managing migration for the benefit of all

International Organization for Migration September 2004

ISSN 1027-7617

MANAGING MIGRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL

In-depth focus on migrant remittances

IOM News is availableonline on the IOM website:

http://www.iom.int

Editor in Chief:Jean Philippe Chauzy

Editors:Niurka Piñeiro Christopher Lowenstein Lom

Contributors:IOM Staff worldwide

Design:Camille Pillon

Layout:Angela Pedersen

Cover photo:Migrants send some US$93 billionin remittances per year.© IOM 2004 (Photo: Héctor Mauricio Moreno)

IOM News is published quarterlyin English, French and Spanish.All correspondence and inquiries concerning IOM News should besent to:

International Organizationfor MigrationPO box 71CH 1211 Geneva 19 SwitzerlandTel: +41 22 717 91 11Fax: +41 22 798 61 50E-mail: [email protected]

IOM is committed to the principlethat humane and orderly migrationbenefits migrants and society. Asan intergovernmental organization,IOM acts with its partners in theinternational community to: assistin meeting the operational chal-lenges of migration; advance under-standing of migration issues;encourage social and economicdevelopment through migration;and uphold the human dignity andwell-being of migrants.

Contents

Migrant Remittances: A Key Development Resource

The Human Perspective

Bridging Gaps Between Marginalized Populations and the Authorities

IOM Quito, at the Forefront of Migration Management

Culture Shock, Warm Welcome Await US-bound Hmong Refugees

Small Businesses – Big Opportunities

A Traditional Ruler Intent on Saving his Community

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The “Instant Remittance” service created by Bancafé in Guatemala allowscustomers to withdraw remittances received from relatives abroad with anATM card at 600 machines or at 170 branch offices located throughout thecountry.

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33IOM News•September 2004

The number of international migrantshas more than doubled since 1970.Worldwide, one in every 35 persons isnow a migrant. In 1970, remittances1

sent home by international migrants todeveloping countries through officialchannels amounted to US$2 billion.By 2003 the figure was US$93 bil-lion.2 If unofficial transfers are alsocounted, the volume could be doublethis amount. These figures are stagger-ing. Indeed, they exceed by a sizeablemargin the US$68.5 billion rich coun-tries currently spend on official devel-opment assistance.

Migration, therefore, has majorimplications for development. Inevery region of the world remittancesare raising the standard of living ofmillions of poor people by providingcritical resources for food, shelter,healthcare and education. In manydeveloping countries remittancesrepresent the most important sourceof foreign exchange, outstrippinginvestment, lending, and commodityand manufacturing exports.

Migrants have long been ignored asa development resource. Instead, theyhave often been perceived either asan economic burden on countries ofdestination, or as a potential loss totheir country of origin through “braindrain”. There is another side to thisstory. Migrants are helping to main-tain important social and economiclinkages between the developed anddeveloping worlds that promote

development and alleviate poverty invery significant ways. Flows of remit-tances and the return of migrants withnew skills can offset the loss ofmigrants and may even lead to a“brain-gain”. Modern communica-tion and cheaper transportation makeit easier for migrants to maintain links

with their home countries, creatingopportunities for investments and thesharing of know-how.

Remittances alone are no panaceafor the developmental ills afflictingpoor countries, and they should notbe seen as a substitute for foreign aid,particularly as they are private funds.

Migrant Remittances:A Key Development Resource

1. The term “remittances” can be generally defined as the portion of an international migrant’s earnings sent back from the host coun-try to his/her country of origin. It is necessary to distinguish official remittances that are transferred via official bank channels ormoney transfer companies, and are recorded in a country’s statistics, from unofficial or informal remittances that are sent back viaprivate money courier systems, via friends and relatives, or are carried home by the migrants themselves.

2. World Bank, Global Development Finance 2004.

A currency exchange store in Bogota, Colombia, prepares for a busy day.

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However, remittances do placemigrants squarely within the develop-ment equation. The growing level ofremittance flows makes it increasinglynecessary for the migration and devel-opment communities to begin speak-ing more effectively with each other.In a recent report on migration anddevelopment, the UK’s House ofCommons International DevelopmentCommittee acknowledged that “Thereis a development dimension to migra-tion, but there is a lack of joined-upthinking at national and internationallevels, and some resistance to connecting the issues.”3

The challenge is therefore to designcoherent policies which shape andbest utilize the potential benefits ofmigration for development. Thiswould also be entirely consistent withthe recent recommendation of theWorld Bank and IMF for improvedpolicy coherence in the developmentarena.

There are some positive signs thatgovernments are beginning to movein this direction. The first point of

Migrant remittances4

the new action plan to combat pov-erty in the developing world agreed atthe recent G8 summit meeting on Sea Island, Georgia, talks about thepotential contribution of migrantremittances to entrepreneurship andprivate sector development efforts.

There is much that could be doneto enhance the development impactof remittances, such as:

• Reduce the cost of transactions:transfer fees for sending remit-tances range from 13 per cent to 20 per cent of the remittance value,although the transfer could actuallybe made for as little as 2-3 per cent.Increased competition amongremittance service providers willreduce costs and could save hun-dreds of millions of dollars a year,with the benefit flowing to migrantsand their family members.

• Provide more reliable information:so that migrants are better informedabout the real cost of remitting andthe different options available.

• Increase the volume of remittances:migrant-sending countries need topromote financial instruments tomake it more attractive for migrantsto remit. Greater efforts must bemade to reach out to migrant com-munities in developed countriesand their families in developing

IOM Remittance Activities

IOM undertakes and supports research that provides factual analysis to enable policy and programme development inorder to maximize the impact of remittances for development.

Past and ongoing research in Latin America is supporting the development of remittance-related policies and tools inGuatemala, Colombia and Argentina. In Asia, IOM research was used during the Ministerial Consultations for Asian Labour-sending countries to inform participants on the flow and use of remittances.

In Africa, IOM data on remittances enabled the identification of areas for policy interventions in Ethiopia and in the EastAfrican Community (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania).

In Tajikistan, IOM will implement a pilot project to enable migrant households to access micro-credits based on futureremittances. These households will be supported to promote the use of migrant remittances for the development of viablelivelihoods for migrant families and communities affected by emigration.

In selected IOM missions with migrants travelling to the United States and Canada, IOM will promote the use of formalremittance channels through the provision of Financial Orientation to migrants attending pre-departure orientation and/orvisiting IOM’s Migrant Resource Centres.

