IOM: Migration, a global phenomenon that requires coordinated solutions

The massive flow of migrants to the United States shows that the phenomenon “is global” and requires coordinated solutions, said Michele Klein-Solomon, director for Central América, North América and the Caribbean of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“Migration is a global phenomenon, it is not only happening in this (Central American) region,” said Klein-Solomon, who concluded last Friday in Tegucigalpa a visit to the Northern Triangle of Central América, which includes El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

She added that in recent months there has been a high flow of migrants “not only from Central America to the north, but also from other regions, such as Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Africa and Asia.”

The senior official indicated that the extra-regional migrants who travel to North América are “taking very dangerous routes, putting their lives at risk to be able to get here (to Central America), and to be able to make their final route north.”

Faced with the increase in migration, the IOM regional director emphasized that States must “share an analysis and information, but they must also share the responsibility, not only to provide statistics and different data, but also to analyze why people are putting at risk their lives to leave these countries.”

She highlighted the importance of States working “together” to address the causes that force people to leave their places of origin, strengthen societies and “try to reduce this migration that puts them at risk.”

Deep challenges

Likewise, she explained that in Central América there are “very deep challenges” in migration matters, many of them are economic and social, so the migratory flow “has been continuous.”

On the other hand, Klein-Solomon stressed that Central American countries face “many challenges” to generate employment and improve the life, security and stability of their inhabitants, who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, the corruption and criminality.

The IOM wants migration “to be an option and not an obligation,” and for this there should be “economic and educational development in the countries of origin,” as well as in the lives of families so that they are productive in their homes, he added. .

However, the IOM regional director emphasized that the development of countries must be “inclusive,” that is, include indigenous communities, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) population and returnees.

“We have to make sure that development includes all of these populations,” said Klein-Solomon, who said that “it is essential” that people who decide to migrate have “correct and accurate information.”

Wrong hopes

In the region there is a “distortion of information” on migration, which creates “many wrong hopes” in migrants and human smugglers, known as coyotes, “take advantage of all the dreams of these people and put them at risk. their lives,” she stated.

“It is important that people who are migrating have that sense of rootedness in their communities, that they feel connected to their own communities, have a sense of identity and feel that they belong to their communities, and we are seeing all of this deeply rooted in separation,” he explained.

The IOM official expressed her concern about the expulsion of migrants by the United States to southern México, under a rule that protects the return of foreigners to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“Expulsions are always a concern when done in a disorderly manner, without taking into account the people who are being expelled,” she stressed.

“(The IOM has) seen expulsions that are carried out at night or people are sent to places where there is no capacity or do not have the profile to house them, what worries us most are these measures (of expulsion) without an order and without no capacity to serve people,” she added.

The Organization for Migration hopes to see “returnees who are doing it in a humane way, (but) we see that unfortunately sometimes it is not,” she said.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 18 de agosto de 2021, 3:44 p. m..