[colombiamigra] Fw: IOM Press Briefing Notes - 30 January 2015
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IOM Press Briefing Notes - 30 January 2015#yiv1568153635
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| Joel Millman | 30 January 2015 |
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- IOM Condemns Xenophobic Violence Against Foreigners in Johannesburg
Townships
- Migrants Left Behind in AIDS Prevention, IOM Tells Asia-Pacific Leaders
- Tanzanian Migration and “Surprising Europe”
- IOM Launches #MigrantHeroes Social Media Campaign
- Iraq Displacement Continues to Rise: IOM
- IOM Trains Costa Rican, Panamanian Border Guards on Protection of
Vulnerable Migrants
- Video Highlights Dangers of Irregular Migration by Sea from Haiti
- IOM Signs New Cooperation Agreement with Ethiopia
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| IOM Condemns Xenophobic Violence Against Foreigners in Johannesburg
Townships IOM has condemned violence directed against foreign nationals and
their businesses by Soweto residents, which has now spread to two other
Johannesburg townships – Alexandra and Langlaagte. The violence serves as a
painful reminder of the continued vulnerability of migrants in South Africa. As
the migration agency, IOM is calling on the government to take urgent measures
to protect the safety, the property and the dignity of all South African
residents, including foreign nationals. Migrants are disproportionally affected
by violent crime, often because of the areas in which they live and work.
Negative public perceptions of migrants can make them targets and if they are
easily recognizable, criminals and mobs can single them out. “Prejudices and
stereotypes about migrants unfortunately fuel the sentiments of those who
choose to loot and plunder the shops of hard-working entrepreneurs, simply
because of their ethnic background. The misperception still exists that
migrants come to South Africa to steal jobs and take advantage of the social
system. In reality, many migrants create jobs and generate economic activity,
which benefits all South Africans,” said Richard Ots, IOM’s Chief of Mission in
South Africa. IOM is inviting the government to engage in dialogue with
migrants and civil society organizations to discuss the role, the position and
the image of migrants in the country. “We commend the government for publicly
taking a stand against looting, intolerance and discrimination, and we offer
our support to help find ways to further promote the inclusiveness and
multiculturalism that South Africa is famous for,” said Ots. For further
information please contact Ntokzo Mahlangu at IOM Pretoria, Tel: + 076 532 8295
/ 012 342 2789, Email: nmahlangu@xxxxxxx |
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| Migrants Left Behind in AIDS Prevention, IOM Tells Asia-Pacific Leaders IOM
has called on Asia-Pacific governments to improve access to HIV services for
migrants during a major gathering on HIV/AIDS in Bangkok. IOM Regional Director
Andy Bruce told delegates that migrants were “a key demographic that is being
left behind” in the fight against the virus. Speaking at the UNESCAP-hosted
Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on HIV and AIDS, which closes today
(30/1) in Bangkok, Bruce noted the progress which has been made in the region,
but stressed the “urgent imperative” for this to reach migrants, particularly
in cities across the vast region, which accounts for half of all the world’s
international migrants. “Despite the fact that migrants remain a high risk
category, they face obstacles in accessing essential healthcare services due to
language barriers, lack of migrant inclusive health policies, lack of awareness
of the availability of services, and when they are irregular, their legal
status,” he said. “This in turn can have negative consequences on their
well-being and that of their communities, and undermine the realization of
global health goals including HIV prevention, care and support.” In the lead-up
to the discussions on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, IOM is calling on
governments to ensure that all people, regardless of their status, be given
access to health services and HIV programmes, including HIV prevention
education, counselling and testing, and treatment and support services.
Reaffirming IOM’s commitment to work with all its Member States and development
partners, Bruce urged states to refocus on the UN’s 2011 Political Declaration
on AIDS and Development, which specifically calls for access to HIV prevention,
treatment, care and support for migrant and mobile populations.
| Analysis: A recent UNAIDS report on HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific showed
that despite a 26 per cent reduction in new HIV infections since 2001 and
significantly increased domestic financing for AIDS, the epidemic still
outpaces the response and half of people eligible for antiretroviral treatment
in the region are not accessing it. There are growing epidemics in some
geographical areas, particularly in cities and within key populations at higher
risk, notably among men who have sex with men, in many countries. Not enough
people from key populations at higher risk know their HIV status, which is
hampering increased access to treatment. Despite some progress and legislative
change in some countries, most countries in the region have laws, policies and
practices that drive stigma and discrimination and hamper access to HIV
services. |
For more information please contact Joe Lowry at IOM’s Regional Offices for
Asia-Pacific in Bangkok, Tel: +66.818 708 081, Email: jlowry@xxxxxxx |
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| Tanzanian Migration and “Surprising Europe” IOM Tanzania this week
organized a debate at the Colosseum Hotel in Dar es Salaam on migration from
Africa to Europe. The objective was to facilitate an open dialogue on the
benefits and dangers linked to migration, and the impact it can have – both
positive and negative – on people’s lives. The event brought together officials
from Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and
its Department of Diaspora Engagement and Opportunities – together with
representatives of international organizations and members of Tanzanian civil
society and academia. Haroun Ismaila, a Tanzanian returnee who had spent some
years in Europe as an undocumented migrant, told delegates: “If you migrate
without a plan, illegally, you may end up with nothing, you may lose your life.