In addition to training in financial management and information dissemination on remittance services and options avail-able in countries of destination, these IOM offices will also be looking to develop new remittance tools, including partner-ships with financial institutions, to provide services that are more cost-effective for migrants engaged in IOM programmes andelsewhere. This builds on pilot projects and research to provide alternatives for funds transfer that have been initiated by IOMin Guatemala, Colombia and Argentina-Paraguay.

Finally, IOM is envisaging supporting consular services for Latin American migrants in the United States, including theissuance of identity documents that would allow regular and irregular migrants to use formal remittance channels.

countries to ensure access to basicbanking services. Only four out often immigrants from Latin Americain the US have accounts in finan-cial institutions.

• Enhance development impacts: remittances have the greatestdevelopment potential where theycreate jobs. Governments shouldsupport practical remittance man-agement solutions that facilitateinvestments in entrepreneurial andother job-creating activities.

• Innovative practices:such as the creation of micro-enter-prise lending schemes, bondissuance against future remittanceflows, information campaigns onremittance management, andcapacity building for consularoffices warrant further exploration.

In the area of migration and devel-opment, no challenge is potentiallymore significant than harnessing theenormous potential of remittances tothe task of social and economicdevelopment in countries of origin.Creating the appropriate policy andprogrammatic environment to facili-tate the transfer of remittances andenhance their development impactwould constitute one very importantstep in this direction.

Brunson McKinleyIOM Director General

3. House of Commons InternationalDevelopment Committee, Migrationand Development: How to makemigration work for poverty reduction,Sixth Report of Session 2003-04,Volume 1.


Remittance flows are now the subjectof much public discussion and policyconsideration. This article looks at thefindings and recommendations of arecent report from the UK’s House ofCommons International DevelopmentCommittee.

On 8 July, the InternationalDevelopment Committee publishedthe results of its nine-month inquiry ina report entitled Migration andDevelopment: How to Make Migra-tion Work for Poverty Reduction.

The International DevelopmentCommittee is appointed by the House

New Report Highlights

Importance of Migrant Remittances

for Development

A migrant in Washington, D.C. sending a remittance to her family.

of Commons to examine the expend-iture, administration and policy of theDepartment for International Devel-opment and its associated publicbodies. The Committee also takes aninterest in the policies and proceduresof the multilateral agencies and non-governmental organizations to whichDFID contributes.

The UK report suggests that remit-tances “are likely to amount to aroundUS$300 billion per year”. Remit-tances sent home by internationalmigrants through official channelscurrently amount to nearly US$100billion per year, but the UK report

suggests that twice as much moneymay be sent home through informalchannels. In 1970 official remittanceflows amounted to just US$2 billion.

The UK report provides a numberof examples of the rising importanceof remittances. For example, today 9 per cent of the GDP of thePhilippines, a major exporter ofmigrant labour, comes from remit-tances. In Mexico, remittances are ashigh as revenues from tourism; inColombia they amount to half therevenues from coffee; and in Bangla-desh, their value is on a par withearnings from the garment industry.

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Remittance figures are now muchhigher than global flows of aid, whichamount to US$68.5 billion per year.But aid and remittances are notdistributed evenly across the world.Of all world regions, Latin Americareceives the largest share of remit-tances. The map indicating globalremittances in 2002 reported by theWorld Bank, shows that in LatinAmerica remittances through officialchannels were more than four timeshigher than flows of aid. For 2003,Latin American countries’ remittancesreached over US$38 billion, exceed-ing the combined flows of all ForeignDirect Investment and net OfficialDevelopment Assistance. The mapalso shows that South Asia, in 2002,received the second-highest share ofremittances but only the third-highestshare of aid. Remittances outstrippedaid more than two-to-one.

The total value of remittances flow-ing through official channels world-wide more than doubled between1988 and 1999. By contrast, the mapindicates that aid remains moreimportant than remittances in sub-Saharan Africa, at least according tothe official figures for 2002. Sub-Saharan Africa includes the poorestcountries in the world and receivesthe lowest amount of remittances(nearly US$4 billion). Although theaid flowing to the region is twice thatreceived by Latin America, the docu-mented remittances received are sixtimes less.

There is a considerable literatureon the reasons why migrants sendmoney home, but there is lessresearch and knowledge on how todevelop mechanisms to reduce thecost of sending remittances and toensure that remittances boost devel-opment.

Barriers to the official transfers offunds are currently the greatest obsta-

The total value of remittances flowing throughofficial channels worldwide

more than doubled between 1988 and 1999.

cles to maximizing the benefits ofremittances. Official bank transfersare often complicated and lengthy, ifnot altogether inaccessible tomigrants who are unable to openbank accounts in their countries ofresidence either because of their tem-porary situation, or legal status.

Frequently, the only alternatives areprivate companies, and these gener-ally charge high fees. The averagecharge for the transfer of remittancesto developing countries is around 13 per cent and often exceeds 20 percent of the amount transferred. Hightransfer fees create an incentive formigrants to send their remittancesthrough informal channels, but theseare often unreliable and money canbe lost or stolen in the process.

The UK report suggests a number ofrecommendations to improve remit-tance management:

• Develop ways to gather reliabledata on unofficial remittances inspite of the difficulties of doing so;

• Learn about remittances and theirusage in order to increase remit-tance flows and put them to use forpoverty reduction;

• Encourage remittances by backingbonds issued by receiving countrygovernments, by using tax incen-tives like treating remittances ascharitable contributions, and byencouraging migrant associationsto seek charitable status;

• Evaluate local remittance patterns,then use best practices to suggestwhether and how to encouragemigrants to remit;

• Increase market competitionamong remittance service pro-viders to promote reduction oftransaction costs;

• Establish an Association ofIndependent Money TransferCompanies so that banks cannotcrowd out competition and govern-ment, the private sector, and NGOscan all ensure transparency andregulation of transactions. Also,governments may want to regulatebank remittance transactions, andNGOs may want to assist witheducating consumers on costs viadifferent services;

• Allow informal funds transfer sys-tems to play a key role in facilitat-ing remittances but guard againstcriminal abuse, namely by terror-ists. Remain aware of the possibleimpacts that scrutiny of these sys-tems has on those who rely on theremittances;

• Learn from the diaspora’s existingpractices and explore whether ornot migrants want governmentinvolvement in voluntary remit-tance schemes, what migrants’ideas are for such schemes, andhow development agencies mighthelp. Also, governments, alongwith IOM or the World Bank,should ensure that lessons learnedare widely shared as best prac-tices;

• Encourage innovative public-private-NGO partnerships thatpromote and succeed in makingremittances a poverty reductiontool;

• Work on examining financial sec-tor reform and banking systems,particularly in rural areas, aslinked to remittances;

• Enable productive use of remit-tances by ensuring a receptiveinvestment climate and suitableinfrastructure through stable ex-change rates, low inflation, theabsence of excessive bureaucracyand corruption, reliable powersupplies, decent roads, and othercommunications;

• Remove international or structur-al obstacles to development,through international communityand donor efforts, to improve localinfrastructures and create goodbusiness environments. The pri-mary responsibility should beborne by the developing countriesto ensure that the local govern-ments and political processes arethemselves not an obstacle.

