MAUREEN ACHIENG
CHIEF OF MISSION
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
24 JULY 2007
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
ASSISTANCE TO MIGRANTS RETURNING FROM THE US
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Currently IOM has 120 members of which the United States is a founding member.
As part of its programming and assuming that funding is available, IOM can provide assistance to migrants returning to their countries of origin, either in the framework of contributing to development, or to assist those who no longer have the option to remain in the country that is hosting them. Although under its constitution IOM cannot assist in the process of deportation, assistance can be provided once the migrant has been returned.
To assist migrants returning from the United States, IOM has at present four programs in the Western Hemisphere- Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Details of these programs follow, including some observations of those program elements that have been found to work, and those where further development is needed.
HAITI
Program's Objective
At the request of interested entities, notably the Government of Haiti and USAID, IOM was requested to look into the plight of returning Haitian migrants deported from various countries, notably the United States.
In close coordination with the Haitian authorities, IOM developed a pilot program that seeks to provide reintegration assistance to this target group, as well as to sensitize the Haitian public with a view to reducing the stigma attached to being deported.
The program has four key components, which in IOM's experience in other countries, are critical to the success of such programs:
Component One: One of the greatest obstacles to the reintegration of Haitian deportees has to do with the stigma in Haitian society attached to bearing the label 'deportee'. This pilot project therefore seeks to work with the Government of Haiti to carry out a nationwide campaign to reduce, if not eliminate, the stigma associated with deportees who are widely perceived as fueling violence. In so doing, the program places emphasis on successful reintegration stories, of which, sadly, there are few to date. The project does this through various means, such as:
(a) radio announcements urging society at large to welcome their returning nationals in the interest of the country given the myriad skills that they could offer the country if given a chance to contribute;
(b) providing background information to the media to help them prepare radio, TV and press reports that provide a more balanced view of deportees to the general public;
(c) sensitizing civil society and religious leaders (such as: the Council of Catholic Bishops, the Episcopal Commission on Migrants, the Federation of Protestants and the Haitian Association of Entrepreneurs);
(d) providing support for the production of a documentary on the lives of Haitians deported from the US for purposes of educating the Haitian public on the reality of the conditions of life and the problems deportees encounter, as well as the contributions they can and have made. The documentary will also eventually be used to sensitize Haitian youth in the US on the additional risks they run in engaging in criminal activities, and, lastly;
(e) A workshop bringing together government and civil society to deliberate on the problems deportees face as they seek to reintegrate into Haitian society.
Component Two: Provision of psychosocial support for those that appear to need it as a result of the trauma suffered from their deportation to a society that for the most part rejects them. Individual orientation sessions are given by social workers to enable them to begin to reflect on what career they might pursue. Equally importantly, these sessions focus on culturally orienting those deportees that have lived outside of Haiti for many years and may no longer be attuned to the cultural milieu.
Component Three: Vocational training is provided to those that need additional skills in order to secure jobs (of which there remains a serious dearth) or to set up in self-employment, along with training on how to manage a micro-enterprise. Additionally, orientation sessions and life skills training (e.g. in Creole and French) opportunities are made available to those that need it.
Component Four: More specific training in the establishment of small and micro-enterprises is provided over a three-week period, following which each deportee is tasked with developing a project proposal, for which they receive technical support, and, eventually, financial support (70% as a grant, and 30% as a low-interest loan) not exceeding $2,000 per capita. In light of the small financial outlay, the deportees are encouraged to team up to establish joint enterprises. Poultry, beer brewing, cyber cafes, bakeries, restaurants, plumbing services, are some examples of projects that have thus far been supported through this pilot project.
