Within the framework of the project "Strengthening Paraguayan Migration Management System", funded by the IOM Development Fund, it was held on Thursday, September 18, the first National Workshop on the Definition of the Migration Policy of Paraguay.

The event, organized by the General Directorate of Migration in partnership with the International Organization for Migration was attended by the Minister of Interior, Francisco de Vargas; the Director of the General Directorate of Migration, Jorge Kronawetter and the Head of Mission of the International Organization for Migration, Richard Velazquez, who along with the project consultants in legal, socio-political and economic matters: Javier Parquet, Hugo Oddone Elisa Filippini and Ruben Maciel, chaired the event.

Various representatives of civil society, national government institutions related to the field as well as representatives from the academia, public and private, and the business sector, participated and also gave their opinions and concerns about the process of building a migration policy in the country.

During the course of the day, participants were handed with a questionnaire in which the main knowledge and experiences of various institutions and organizations invited to the migration issue were collected; this is in order to produce a policy migration comprehensive and cross-cutting document, attempted to reach consensus and incorporate elements of various sectors as well as converge interests, everything aimed to a better care and approach of the issue.

Richard Velazquez, Head of IOM Paraguay Mission, highlighted the importance of a National Migration Policy, since "nothing made in technology, infrastructure, rules and regulations, research, statistics and international relations in terms of shifting attention of a country, goes by itself, but it comes from a National Migration Policy ", he explained.

Likewise, the speakers explained that the elaboration of the National Migration Policy seeks in the end to install the issue at the Congress, in order to serve as an input for a bill that will lead to a new Migration Act in line with the current times, incorporating approaches and concepts such as gender, human rights, etc.

For more information please contact with:

Eduardo Carrillo
Press Assistant- International Migration Office- IOM
Email: ecarrillo@iom.int
Cell Phone Number: +595 981-50-90-20
Office Number: +595 21-296-882