Finally, governments can play arole in creating an environment inwhich remittances can be used pro-ductively. However, they should bewary of managing what are essen-tially private transactions made bypoor households in desperate situa-tions.

Frank Laczko and Sarah DotsonIOM Geneva

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Remittances and Foreign Aid by Region

Data Sources: The World Bank, Global Development Finance, 2003; OECD, 2004; UN, International Migration Wallchart, 2002

1 Official Development Assistance (ODA). Figuresrepresent 2001-02 average gross bilateral ODAreceived by developing countries as defined by theOECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

2 Does not include Central Asia

3 Includes Central Asia

Graphic: Jana Hennig/IOM

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The Human PerspectiveStatistics, charts, GDP in countries of origin, and money transfers are used to describe remittances, the process of sendingmoney, from a quantitative angle. For the people who support their families back home, these well calculated figures aresecondary to what they might consider the real measure of remittances: their ability to substantially make a difference inthe lives of their loved ones.

The following stories represent the point of view of migrants living in the Washington, D.C. area who regularly remitmoney to families in their home country.

Almost all of the individuals interviewed were hesitant to disclose details connected with their personal experiences onremittances, due to their natural mistrust as to how the information might be used and/or concerns about their migratorystatus in the United States.

The vast majority of the individuals interviewed prefer to send money directly to their families who depend on the remit-tances, but some were not opposed to the possibility of using a small portion of the remittance towards a communityproject (a school, a health clinic, etc.) in their home communities, provided that the process would be monitored bysomeone whom they could trust (often a family member).

Erin Foster, IOM Washington

Name: Maria

Country of Origin: Mexico

Years in the US: Three

Profession: Customer Service

“I began to send money to myfamily as soon as I arrived in theUnited States. On average I sendUS$200 twice a month to my familyin Mexico and to my niece inCalifornia using a bank transferservice.”

Name: Mauricio

Country of Origin: El Salvador

Years in the US: Fourteen

Profession: Air ConditioningTechnician

“Urgent Express takes two daysand is slow to send money, butBanco Mexico has same-day ser-vice. The money I send supports thedaily expenses of my mother andfather.”

Name: Nazira

Country of Origin: Kyrgyzstan


Profession: Teacher

“I used Western Union for thefirst year I was in the US, but it wastoo expensive, so now I use a bankto transfer a large amount of moneyevery five months. My family inKyrgyzstan uses the bank only toreceive the money at a 1% transferfee and then takes it home becausethere is no trust in the financialsystem.”

Name: Njeri

Country of Origin: Kenya

Years in the US: Five

Profession: Student

“Hospital bills, school fees andfunerals are expensive in Kenya andI send money when my familyneeds to pay these bills. I useWestern Union or friends returningto Kenya to send money.”

Name: Reyes


Years in the US: Eight

Profession: Fencing Installer

“The money I send home goes tomy family, but I might be interestedin supporting a project in my home-town if my family was involved.Using a bank transfer is the leastexpensive. It only cost US$38through the bank to send up toUS$10,000 in a single transfer.”

Name: José


Years in the US: Twenty-two

Profession: Cook

“Previously, money was senthome with people traveling, butnow Spanish speaking banks allowme to send up to US$3,000 for a feeof US$11. I have sent money oncea month since I arrived to supportmy parents and two sisters.”

IOM News•September 2004 9

Name: Pablo

Country of Origin: Costa Rica

Years in the US: Six

Profession: Artist

“I send money once a monthdepending on my income. I use abank to send money. The money isnormally used to pay bills or formedicine and to help my family’seconomic situation.”

Name: Ramirez



Profession: Cable TV Repairman

“My family absolutely dependson the money I send once a monthbecause they have no other incomeopportunities.”

Name: Aguil

Country of Origin: Kyrgyzstan

Years in the US: Ten

Profession: Student

“I send US$200 per month for thedaily expenses of my mother andfather, but more for holidays orbirthdays. Western Union was tooexpensive to use every month sonow I use a duplicate ATM card tosend money home at US$2 pertransfer. I will continue to sendmoney as long as I am in the US.”

Name: Filiberto


Years in the US: Two and a half

Profession: Mason

“I send money once a month tosupport my family and providemoney for my sister’s education. I use a transfer company because itis the most convenient.”

Name: Edgar

Country of Origin: Guatemala


Profession: Cook

“I send money home twice amonth using a money transfer com-pany. My parents keep the moneyin the bank in a savings account.”

Name: Pablo



Profession: Carpenter

“I normally use Western Union orUrgent Express to send money. ButI think the fees are too high. I havebeen able to build a house formyself in El Salvador and supportmy family.”

A currency exchange store in Bogota, Colombia, does a brisk business paying remittances sent by migrants abroad.

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10 Migrant remittances10

Interviewwith Ambassador and PermanentRepresentative of Honduras to theUnited Nations in Geneva,His Excellency Mr. J. Benjamín Zapata

The impact of remittances forHonduras is fundamental

According to Honduran PresidentRicardo Maduro, remittances areconstant and not cyclical. Whether itis summer or winter, they are alwaysthere. They are generated byHondurans for Hondurans; and mostimportant, for the most needy ofHondurans.

During my years at the HonduranEmbassy in Washington we workedlong and hard to try and convince allpolitical spheres to find a solution toirregular migration. We knocked onmany doors always with the samemessage, “We’re not looking for citi-zenship for Honduran migrants, butfor the United States and for themigrants it is important, in order toavoid and reduce criminal activities,the smuggling of human beings, drugtrafficking, and to guarantee migrants’rights, that we find a programmaticand not a political way to managemigration.”

When the US Government decidedto award TPS1 (Temporary ProtectedStatus) in January 1999 to Honduranmigrants, 105,000 Hondurans whohad arrived in the United States after

His Excellency Mr. J. Benjamín Zapata

Hurricane Mitch and were in anirregular situation, applied andreceived TPS. This scheme gives themigrants legal status, albeit tempor-ary, as well as a work permit, which isalso temporary.