Migration can mean a new beginning, a better life, but it needs good planning.
I do not see my return home as a failure – the future is bright.” Rosemary
Jairo, Director of the Department of Diaspora of the Tanzanian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, said that diplomatic and consular representations are there to
assist their nationals abroad in need. “People should not be afraid that their
fellow country people will denounce them if they register at their Embassy. On
the contrary, we can assist in making their migration experience a success.”
The event took place within the framework of IOM’s Surprising Europe III
project, funded by the Netherlands and the European Return Fund, through
collaboration with IOM Netherlands. The aim of the project is to create a
realistic image of migration to Europe from Africa to promote well-informed,
regular migration. The project has also created a TV series – Surprising Europe
– which looks at the lives and migration experiences of African migrants in
Europe. To see the show, go to: http://surprisingeurope.com/tv-series The event
was also linked to IOM Tanzania’s Enhancing the Migration Evidence Base for the
Development of Tanzania project. As part of the project, IOM Tanzania plans to
publish a study on migratory trends from, to and within Tanzania. One of its
aims will be to help members of the Tanzanian diaspora to engage in the
development of their home country. For more information please contact Tamara
Keating at IOM Tanzania, Tel: +255 689 181 405, Email: tkeating@xxxxxxx |
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| IOM Launches #MigrantHeroes Social Media Campaign IOM today launched a
social campaign inviting people around the world to identify and tell the
stories of Migrant Heroes. In many countries xenophobia and negative
perceptions of migrants are increasing. IOM believes that migrants contribute
to society and feels that the negative lens through which many people view
migration needs to be changed. The #MigrantHeroes social media campaign will
highlight the many ways in which migrants contribute both to their countries of
origin and their host communities. This will reinforce IOM’s existing
Contributions of Migrants information campaign
(http://www.migrantscontribute.com/) – countering misinformation by presenting
evidence of success in accessible ways. In 2015, IOM looks forward to shining a
spotlight on and celebrating the contribution that individual migrants are
making. We want you to join us in telling their stories to the world through
our #MigrantHeroes campaign. For more information please access the
#MigrantHeroes campaign site:
http://www.iom.int/newsletters/issue66/index-ext.html For more information
please contact Rosebell Kagumire at IOM Geneva, Tel: +41 22 7179 482, Email:
rkagumire@xxxxxxx |
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| Iraq Displacement Continues to Rise: IOM IOM Iraq’s new Displacement
Tracking Matrix (DTM) has identified 2,176,764 internally displaced people
(IDPs) in the 13-month period since January 2014. The revised DTM methodology
has expanded its field data collection to include a Group Assessment component
that gathers information through a network of key informants. The Group
Assessment will add further clarity to the data in terms of sex and age
disaggregation, movement intentions, push factors, and sectorial needs.
Preliminary results are offered below. Through the recent reporting period of
1-15 January 2015, the DTM has identified an overall increase of 53,424
individuals. Due to the continuing conflict in Diyala governorate, the DTM
identified an increase of 31,134 individuals displaced since the end of
December. From September 1 to date, a series of distinct, concurrent crises
have been recorded in several central northern governorates and have triggered
the displacement of 306,996 individuals. Kirkuk, Diyala, Anbar, Ninewa and
Salah al-Din governorates received a total of 219,474 individuals. Throughout
2014, just fewer than one million individuals fled Ninewa governorate. The
second greatest IDP population were displaced from their homes in Anbar with
601,770 individuals, followed by Salah al-Din with 273,192 individuals. Dahuk
governorate received the largest IDP population with 462,342 displaced
individuals (21 per cent of all IDPs) seeking safety in the four districts of
Amedi, Zarko, Sumel and Dahuk. A further 119,148 individuals (6 per cent)
sought refuge in the assisted districts of Akre and Al-Shikhan. Of the overall
displaced population 30 per cent (659,988 individuals) are housed in critical,
temporary shelter arrangements. These include unfinished buildings, religious
buildings, schools and informal settlements. The largest segment of this
critically sheltered population is in Dahuk (193,542 individuals), and in Anbar
(97,092 individuals). Overall, across all locations, the most common critical
shelter arrangement is unfinished and abandoned buildings, housing 374,412
individuals. Through the revised DTM Group Assessment methodology, a total of
518 displaced groups have been assessed in 155 locations, representing 310,608
displaced individuals across 16 governorates. Preliminary analyses found that
priority needs, ranked by urgency, were financial aid/access to income,
followed by shelter and housing, food, and other non-food relief items (NFIs).