Funding
Through an arrangement with UNDP, the program received $1 million in May 2006 for this initial pilot phase. UNDP was able to finance the pilot program thanks to funds made available to them by USAID for initiatives in response to their Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Achievements
Of the 650 deportees that have returned since the program's commencement in October 2006:
- 350 registered into the program;
- 94 have received psychosocial counseling and benefited from orientation sessions with social workers;
- 37 have completed trainings and have established, individually, or in groups, a total of 14 micro-enterprises;
- 57 completed trainings and await funding for 37 group and individual micro-enterprises;
- 240 await entry into the training programs prior to receiving funding for the establishment of micro-enterprises;
- 3 major radio stations are airing public service announcements 12 times a day encouraging the public to welcome their compatriots as they all have something to offer if given a chance to contribute;
- Journalists from 3 important Haitian dailies and 3 journalists belonging to three key radio stations have received detailed background briefings on the program;
- 8 institutions (both church-based and non-governmental organizations) with an interest in the question of deportees have received detailed briefings;
Needs
- Many of the deportees have no ID documents (neither Haitian nor US) and this remains an obstacle to their ability to access services, including some of those that the program offers;
- Premises in which to welcome deportees;
- An ability to provide temporary housing to a small group that need it due to an absence of family ties in the country;
- Clear policy on incarceration or liberation of deportees upon arrival in order not to deter them from registering for the program;
- The contribution of a broad array of actors to the de-stigmatization campaign;
- Pre-departure support to allow deportees to contact their families in Haiti prior to their return;
- Ability to refer deportees to a range of medical services, including psychiatric care and drug rehabilitation, as some 30% have been deported for drug-related offences;
- Funding to enable the program fully take root and eventually be transferred to the relevant Haitian government entity - the National Office for Migration/Ministry of Social Affairs.
HONDURAS
Program's Objective
The Center for Assistance to Returning Migrants (Centro de Atención al Migrante Retornado CAMR) was created at the request of the Government of Honduras in the framework of the Regional Conference on Migration (also known as the Puebla Process). The seven-year-old program provides immediate and medium to long term assistance to Honduran migrants returning from the United States.
Phase I: Provide immediate assistance upon arrival - information, medical support if needed, food, shelter, clothing, psychosocial support, help in obtaining identification documents, assistance to contact family members and rehabilitation centers, and transport to the final destination.
Phase II: Medium-term assistance to migrants which includes programs for successful economic, cultural and social reintegration.
Number of Migrants Assisted:
From March 2000 to December 2006, 76,458 Honduran migrants were assisted. In 2007, as of the end of June, more than 16,000 migrants have returned from the US.
According to official government estimates, the return of migrants from the US in 2007 will increase by 12 percent, with a total for the year estimated at more than 29,000.
Funding
Initial funding for the rehabilitation and furnishing of the building housing the center was provided by the Department of State's Bureau for Population Refugees and Migration (PRM). The program is currently funded by the Government of Honduras.
The Asociación Hermanas Misioneras de San Carlos de Borromeo (Scalabrinas), also provide funding for the center.
Achievements/Needs
Due to the increased number of returnees, the premises that were initially rehabilitated for the project are no longer able to accommodate the increased number of returnees.
The government's migration directorates have not included in their annual planning the budget needed for the upkeep and enlargement of the facilities used to receive and process the returning migrants.
In Honduras, migration has become part and parcel of the country's economic and social life. In response the government is creating a political framework to deal with migration and its many aspects. The government national policy on migration, currently being drafted, includes a component to provide support to the returning migrants.
Since the program began, returning migrants have received basic assistance upon arrival, but much remains to be done in order to achieve a full and successful economic and social reintegration of this population. The government of Honduras requires continued financial support from donor governments in order to fully integrate the returning population.
EL SALVADOR
Program's Objective
In November 1998, IOM, Catholic Relief Services, and the Government of El Salvador with the support of the United States Government and different civil society organizations (churches, NGOs, private enterprise and academic institutions), formed a technical Commission to implement a pilot project.
The Welcome Home Program (Bienvenido a Casa) in El Salvador got underway in February of 1999.
Until 2001 the program was managed by IOM and implemented by Catholic Relief Services. The Government of El Salvador later took over the management of the program, and IOM remains an implementing partner.
The program was created to provide assistance and facilitate the successful reintegration of Salvadorians returning to their country of origin.
Welcome Home provides support to all returning migrants, including those deported by the US Government for criminal offenses.
