The IOM Mission in Paraguay is working with the authorities in a
pilot project aimed at regularizing Brazilian migrants living in
the country.

Mobile teams, made up of immigration officers, consular
officials, police from both countries, doctors and other support
staff, last week travelled to the border city of Pedro Juan de
Caballero, in the Department of Amambay and in just nine days
managed to regularize and provide documents for 1,246 Brazilian
migrants.

Acting as observers, IOM staff accompanies the teams to
supervise activities and provide confidence for the migrants to
come forth and take part in the process.

IOM is also working to raise awareness and provide information
amongst the migrant population.

This regularization programme, implemented by Paraguay's
Migration Directorate and Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Relations
with technical support from IOM, is part of the migration accords
signed by members of MERCOSUR, a Regional Trade Agreement created
in 1991 that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

It is estimated that between 150,000 and 250,000 Brazilians are
living in Paraguay.  Although the vast majority has lived in
Paraguay for decades, it is only recently that Paraguayan
authorities have begun their regularization efforts. The Brazilian
migrants work in agriculture, small trade and in the informal
sector.

In the first field regularization exercise, which took place
last December in the city of Santa Rita, in the department of Alto
Paraná, the mobile teams assisted 1,126 migrants.

An additional field regularization exercise is planned for mid
April in the city of Katuete in the department of Canendiyú,
some 350 km from the capital, Asunción.

For more information, please contact:

Guillermo Sosa

IOM Asuncion

Tel: +595 21 490 689

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