Respondents were asked to indicate the reasons for their displacement from
their place of origin. The vast majority, 90 per cent, indicated generalized
violence and armed conflict as the primary reason for their displacement; 5 per
cent reported eviction; 3 per cent claimed to have received direct threats to
their family; and 2 per cent had had family members killed during the conflict,
causing them to flee. The majority of the respondents (77 per cent) reported a
desire to return to place of origin, 20 per cent reported uncertainty and will
wait on several factors before deciding, 3 per cent did not reply, and less
than 1 per cent said that they would locally integrate in their current
location or resettle in a third location. IOM spoke with Sabeeha Mohammed, who
was displaced from Falluja, Anbar Governorate and is living with her four
children and extended family in an unfinished building shared with 220 other
families in Heet, also in Anbar. All the residents in the building were
displaced prior to June 2014. They identified their primary needs to include
food, NFIs and shelter. She said: "Running for your life, and not knowing when
you will ever go back to your home is the most difficult thing that you could
ever experience. The already long escape road felt a lot longer because we were
moving through hot zones, so I couldn't hold my tears from falling when I
reached our safe destination with my children. I would never want to go through
such times, so I won't go back to our house unless our safety is guaranteed
back there." The DTM is an IOM information management tool that gathers
specific information regarding the status and location of IDPs. The most recent
IOM Iraq DTM dataset, Dashboards, and Dynamic Displacement Map, in addition to
previous DTM products, can be found at http://iomiraq.net/dtm-page. For more
information please contact Sandra Black at IOM Iraq, Tel: +964 751 234 2550,
Email: sblack@xxxxxxx |
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| IOM Trains Costa Rican, Panamanian Border Guards on Protection of Vulnerable
Migrants This week IOM provided training for 25 border guards from Costa Rica
and Panama on identification, assistance, and protection of vulnerable migrants
transiting through border areas. The training is part of IOM’s Mesoamerica
Regional Program, funded by the United States government, designed to
strengthen the capacities of government officials and civil society to
adequately assist and protect vulnerable migrants. “An increasing number of
women, unaccompanied minors, and applicants for refugee status, indigenous and
extra-continental persons transit the region exposing themselves to human
trafficking, smuggling, labour exploitation, sexual violence, extortion,
kidnapping and generalized crime. The authorities and those who work with this
population need the tools to identify their particular needs and coordinate
between neighbouring countries and institutions in order to provide appropriate
assistance," said IOM Regional Programme Coordinator Sofia Salas. The Paso
Canoas border region between Costa Rica and Panama is characterized by the
transit of over 200,000 migrants of different nationalities every year, mainly
from Panama (48,054), Nicaragua (21,989), United States (9,501), El Salvador
(7,631), and Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala (about 4,000 from each country).
In the past several years migrants from the Caribbean (Cuba, Dominican Republic
and Jamaica), Africa (South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt and Morocco), and Asia
(India and Nepal) have also crossed the Paso Canoas border, which is also one
of the entry points for the Panamanian indigenous people Ngäbe-Buglé, who
migrate each year to Costa Rica to work on the coffee harvest. “The IOM
training also offers an excellent opportunity for Costa Rican and Panamanian
officials to work together and build their relationship in addressing an
important regional issue of irregular migration," notes US State Department
Narcotic Affairs Officer Andrea Doyle. In addition to organizing workshops at
the national level and at borders, IOM is supporting community campaigns on
migrants’ rights, the risks of irregular migration, the establishment of
informational hubs in strategic municipalities and the strengthening of civil
society support networks. Participants in the training included the Chief of
the Public Force of Paso Canoas, the Operations Manager of the Western
Battalion of SENAFRONT, and representatives of the political section, the
narcotics section (INL), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the
Embassy of the United States in Costa Rica. For more information please contact
Sofia Salas at IOM’s Regional Office for Central America and the Caribbean in
Costa Rica, Email: ssalas@xxxxxxx, Tel: +506 2212-5304 |
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| Video Highlights Dangers of Irregular Migration by Sea from Haiti IOM has
produced a video to raise awareness about the dangers of irregular migration by
sea from Haiti. The documentary features a series of direct testimonials from
Port-de-Paix and Tortuga Island residents who attempted the perilous crossings.