TPS confirmed that legal status anda work permit implies a better salaryand less possibility of abuse. And that translated into an increase inremittances – from approximatelyUS$300 million in 1998, to someUS$1.1 billion in 2003.

Before 1998 and Hurricane Mitch,migration from Honduras to theUnited States was not as significant as it is now. It was the devastationcaused by Hurricane Mitch, the lackof opportunities, and the difficultsocial conditions that prompted thou-sands of Hondurans to leave thecountry. It is estimated that between600,000 and 700,000 Hondurans areliving in the United States; there areothers in Canada, Europe and othercountries.

My government’s main concern isto optimize all of our resources, andremittances have become the numberone source of foreign currency forHonduras.

Long-term planning is key

In order to optimize the impact ofremittances, the government couldact as facilitator in an educationprocess. IOM could play a big roleby organizing and managing educa-tional activities so that Honduranscan understand and learn to appre-ciate the benefits of remittances. It’salways better if an internationalorganization plays a central role asthe government’s partner in thesetypes of efforts.

IOM could support the govern-ment’s efforts by showing examples ofother countries in the region whereremittances have been used for com-munity development. Then we couldwork with IOM to target Honduransfrom specific regions, who are cur-

1. TPS is a temporary immigration statusgranted to eligible nationals of desig-nated countries. TPS beneficiaries aregranted a stay of removal, and workauthorization for the designated TPSperiod and for any extensions of thedesignation. TPS does not lead to, andcannot be used to obtain, permanentresident status.

(Source: US State Department)

11IOM News•September 2004 11

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rently living outside the country, tocreate a sort of common fund to reha-bilitate schools, churches, roads, etc.,in their places of origin.

While on the subject of education,we could also consider includingremittances in the high school cur-riculum. This would give Hondurans,especially young people, the tools tobetter understand this phenomenonand how it impacts on family life andon the country as a whole. Thiswould certainly lay the foundation forbetter planning and utilization ofthese resources.

There are Hondurans who havestarted small businesses using theremittance money they receive fromrelatives abroad. For example, somewomen have set up very small busi-nesses selling tortillas and otherfoods. But for this to have a multiply-ing effect, we have to educate andinform the public about planning andlong-term benefits.

Another role for IOM would be towork with all concerned governmentsto reduce the political factor that istoday part and parcel of migration.IOM’s expertise could be used as acatalyst. Also, its presence in theregion, in Washington, and in othercountries, could be the link betweengovernments to better manage migra-

tion. IOM can also participate ininteragency discussions to determinethe best way to harness the impact ofremittances. This could be done incooperation with the banking sector.2

Remittances and developmentDuring a speech in Tegucigalpa last

year at the International Forum onRemittances and Development,President Maduro said that the hous-ing sector, because it creates employ-ment, could be linked with remit-tances. We can use housing andremittances to foster development inan area where there is urgent need,especially for the poorest families. Ifwe could bring down the cost of send-ing remittances by one per cent, thiswould mean, if we base it on an esti-mate of US$1.1 billion, that we couldmake the down payment for some2,300 new homes per year under theongoing programme “Vivienda para laGente” (Homes for the People).

The school feeding programme isanother example where remittancescould play a vital role. This pro-gramme benefits children in primary

school and directly impacts on theirlearning ability and education. If wecould apply that one per cent to theschool feeding programme, we couldfeed an additional 55,000 childrenduring the 200-day school year.

A great deal of work lies ahead

Migration is here to stay; it is notgoing to disappear. Furthermore,migration is positive and beneficial tomigrants and societies. The Hon-durans who have emigrated have hadthe opportunity to see and learn firsthand how things are done in othercountries. And this generates newideas. Those who have gone to theUnited States have learnt from whatthat society has done in its 228-yearhistory.

When people travel to a moreadvanced society, it is inevitable thatthey will learn new things. But inorder to really absorb and benefitfrom this experience, migrants mustbe fully integrated into the hostsociety, which includes having legalstatus and a work permit.

2. Ficohsa Express, a subsidiary of the Honduran bank Ficohsa, has so far opened sixoffices in the United States, in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina andVirginia. Their expansion plans for 2004 include new offices in California, New Yorkand Texas. Ficohsa Express allows Hondurans in the United States to send moneyhome to their families. The money can be retrieved at any Ficohsa branch inHonduras.

Receiving remittances from a family member working abroad.

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Emergency and post-conflict•Haiti12

Bridging Gaps Between Marginalized

Populations and the Authorities

“Our main priorities are sanitationand security,” says Joel Corneille, theyoung and newly appointed Mayor ofCité Soleil.

Cité Soleil is a shantytown wedgedbetween the sea and one of the mainroads in Port-au-Prince. Built onheaps of garbage, this stretch of landprovides precarious shelter for some150,000 people.

Despite its formal establishment asa municipality in 2002, the involve-ment of the central government hasremained extremely low. Except forone public school, basic servicessuch as education and health are pro-vided exclusively by NGOs.

The paradox is that, capitalizing onthe vulnerability of the population,political leaders have manipulatedidle youth – providing weapons andmoney – to intimidate residents andpotential opponents.

Since President Jean BertrandAristide left the country in February2004, an interim government hasbeen established to redress the situa-tion and prepare the ground for elec-tions in 2005. In support of theseefforts, IOM, relying on funding pro-

vided by the USAID Office ofTransition Initiatives, is implementingthe Haitian Transition Initiatives (HTI)in order to assist the authorities, rele-vant ministries and municipalities inattending to the basic needs of thepopulation.

The HTI focuses on bridging gapsand creating opportunities so that ameaningful dialogue can take placebetween the Haitian Administrationand the population. Based on aparticipatory approach and throughconsensus seeking, the population,municipality and the central govern-ment will identify projects meetingbasic needs, which IOM will strive toimplement. The HTI will supportprojects such as potable water, publiclighting, playgrounds, public squares,anti-erosion structures, and roads andbridges in local communities.

Each project is an opportunity forparticipants to become intimatelyinvolved in the development andimprovement of their neighbour-hoods, and offers the opportunity toshare common experiences, responsi-bilities and ownership. The overallobjective of the HTI initiative is toincrease the involvement of localpopulations in the developmentprocess and restore faith in govern-

ment, thus paving the way for theupcoming elections.

Cité Soleil has the difficult task ofmanaging idle youths in an areawhere weapons have not yet beenseized and where no income is avail-able. And considering that armedrobberies in the Port-au-Prince metro-politan area have increased signifi-cantly in the past months, this isbecoming a priority concern.

“Why would someone come toCité Soleil? There is no good reason tocome here,” says Thomas, a youngman living in this shantytown.

