Regional migration policy, protocols and procedures for successful
management of migration in the Central American region were
discussed this week at a workshop in the Nicaraguan capital
Managua.

The workshop, which ends today and is part of the European Union
(EU)-funded IOM project "Supporting Regional Integration by
Strengthening Migration Management in Central America," was
organized by IOM, in coordination with the Central America
Integration System (SICA by its Spanish acronym), the Secretariat
Central American Economic Integration (SIECA by its Spanish
acronym) and the Central American Commission of Directors of
Migration (OCAM by its Spanish acronym).

The event brought together 60 migration and consular officials
from Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama,
Mexico and Nicaragua to present a draft comprehensive regional
migration policy and discuss ways to harmonize the region's
migration laws, with a view to creating a Central American Single
Visa.

IOM Regional Representative for Central America and Mexico
Robert Paiva spoke of the important regional advances that have
been achieved under the project in the past year.

These include a draft migration policy and a regulation to
strengthen regional integration and migration management, which
will be approved by the Council of Ministers of the Interior,
Justice and/or Public Safety of all the countries in the
region.

"This framework includes the sharing of migration information,
design and implementation of strategies to address mixed migration
flows, and targeted training for migration officials," he
notes. 

According to Mexico's National Migration Institute, more than
64,000 irregular Central American migrants were detained in Mexico
in 2010. 

EU Ambassador Mendel Goldstein believes that the project is
building capacities on migration management, including border,
passport, and visa control, which are priority areas for the
European Union- Latin American Caribbean (EU-LAC) dialogue.

"There is an evident link between migration and development,
particularly in Central America, where the impact of migration
flows is so important," he said.

The Central American Commission of Directors of Migration (OCAM)
will also hold a separate meeting in Managua today.

For more information please contact:

Berta Fernandez

IOM Managua

Tel: +505 227.895 69

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