Costa Rica

Using its experience in data collection and analysis, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a training on April 30 for the Municipal Emergency Committee of Upala, Costa Rica to teach them to use the multiplatform software “KoBo,” which is a free, open-source tool for data collection and processing.

The human mobility dimension of crises is growing more and more relevant as crisis produce more complex and larger-scale migration flows. However, the response of States and the international community to a migration crisis is often reactive. One of the challenges is to increase the capacities of decision makers to plan and develop contingency plans for large-scale human movements.

Ngäbe Buglé indigenous populations maintain circular migration flows between Costa Rica and Panama in search of employment and economic development. IOM facilitates dialogue between both governments to address and facilitate these migration flows.

The communication pillar of the Regional Migration Program (Mesoamerica Program) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will be enhanced by contributions from the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada. The objective of the collaboration is to expand the information people in northern Central American countries receive about regular migration pathways and the risks of irregular 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.

In this context, on March 11 the DGME and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) presented the “Consular Guide to the Repatriation of Costa Ricans Abroad,” which aims to improve repatriation of Costa Ricans who return to the country after migrating. 

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.

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.