“Without hope, there is no future.”It is in these terms that the DeputyMayor of Cité Soleil, Renal Jolifils,introduced the municipality’s policyregarding disaffected youths.

Commenting on the rehabilitationof a soccer field, based on his experi-ence as a coach for the National

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IOM News•September 2004 13

Soccer Federation in Cité Soleil,Jolifils explains that prevention is byfar more valuable than repressionwhen attempting to reduce violence.

Resuming dialogue with the youthof Cité Soleil and increasing themunicipality’s legitimacy to handlesocial conflicts is an obvious priority.This may well be the only practicalmeasure as it is beyond the capacityof local police to monitor Cité Soleil.Streets and alleys are in such a state ofdisrepair and garbage heaps are soabundant, that circulation is virtuallyimpossible. And there is no publiclighting.

The rehabilitation of a soccer field,a basketball court and a public squareare the first projects proposed forfunding by the HTI programme. Thisreflects quite well the determinationand the focus on youths of the currentmunicipal leaders. Providing alterna-tives and social activities is a key in

the shifting of attitudes. The rehabilita-tion of such public infrastructures alsoserves to increase the visibility of CityHall and underlines its role in the pre-vention of conflicts.

Beyond the physical rehabilitationcomes the process by which author-ities leverage the participation ofyouths and the general public inattending to community needs.Building on successful interventions,new projects are identified and conse-quently participation can be extendedto new sectors. Throughout theprocess, committees are formed toinclude various segments of the popu-lation to design the project and over-see the activities. Decisions are takenin consensus when it comes to the hir-ing of labourers, masons, carpenters,and other workers. The job creationaspect of these projects constitutes avital element for the community.Special attention is given to the rein-

tegration of former gang members byproviding job opportunities as ameans of drawing them out of theirnefarious world into a more con-structive and positive existence. Andto further help restore the legitimacyof municipal authorities, the directmanagement of the projects is chan-nelled through City Hall. Conse-quently, NGOs no longer appear asthe only agent of developmentanswering to community needs.Using this approach, the municipalgovernment is at last seen as an activeand important player responding tothe community.

“But a municipality on its owndoes not constitute the central gov-ernment. Despite the fact that wehave been named by the InterimAdministration, we still have verylimited contacts with ministries andthe government as a whole,” lamentsMayor Corneille. Historically, thecentral government’s interest has notextended much outside of the capital.This challenge is being tackled by theHTI, as one of its primary goals is toinvolve relevant ministries, not onlyin the process of identification andoversight of projects, but also toleverage in-kind cooperation such asheavy machinery, as well as sustainedtechnical support, to ensure that pro-jects are recorded and meet govern-ment standards and specifications.

At present, IOM has established astrategic presence in three areas,Port-au-Prince, St-Marc and Petit-Goave, which are recognized aspotential “hot spots”. The HTIProgramme is currently planning onextending the water supplies andelectrification, as well as creating acultural centre in Cité Soleil. The HTIis about dialogue – dialogue betweenthe central government and the popu-lation – and about bridging gapsbetween people. The HTI is focusingon areas where insecurity is high andwhere conflicts have traditionallysprouted.

Christopher Gascon

and Philippe Branchat

IOM Port-au-Prince

Cité Soleil, a shanty town near Port-au-Prince, is home to some 150,000 people.

14 Managing Migration•Ecuador

IOM Quito, at the Forefront of Migration Management

IOM assists migrants to voluntarily return to their countries.

Labour migration, assisted voluntaryreturns, and technical cooperation,three areas of concern for the IOMoffice in Quito.

In the past two years, 1,475Ecuadorians have travelled to Spainwith employment contracts aftersuccessfully completing a recruitmentprocess carried out by the SelectionUnit managed by IOM Quito and the

Ecuadorian Government. During thesame period, some 40 Ecuadorianswho were in the United Kingdomvoluntarily returned to their countryassisted by IOM’s Voluntary AssistedReturn and Reintegration Programme(VARRP).

Following an agreement betweenIOM and the Ecuadorian Govern-ment, Ecuadorians can obtain one ofthe most modern and secure passportsin the world in just 20 minutes.

Selection Unit for Labour Migration

Today is a happy day for MaríaEstévez, she has been chosen to travelto the Murcian fields, in Spain, towork in agriculture, an activity thatshe has been doing in her nativecountry but that has not enabled herto overcome poverty. She says she isvery happy with the service of theIOM Selection Unit in Quito, because

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she is leaving her country with fullguarantees. “It’s a good idea that theydo everything legal. If you travellegally you are secure. I’ve heard thatif you go without papers you cannoteven go out in the street,” says the 47-year-old.

Sitting next to her is her 23-year-old daughter, Alicia Flores. Althoughshe has a degree in Mass MediaCommunication, she was encouragedby her mother’s luck, so has filed anapplication and hopes to join hermother in Spain in the near future.Alicia says, “It’s important to travelwith the security of knowing that youwill have a job upon arrival.”

Along with María and her daughter,some 20 Ecuadorians wait restlesslyin the reception area for the momentwhen they will be told if they havebeen selected for one of the vacan-cies. Although the group is verydiverse, different ethnic backgrounds,ages and levels of education, theyhave all gone through a thoroughrecruitment process. They’re hopingthat they will be able to join the 1,475other Ecuadorians previously selectedwho are already working and living inSpain.

This labour migration initiative fol-lows an agreement signed in 2002 bythe Spanish and Ecuadorian govern-ments. José Ramón Aparicio, of theSpanish Embassy in Ecuador, says it isimportant to have a mechanism inplace for organized labour migration.“This is a reliable, well managed pro-ject that fulfils all the expectations ofSpanish employers. It should beimplemented in other countries,” saysAparicio, a man with more than 20 years experience in migrationmanagement.

Although the IOM-created data-base containing some 30,000 nameshas been an indispensable tool for thesuccess of the programme, GuillermoBluske, who runs the IOM SelectionUnit says, “One of the greatest advan-tages of this process is the face to facecontact that we have with the candi-dates. This makes the process morehuman, reliable and transparent.”

Effective and SustainableReintegration

On 7 November 2003, ElenaFernández arrived in Quito leavingbehind a difficult life as an asylumapplicant in Great Britain. Sheapplied to the IOM office in Londonand returned to Ecuador under theVARRP. But she did not return empty-handed. She had two dreams: thechance for her seriously ill mother tomeet her baby and to establish a smallgrocery store; dreams that becametrue with the help of the economicsupport provided by the programme.

