Mexico - Government officials from the 11 countries of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) – Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States – participated in the Annual Vice-Ministerial of the group at the 20th RCM meeting held this week in Mexico City.

During the four-day meeting, which ended yesterday (11/11), Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior and government officials responsible of migration, discussed key issues such as return, integration and reintegration of migrants.

These issues are particularly important for a number of RCM member countries as it is estimated that during the last six years, over six million migrants from the countries of this region have returned either voluntarily or through deportation. Many of the returnees, including tens of thousands of children, are highly vulnerable.

In his opening speech, Marcelo Pisani, IOM’s Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean said that factors associated with return often cause stress, depression and other conditions that combined with other socioeconomic and psychosocial factors, make the migrants vulnerable to abuse.

It is estimated that over the past five years, over half a million migrants have returned each year to Mesoamerica (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico) and the Caribbean. Many of these migrants return with their children, many of whom were born in the countries of destination. These children often face integration difficulties in their parents’ countries of origin.

According to a report by National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) about 420,000 children who returned to Mexico with their parents enrolled in schools across the country in 2014.

"Many of these families are born in countries of destination, or were born in Mesoamerican countries, but have hardly lived in them. They have no roots in the countries of origin of their parents and need adequate social programs for integration. In many cases, they are school age and have limited Spanish, hindering their access to the school system. They also often face problems getting their educational qualifications recognized," said Pisani.

The RCM marks its twentieth anniversary this year and over the past two decades the countries of the RCM have maintained their commitment to frank and honest discussions on regional migration issues. They have launched regional initiatives to protect the human rights of migrants and strengthen the integrity of member states’ migration laws, borders and national security.

“Twenty years ago, while in many regions migration was a taboo subject, this region was already discussing and cooperating on strategies to address complex migration issues. When RCM was established, many outside observers thought it would not be possible for the countries of this region to discuss constructively on migration,” said IOM Chief of Staff Ovais Sarmad.

“But the RCM has proved that this dialogue is possible and with its actions has made the principle of shared responsibility possible. This is essential to ensure effective governance of a phenomenon like migration that has a global and regional reach,” he noted.

"In its 20th anniversary, IOM acknowledges the great results achieved by RCM, in particular, the fight against trafficking in persons, the protection of vulnerable migrants, and the preservation of migrants’ dignity through orderly and safe migration. Those advances that have made the RCM an exemplary regional consultation process on migration at the global level and place it at the forefront of regional cooperation on migration," he added.

IOM Senior Regional Adviser for the Americas Ana Duran noted that RCM countries have shown that the principle of shared responsibility in the governance of the migration is essential. “Migration is international and so managing it in an orderly and humane way must be shared by the countries of origin, transit and destination,” she noted.

“Shared responsibility for proper migration management is particularly essential in a region like this, characterized by economic disparity, conflict and climate change,” she added.

For further information, please contact Salvador Gutiérrez at IOM San José, Tel: +506 2221 5337, Email: sgutierrez@iom.int