Guatemala

In 2018, the Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica-The Caribbean of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) selected four communities in Guatemala (Salcajá), Honduras (Cofradía), Mexico (Tapachula), and El Salvador (Ahuachapán) with the goal of implementing communication for development processes aimed at promoting positive behavioral change with respect to migration.  

The Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica-The Caribbean of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) participated in three departmental forums during the month of March to commemorate International Women’s Day, organized in conjunction with the Puentes Project and World Vision. 

The forums were titled “Risks of Irregular Migration for Women and Girls” and panelists participated from the Program and other organizations such as UN Women, the Office of the Prosecutor for Human Rights, and the Attorney General’s Office.

The Secretariat against Sexual Violence, Exploitation, and Human Trafficking of Guatemala and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from Lawyers Without Borders, held the first Regional Congress on human trafficking March 5-6 in Guatemala City, addressing the removal and trafficking of human organs and tissues. Experts and prosecutors from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Belize participated.

In response to the so-called “migrant caravans” in Central America, in October 2018 the International Organization for Migration (IOM) created a special temporary program to assist the voluntary return of migrants stranded in Mexico or Guatemala who lack the necessary resources to return to their homes. To date, IOM has provided assistance for the voluntary return of 1,195 people, 48 of whom are unaccompanied minors.  

San José, Costa Rica The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is releasing a new course on human trafficking directed toward health providers. This course offers staff in the health field practical guidance to understand the crime of human trafficking. Additionally, it seeks to build the capacity of staff to recognize possible cases, understand the potential health problems associated with the crime, and be familiar with appropriate tools and focuses for assisting victims and potential victims of human trafficking.   

The Migration Governance Framework, known as MiGOF, is a conceptual-institutional framework that incorporates the essential elements for facilitating orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people through planned and well-managed migration policies. This framework seeks to present, in a consolidated, coherent, and comprehensive way, a set of three principles and three objectives which, if respected and met, would ensure humane and orderly migration and benefit both migrants as well as society in general.   

Since 2016, the Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica- The Caribbean has used “Informarte en Movimiento” [Inform Yourself on the Move], a virtual community on Facebook, as a platform for informing and raising awareness among migrants in the region about the risks of irregular migration (such as human trafficking), regular migration pathways, the integration of migrants, and more.  In order to improve its informational work and the versatility of its brand, the Informarte en Movimiento community will become “Somos Colmena” [We Are a Hive].