And Elena is not the only one.Since VARRP started in Ecuador in2003, a total of 35 persons havereturned from London and reinte-grated into their communities oforigin. But just as important as help-ing migrants to return, is the possibili-ty for effective reintegration.“Returning with a project helps toalleviate the feeling of failure that amigrant may have when going back totheir place of origin,” explains DanielRuiz, in charge of VARRP in Quito.

Social acceptance and economicassistance are two variables thatexplain why the number of returneeshas doubled since the programmebegan providing reintegration assist-ance, sometimes more than US$1,000to start a small business.

Migrants from 84 countries have sofar participated in VARRP. IOM isworking with the British Home Officeand the European Refugee Fund tohelp migrants return to their com-munities in dignity and with tangiblehope for the future.

Modern, High-securityPassports in 20 Minutes

María, Elena and Julio all havenew, state-of-the-art passports. Juliovisited the IOM office to obtain thenew high-security document for aplanned trip to Chile. In just 20 min-utes, record-breaking time, he leavesthe building that houses the IOMoffice with a new passport in hand.“Before, I had to wait a long time,”Julio says. And he is right.

For example, obtaining a passportin one of the provinces meant asmuch as 14 hours of travel and athree-day wait for processing.Coupled with the long wait, eachprovince and/or consulate used todecide unilaterally if they wouldincorporate fingerprints or if the fin-ished passport would be handwritten.“They even gave blank passports tobe filled out later,” says JoséSandoval, the IOM ProgrammeCoordinator. And there was no offi-cial registry. This led to cases of falseidentity, which were discoveredwhen the document was used fraudu-lently. A new database that connectspassport processing centres andconsulates will diminish or even ruleout fraud. In October 2003 the firstcomputerized passport, with over 40security mechanisms, was issued inEcuador.

All three IOM-managed pro-grammes have received very positiveevaluations. Ecuador’s passport pro-gramme is being looked at as a pos-sible model for other countriesengaging IOM for this purpose.Ministers of CARICOM membernations have expressed their interestin the passport initiative.

Dolores Cortés, IOM Lima

New, machine-readable passports processed byIOM Quito

The names of the persons interviewed havebeen changed to protect their privacy.

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Refugee resettlement•Thailand-USA16

The Hmong are an ethnic minorityoriginally from Laos, who fought withthe Americans during the VietnamWar and subsequently, together withother refugees from Laos, fled tocamps in Thailand and thePhilippines.

Many were resettled, and between1977 and 2003 IOM helped some260,000 refugees from Laos to leavecamps in Thailand and 40,000 livingin camps in the Philippines to startnew lives in 29 countries, mainly theUS, France, Canada and Australia.Over 240,000 went to the US, morethan half of them ethnic Hmong.

Culture Shock,Warm Welcome Await US-bound Hmong Refugees

As elder siblings grappled with lug-gage on the escalator in Tokyo’s steeland plexi-glass Narita airport, KaDiateYang, 7, and ChuaDreng Yang, 5,paled, balked and dragged theirmother towards the stairs.

For the 24 members of the ethnicHmong Yang and Xiong families, 11 ofthem aged 10 or under, the 24-hourjourney across up to 13 time zonesfrom Thailand to California andMinnesota respectively, may haveseemed closer to time travel than aconventional long flight.

For the children, many of whomhad never travelled beyond theperimeter of the muddy lanes andcorrugated iron shacks of the closedrefugee village adjoining the WatTham Krabok temple north ofBangkok, nothing could have fullyprepared them for the trip to new liveshalf way around the world.

Accepted for resettlement in theUnited States by the State Depart-ment’s Bureau of Population, Refu-gees and Migration (PRM) under theUS Refugee Admissions Program(USRP), the Yangs and the Xiongswere the first of some 15,000 Hmongrefugees expected to leave Wat ThamKrabok for the US with IOM over thenext two years.

Left: Kia You, aged 1, arrives in America.

Above: Family and friends greet the Yangs atSacramento airport.

Right: Children play in the rain at Wat ThamKrabok.

© Christophe Calais/In Visu/Corbis


Thaila

But as refugees from other campswere resettled abroad, Wat ThamKrabok and its welcoming Abbot, thelate Phra Chamroon, became a mag-net in the early 1990s for Hmongrefugees who hoped to stay on inThailand. The population of the campadjoining the temple, which is wellknown for its drug rehabilitation pro-gramme, mushroomed, and two yearsago the Thai military assumed controlof the site.

With Thai government pressure andthe renewed offer of resettlement inthe US, the new consensus in thecamp now seems to be in favour ofresettlement, although tales circulateof violent disagreements, families splitand even a suicide triggered by theissue.

“Younger people are generallykeener to go to the US than olderpeople, women often seem happier togo than men, and most people agreethat it will be best for the children,

who now account for more than halfthe population of the camp,” saysRachin Weannara, an IOM doctorwho works with Thai Ministry ofPublic Health staff providing primaryhealth care in the camp.

Family members already in the USagree that relatives in the camp, par-ticularly the children, will be betteroff in the US. Tong Xee Xiong, whoarrived in Minnesota with his wifeChong Thao in 1991 and is sponsor-ing 21 relatives from Wat ThamKrabok, including the Xiong family,believes that the move will offer therefugees “a chance to start a new life”and give the children “an opportunityto have an education and go to workand get money.”

When the Xiong family – parentsand seven sons aged between threeand 15 – arrived in Minneapolis-St. Paul on 21 June, Tong Xee Xiongand Chong Thao were there to meetthem. Chong Thao embraced her

Refugee resettlement•Thailand-USA18

“IOM’s 25 hours of cultural orien-tation for everyone in the camp overthe age of 15 provides the basics forsurvival. But this generation has a farbetter idea of what to expect inAmerica from their knowledge of Thaisociety and through television. Thereis also a more sophisticated infra-structure to provide support onarrival, particularly from the HmongAmerican community,” she says.

Under the USRP, integration isshared between the sponsors and alocal voluntary agency or “affiliate”nominated by the programme. Assponsors, or “anchor relatives”, TongXee Xiong, who works as a machineoperator, and Chong Thao, who worksas a health care aide, have alreadybeen working closely with theMinneapolis-St. Paul-based Inter-national Institute of Minnesota (IIM).

“What we do is sit down with thesponsor at the outset and go through achecklist of everything that the arriv-ing family is going to need and who isgoing to provide it – the sponsor, our-selves or another refugee serviceprovider such as a mutual assistanceassociation. There is also an initial(government) grant of US$400 perperson,” says IIM Associate DirectorJohn Borden.

younger sister Ma Thao for the firsttime in 13 years in front of a cheeringHmong crowd representing the city’s60,000-strong Hmong community,amid flowers, tears, American flagsand frenzied local media coverage.

