IOM´s Diploma in Belize begins third course

The first graduating class of the Diploma on Migration Management has started its third specialized course, entitled "Migration Governance and Policies". This is part of an ambitious training project developed by IOM in conjunction with Galen University, in which 67 people have participated since the introductory course in 2018.   

This first course addressed general issues and good practices in the field of migration, while the second focused on addressing specific vulnerable populations, such as migrant women, children and adolescents, and LGBT people.   

This third part of the Diploma seeks to strengthen the capacities of governments and civil society actors to address migration challenges at the regional, national and international levels, from the design and implementation of migration policies.   

Participants include officials from the Immigration Department, the Customs and Excise Department, the Red Cross and the Child Development Foundation. The course will be 40 hours long and will run until August. Due to the sanitary emergency, all sessions will be completely virtual.   

"We should all be aware that at some point, someone in our family was a migrant and made the decision to come to Belize," said Ady Pacheco Wesby, supervisor of the Immigration Department. "This course will help us to better understand our local laws, as well as regional and international regulations related to migration.” 

This Diploma is part of the IOM´s Regional Program on Migration Mesoamerica – The Caribbean, and it is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).