The northwest coast of Haiti is the main departure point for desperate
irregular migrants who want to reach the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, or
the United States. These crossings are often organized by unscrupulous
smugglers on rickety, unsafe boats, with passengers facing violence, hunger,
rape, prison and repatriation, and sometimes even death at sea. IOM has been at
the forefront of addressing the root causes of high migration flows from major
at-risk communities. Between 2008 and 2014, its Assisted Voluntary Return and
Reintegration (AVRR) programme offered direct assistance to 8,638 returning
migrants. The programme reinforced the Haitian government’s capacities to
address irregular migration in targeted communities along the country’s
northern coast, facilitating the return and reintegration of irregular migrants
rescued at sea. Several communication campaigns to deter irregular migration
have been implemented using different channels, including illustrated magazines
in Creole, radio programs, theatrical performances, and mass sensitization
campaigns. “It is essential to inform potential migrants of the dangers
intrinsic in irregular sea journeys. We felt that the most persuasive way to
do this was through the actual voices of those who have attempted these
dangerous and, too often, deadly journeys. We met with local Port-de-Paix
residents and found that they had a lot of stories to share, even though some
were afraid to speak out or show their faces,” explains Ilaria Lanzoni, IOM’s
Media and Communications Officer in Haiti. “The stories that were collected
form quite a comprehensive catalogue of the hardships and atrocities faced by
irregular migrants. Most of them witnessed people dying during crossings and
being thrown overboard by smugglers, who often use violence against anyone who
dares to complain. Passengers are often refused water and food during the whole
journey,” said IOM Haiti Chief of Mission Gregoire Goodstein. Lanzoni adds:
“Personally, the story that touched me the most was Betty’s, a 28-year-old
widow and mother of two, who lost her husband during one of such trips, without
ever getting to know exactly what happened to him. Despite that, she attempted
the journey herself twice, in the hope of being able to give a better life to
her children. What is heart-breaking is that, despite all the efforts and
resources spent on these attempts, they brought nothing but misery to these
families, who often end up poorer than before.” The see the video, please go to:
English version: http://youtu.be/gfVvXQSOr-E
French version: http://youtu.be/r77hF7yJtjg For more information, please
contact Ilaria Lanzoni at IOM Haiti, Email: ilanzoni@xxxxxxx, Tel: +509 370 250
66 |
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| IOM Signs New Cooperation Agreement with Ethiopia IOM yesterday (29/1)
signed a new cooperation agreement with Ethiopia to work together on migration
issues with a view to promoting economic and social development. The agreement,
which was signed in Addis Ababa by IOM Director General William Lacy Swing and
Ethiopian State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dewano Kedir, follows an earlier
1996 agreement to implement IOM’s Return of Qualified African Nationals (RQAN)
project. RQAN was designed to reverse the impact of brain drain in developing
African countries like Ethiopia. Twenty years later, IOM’s activities in
Ethiopia have mushroomed. They now include the provision of emergency and
livelihood assistance to internally displaced people and refugees, diaspora
engagement, provision of health assistance to migrants, reintegration
assistance for voluntary returnees from abroad, counter trafficking, refugee
resettlement, and repatriation assistance. IOM Addis Ababa also serves as the
liaison office with the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa and
the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
Speaking at the signing, IOM Director General Swing highlighted IOM’s work
with the Ethiopian diaspora as an important new area of engagement. He noted
that the Ethiopian diaspora was a major IOM partner in providing assistance to
the recent influx of Ethiopian returnees from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Kedir highlighted the close cooperation between IOM and the
government and thanked IOM for its support on a range of migration issues.
Referring to the 170,000 returnees from Saudi Arabia, he said: “IOM saved
thousands of Ethiopian lives and that is something we want to thank you for.”
For more information please contact Alemayehu Seifeselassie at IOM Ethiopia,
Mobile: + 251.91. 1639082, Email: salemayehu@xxxxxxx |
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For additional information: Leonard Doyle Tel: 41 22 717 9589 - Mobile: 41 79
285 7123, Email: ldoyle@xxxxxxx Joel Millman Tel: 41 22 717 9486 - Mobile: 41
79 103 87 20, Email: jmillman@xxxxxxx ISDN Line: 41 22 788 38 61 Skype
address: iom_mcd |
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