But despite the culture shock oftheir trip from Thailand, their firstexperience of air travel, transit inTokyo and Los Angeles airports,exhaustion, jet lag and the avalancheof new experiences, the new arrivalsare probably better prepared for life inAmerica than any previous generationof Hmong refugees, according toKaYing Yang, herself a former Hmongrefugee resettled in the US in the1970s, and now the IOM officialresponsible for providing pre-departure “cultural orientation” atWat Tham Krabok.

Above: Each refugee is allowed 20kgs of checked luggage and a 5kg carry on.

Below: KaYing Yang explains US rights and responsibilities.



“The checklist starts with airportreception and goes right through ini-tial housing and utilities, essential fur-nishing, food, home orientation, basicnecessities like kitchen items andbedding, clothing, social securityapplication, school registration for thekids, community orientation, healthscreening, job search, public assist-ance like food stamps, repayment oftheir travel loan, permanent housing,immigration assistance and so on,” hesays.

But the following morning, theirfirst day in the US, the younger mem-bers of the Xiong family had moreimportant things on their minds thanbasic survival skills. When theyemerged bleary eyed from their newtemporary home – Tong Xee Xiong’sclapperboard house in suburban St.Paul – into the dry Minnesota sun-shine, their cousins produced anAmerican football and they tore offaround the garden shrieking with joy.

Chris Lowenstein LomIOM Bangkok

Above: US supermarkets represent a different world for the refugees.

Below: Vang Xieng and family at the Capitol, Sacramento, CA.


Armeni

Micro-enterprise Development Project•Armenia20

The current economic situation inArmenia is marked by high unemploy-ment and little, if any, businessprospects. People living in remoteregions are more vulnerable to beingpushed into irregular migration or tobeing trafficked abroad for labour andsexual exploitation.

Helping people help themselves,that has become the mantra for MartinWyss, IOM Chief of Mission inYerevan, and his staff. “The most real-istic alternative for these impover-ished people is the small businesssector. IOM believes that an effectiveform of assistance is the promotion of individual self-sufficiency throughmicro-enterprise development pro-jects.”

IOM’s Micro-enterprise Develop-ment Project (MED) has a seven-yearrecord of creating jobs for vulnerablepeople and working with small busi-nesses in many regions of Armenia.

Since 1997, IOM-MED has helpedmore than 2,230 families of vulner-able persons, returnees, refugees, per-sons displaced by the earthquake, andvictims of trafficking to achieve eco-nomic self-sufficiency through micro-enterprise training, business creditsand employment opportunities.

Over 1,600 participants have beentrained and loans amounting to US$2,250,000 disbursed. Womencomprise the biggest part of the bene-ficiaries.

Project business advisors monitorall businesses and loan repayments.The IOM-MED project also providesassistance in marketing, taxation andexpansion for participants.

The Sweet Taste of SuccessElmira Gulyan was 10 years old

when her family was forced to leavetheir home in Baku, Azerbaijan, andflee the country. The family arrived inYerevan in 1988 with little more thanthe clothes on their backs. They weretaken to the village of Byureghavanand given a room in the dormitory ofa boarding school, where they stilllive today.

Elmira is proud of her parents’strong work ethic. “My parents alwaysworked very hard.” But war betweenArmenia and Azerbaijan over theenclave of Nagorno-Karabach had a negative effect on the economy. Many factories were closed and her parents lost their jobs. Elmira’sbrother was a student at the universitywhen he was called to serve in the

Armenian army and did not finish hisstudies. By the time Elmira graduatedfrom the Polytechnic Institute in 2001,she was the sole provider for herfamily.

During her years as a student, sheworked as an English teacher, buteventually was forced to quit her jobbecause the salary was so low shecouldn’t make ends meet.

Smbat Badalyan, a local shopowner, offered her work as a shopassistant for 1,000 Armenian Drams(AMD), less than US$2 per day.Again, for a family of six, this was notenough to meet their basic needs.Elmira says, “I was contemplatingstarting up my own business, so Ifound a recipe for spice cake, andwith my mother we started makingthem. To get started, I bought a

Small Businesses – Big Opportunities

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small oven for 15,000 AMD and used5,000 AMD to buy the products Ineeded. My first attempt to sell thecakes was a success. Armed with thisnew confidence, I decided to developmy business.”

Elmira and Smbat mobilized agroup of five small entrepreneurs andapplied to the IOM MED office inByureghavan. After meeting allrequirements, each received a loan ofUS$300. Smbat enlarged his shopand offered Elmira a small cornerwhere she formally set up her spicecake business.

Today Elmira recalls, “I graduallyexpanded the production of my cakesand began developing a small retailbusiness. After a successful firstphase, we took out a second loan.There’s a lot to be done to improveour living conditions, but now at leastwe are able to cover our basic needs.We’re happy and feel at ease, becausewe know this project is there to sup-port us with advice, training andfinancial means.”

From so-so to sew-sewMesrop was an experienced pro-

duction unit manager at the state tex-tile factory. But in the period of crisis,

many factories, including the one heworked in, were closed and hebecame unemployed.

He learnt about the IOM-MEDproject from friends who had receivedsupport for their small enterprises.They told him this was a viable oppor-tunity for those who wanted to puttheir business ideas into action.Mesrop developed his first businessplan with the IOM business advisor’sassistance and guidance. Now he is

the proud owner of a textile businessand says with confidence, “I’m surethat with good quality and com-petitive prices and further support, Iwill be able to expand my business. Iwill increase my earnings and, veryimportant, will be able to employmore people.”

Helping father timeSamvel Boyan began repairing

watches as a child. His father was awell known watch repairman in thecity of Gyumri. So, as long as he canremember, he helped his father in theshop while dreaming of owning hisown watch repair business one day.

Sometimes things change muchfaster than expected and don’t alwaysfollow the expected pattern.

When his father’s ill health forcedhim to stop working, Samvel visitedone of the IOM-MED offices to ask forhelp. He successfully finished thebusiness training course and with hisapproved business plan, Samvelbought a kiosk in the centre ofGyumri and opened his watch repairbusiness.

After he paid off the first loan, heapplied for a larger amount. Now heis well equipped to run his business;the business of helping people be ontime.

