IOM builds institutional capacities at the regional level through cross-border meetings on migration in Mesoamerica

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided support for two cross-border meetings in the Mesoamerican region during the past month. The Human Mobility Cross-border Committee “Grupo Tacaná” in Spanish, met on May 16-17, while the Cross-border El Salvador-Honduras Committee met on May 23-24. Representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society, public institutions, and governments participated in these meetings.

“The goal of these meetings is to strengthen dialogue and build capacity for interinstitutional management at the bilateral and cross-border levels, for better migration flows management, ensuring the protection of people” explained Alexandra Bonnie, Coordinator of the Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica - The Caribbean.

Participants shared progress and best practices regarding the fulfillment of each institution's agreements from the previous meetings in 2018. Additionally, they discussed and made plans to address the challenges presented by the “migrant caravans.”

“It is a necessary effort for building the links that facilitate work with vulnerable people, whether at the local, national, or binational level,” emphasized Karen Coto, Local Coordinator of the Specialized Unit on Children and Adolescents of the Attorney General of the Republic of El Salvador.

To date, IOM has supported over 25 cross-border meetings in the region. Many of them have been between central and local authorities and in border zones where the transit of migrants is considered to be of high-risk.

This activity was made possible by financing from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the Department of State of the United States, within the framework of the Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica-The Caribbean.