Costa Rica - IOM migration officers from Central America this week joined member states of the Regional Conference of Migration (RCM), civil society and international organizations to identify key principles and approaches towards designing and implementing public policies on returnees, reintegration and integration.

Migration and consular officers from Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, United States, Dominican Republic and Canada gathered in San Jose, Costa Rica to take an in-depth look at growing return migration trends and explore options to include returnees in their migration policies and management schemes.

Participants shared best practices and lessons learned from several IOM-funded return and reintegration projects carried in the region.  Assisted voluntary return and reintegration projects were presented as an option to make returns more sustainable and prevent re-migration.

IOM experts shared information about how other regions in the world are managing return migration and facilitated discussions that resulted in concrete mid- and long-term recommendations to be implemented by national governments and regional bodies.

“Migration does not end when the migrants arrive in countries of destination or returnees go back to their country of origin.  Return, reintegration and integration need to be part of broader, comprehensive migration policies and management,” said Robert Paiva, IOM Regional Director for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The Central American region alone receives some 500,000 returnees per year – most of them forcibly returned young men.  A significant percentage will immediately try to migrate again.

Promoting swift document issuance processes in order to facilitate the timely return of migrants, as well as mapping of relevant institutions involved in the reintegration of migrants were among the short term recommendations brought to the table.

“A sustainable return benefits returnees, families, communities and countries.  Providing logistic and consular support during the departure and reception and reintegration assistance post arrival promotes sustainability of these returns,” noted Agueda Marin, Regional IOM Migration Officer.

“IOM believes that access to social services for the returnees is vital to successful and long-term reintegration.  Countries of origin must invest in reintegration schemes.  This does not necessarily mean additional funding, simply capitalizing on existing vocational training programs, help with job placement, and access to credit, including to buy a home,” she added.

During the past 17 years, the 11 countries of the RCM (Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States), have remained committed to continue frank and honest discussions on regional migration issues, and have undertaken regional efforts to protect the human rights of migrants and strengthen the integrity of each member state's immigration laws, borders, and national security.

IOM provides technical and logistical support to the RCM Technical Secretariat, which receives its policy direction and supervision from the incumbent Presidency Pro-Tempore to follow up on the mandates and instructions issued at the end of annual meetings.  IOM also implements projects related to migrant smuggling and human trafficking and provides return assistance to vulnerable migrants on behalf of RCM member countries.

For more information please contact

Agueda Marin
IOM Costa Rica
Email: amarin@iom.int
Tel: +506 22.12.53.02