Program's Components
Immediate humanitarian assistance upon arrival in the country, including information, emergency medical attention, advice and support to obtain identity documents, and support with obtaining recognition of studies completed abroad.
Number of Migrants Assisted:
1999 3,516
2000 3,631
2001 3,064
2002 3,560
2003 5,170
2004 6,174
2005 7,032
2006 14,326
2007 11,500 as of mid-July
Funding
Initial funding for the rehabilitation and furnishing of the building housing the center was provided by the US Department of State's Bureau for Population Refugees and Migration (PRM). The program is currently funded by the Government of El Salvador.
Achievements/Needs
A new component was added to assist the returnees in the difficult process of readjustment to the life in a country that the majority left as children; this is vital for the successful reintegration of the beneficiaries.
The program strongly promotes strengthening the returnees' skills in order to make the return and integration sustainable. This component aims to decrease the incidence of another attempt at irregular migration.
Since its inception, the assistance program in El Salvador has provided basic immediate assistance to the returnees upon arrival, but much remains to be done in order to achieve a full and successful economic and social reintegration of this population.
The government of El Salvador requires continued financial support from donor governments in order to fully integrate the returning population.
GUATEMALA
Program's Objectives and Components
IOM's program to assist irregular migrants returning home to Guatemala from the United States is part of a cooperation agreement signed in February 2007 between IOM and the Government of Guatemala.
IOM staff meet the returnees at the airport and provide immediate humanitarian assistance which includes transport to their places of origin. They also receive food rations, medical assistance, if needed, and are provided with free telephone access so they can contact their relatives upon arrival.
Working with the Ministry of Labor, IOM has created a database to collect information on the returnees in order to match their job skills with employment opportunities in the public and private sectors.
IOM will also provides skills training for a successful reintegration into the job market; and is ready to work with other partners in the design of micro enterprise projects so they can open small businesses and become self sufficient.
IOM also will partner with Guatemalan universities to find employment for returning professionals and to provide support to those wishing to continue their university education.
Realities that hinder the successful reintegration of the returnees
Due to lack of funds, IOM is providing only immediate assistance upon arrival and transport to their final destination. A vital component of the program, the economic reintegration of the returnees, has yet to be implemented due to lack of funding.
Funding
The assistance being provided to the returnees is funded by the Government of Guatemala. The Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Office of Economic Planning are seeking financial support from international cooperation mechanisms in order to implement the other components of the program.
Number of Migrants Assisted:
2005 11,512
2006 14,921
2007 12,084 at 18 July
This year has seen a marked increase in the number of returns. In May, a total of 1,620 persons were returned; in the first nine days of June, 1,068 returns were recorded.
According to estimates provided by the Government of Guatemala, some 25,000 Guatemalans in the United States will be returned in 2007. At this rate, some 2,000 persons will need humanitarian support every month.
Lessons learned
The following points are derived largely from the programs in El Salvador and Honduras, which are the longest-running. Lessons from these programs informed the design of the program in Haiti.
Components that work
All returnees are met at the airport where they receive a warm and dignified welcome.
All returnees have expressed their satisfaction and gratitude that faith-based groups, IOM and government officials are present upon arrival.
Returnees receive a briefing on the situation in the country; vital for their reintegration.
Returnees receive medical assistance upon arrival; this also benefits the general population.
Returnees are assisted to procure identity documents.
Returnees receive information on education and employment options.
Returnees are registered in the national employment database managed by the Ministry of Labor.
Realities that hinder the successful reintegration of the returnees
The fact that the returnees are seen by the general population as deportees limits their reentry into society.
The process of deportation stereotypes the returnees as criminals.
The returnees worked in the service industry and other sectors where they were earning much higher wages than those they will earn once back to their country of origin. This discourages the returnees from entering the work force and leads them to renewed attempts at irregular migration.
Those returnees who had families that were left behind immediately look for ways to reunite with their families, which translate into yet another attempt at irregular migration.
Most returnees find that it is not easy to adapt to the societies and way of life in their countries of origin.
For the most part, the returnees cannot identify programs that can guarantee a successful economic and social reintegration.
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