IOM has assisted a second group of 35 Honduran migrants to travel
to Canada to start their new jobs at Maple Leaf Foods plants in
Edmonton and Lethbridge.

This latest group of labour migrants brings to 105 the number of
Hondurans selected for employment with the meat processing company
under an agreement between IOM and Maple Leaf Foods.

The selected candidates receive a two-year contract from Maple
Leaf Foods.  IOM Honduras arranged for intensive English
language training, provided cultural orientation training on life
in Canada, travel advice and techniques for successful integration
into the local culture.

Working with Maple Leaf Foods and the Honduran government, IOM
arranged the recruitment process which included interviews, medical
exams, obtaining travel documents and visas, and accompanied the
group on their travel to Canada.

IOM and Maple Leaf have signed bilateral agreements with
Colombia and Georgia and trilateral agreements with Honduras and
Mauritius.

Susan Boeve, Head of International Recruitment for Maple Leaf
plants in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, says the company
employs more than 1,100 migrant workers from China, Colombia, El
Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines and Ukraine.

Maple Leaf Foods is a Canadian-based food processing company
with more than 22,500 employees across Canada, the United States,
the United Kingdom and Asia, and operates more than 100
facilities.

For more information, please contact:

Evelyn Andino

IOM Honduras

E-mail:  "mailto:eandino@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">eandino@iom.int

or

Jeremy Mac Gillivray

E-mail: "mailto:jmacgillivray@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">jmacgillivray@iom.int