 Member
States.

For further information, please contact:

Thomas Lothar Weiss

IOM Mexico

Tel: +525 5 55 36 39 54

E-mail: "mailto:tweiss@iom.int">tweiss@iom.int