Jemma Mouradyan and Khachatur Kazazyan

IOM Armenia

Above: Mesrop’s textile business provides employment for local women

Below: Samvel Boyan at his watch repair shop in Gyumri

© IOM Armenia 2004

Counter-trafficking•Ghana22

IOM’s Joseph Rispoli recently inter-viewed the Chief of Bakpa TraditionalArea, Togbega Mortor Kwadjo HadjorVI, at his home in Ghana. He hasassisted IOM in many ways, includinglending his full support to IOM’s on-going Yeji Trafficked Children Project.His efforts to reintegrate the rescuedchildren into the community havebeen extraordinary. He is constantly

encouraging them to attend schooland devote time to their studies, whiletelling their parents to take their obli-gations as parents seriously.

In mid-June, he travelled toWashington to receive the 2004 USDepartment of State Anti-TraffickingHeroes Award for his extensive effortsto combat child trafficking in Ghana.

How long have you been a chief?

I was enthroned as a chief over 30 years ago while working in Accraas an officer with the AccountantGeneral’s Department.

Togbega, we can see that your townappears deserted. Where are thepeople, especially the children?

A Traditional Ruler Intent on Saving his Community

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Chief Togbega Mortor Kwadjo Hadjor VI surrounded by his townspeople


Ghana

Well, this is a good question. Thepeople of this town are farmers andformerly when we were near LakeVolta, a lot of them were fishermen.When the Akosombo Dam was con-structed in the 1960s, the riverbecame infertile and my people hadto travel to the north to places like Yejito go fishing. As you can see for your-self, the children of this communityhave been given away or sold by theirparents to work for others so that theywill become rich.

Why do you think parents in yourcommunity sold their children?

I think it is because the people hereare poor and they cannot meet theneeds of their children. There are alsotoo many children in their com-pounds and that means many mouthsto feed. So, some of them send theirchildren away in exchange for money.

Do you have members of your familywho have sent their children away?

Oh yes, my own sisters (referring tomothers in his community) have senttheir children away. I do not like it,but they say others are doing it so theymust do it too.

How do you feel about your class-rooms being empty and many ofyour community’s children in slaverysomewhere?

In fact, the situation is bad. I feelsorry for the children. That is why Iam trying my best to help you to bringthem back home.

What have you been doing to bringthem home?

During my Bakpa Klokpo Festival, Iurged the parents in the community totry and bring their children home tostay in the community because with-out children this is a dead town. Youcan see that the village has been com-ing back to life since the childrenstarted coming home. I have beentrying very hard to make sure that allthe children are attending school andbehaving themselves. I’m also moni-toring the parents to see if they aretreating their kids well and takingproper care of them. It is a big job tobe a parent and I want them all toknow that their children should comefirst. I have seen the difference that

IOM has made in the last few yearsjust by educating the parents aboutthe evils of selling their children tofishermen in Yeji, and I want to con-tinue to work with you to stop thiscrime. I think the government mustalso come to help combat this crimeagainst the children.

How did you first come by the issueof child trafficking?

I first saw it some years back whenI was a young man. My relatives andextended family would send theirchildren to unknown places to workfor them. When IOM came to identi-fy some of the parents last year, I wasvery happy that something good wasgoing to happen in my village, so Idecided to follow their plan.

Are you a politician?

No, I am a traditional ruler. I amhappy that IOM came to me andrespected me and took my advice tofind ways to bring the children home.

You were recently asked to visit theUnited States to receive an anti-trafficking award. How do you feelabout it?

In fact, I cannot express my happi-ness; if I do, you will not understandit. To travel to the US to meet big men

like Mr. Colin Powell was a greathonour in my life. It has encouragedme to work harder to bring my chil-dren home. America is nice and Ithank IOM for getting me there. I ama proud man. Look at my certificatesand the medal from the US StateDepartment. I dedicate them to allthe people of Ghana who feel theplight of these trafficked children.

As a chief, how do the people inyour community feel about you nowthat you have returned from yourtrip to the US?

They are proud of me because theynow see that the village was comingdown and I wanted to bring it up. Imust thank God that I am alive torebuild my village by helping the chil-dren who have come back from Yeji.It will take a long time, but we will beable to see to it that all the children ofNew Bakpa will get a proper educa-tion and training for their careers, sothat they can have a bright future. Aslong as we continue to stick togetherand the parents here assist each otherin their daily activities, children willnot be sold again. They will have thelives that they deserve. I plead thatIOM should assist the children so thatthey can stay in school, especially the girls.

IOM has registered a total of 1,002 school-aged children who had been traf-ficked for slave labour in fishing communities in the Volta and Central Regionsof Ghana. Most of the children are between 6 and 14 years old. The boys areforced to work in the fishing industry, and the girls are forced to cook, or actas servers and porters. The children are poorly fed and never paid. Sometimesthe nets get stuck at the bottom of the lake and the children have to dive torelease them. Some have drowned.

In late June 70 children were reunited with their parents in the town of NewBakpa. The children, who had been sold by their impoverished parents tolocal fishermen for up to 1.5 million Cedis (US$180), stayed at the IOM tran-sit where they were given medical examinations and counselling beforereturning home.

This brings to 298 the number of children who have been freed and re-united with their parents under IOM’s US-funded programme. All of the chil-dren are back in school or have joined vocational training programmes.

In return, the fishermen receive training and micro-credits to help themimprove their fishing techniques or engage in other income-generating activ-ities. IOM also identifies the needs of parents to help them undertake income-generating micro-projects through the provision of training and micro-credits.The parents have received business training and community revolving loanfunds to start or expand small businesses.

Headquarters•New Publications24

The list of IOM publications can be found on the IOM website:

http://www.iom.int

IOM publications are available from:International Organization for Migration, Research and Publications Division

17 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 19 SwitzerlandTel: +41.22.717 91 11, Fax: +41.22.798 61 50, E-mail: [email protected]

IOM publications are also available from the sales offices of the United NationsE-mail: [email protected] (Geneva) or [email protected] (New York)

New Online Reports!The DevelopmentDimensions of MigrantRemittances

It is now widely recognized thatmigrant remittances represent one ofthe most important flows of globaldevelopment finance for poor coun-tries. Remittances outstrip officialdevelopment assistance and capitalmarket flows and represent more thanhalf of foreign direct investment.

Lower middle-income countriesreceive the largest share of remittanceflows, but remittances constitute ahigher share of the total internationalcapital flows to low-income countries.

In every region of the world, remit-tances are helping to lift millions ofpeople out of poverty by providingcritical resources for food, shelter,healthcare, and education. However,despite this evidence, we still do notfully understand how remittances areused, or can best be used, to promotedevelopment, especially given thatexisting policy incentives are notalways thought to have been effective.This observation underscores the factthat the focus on remittances as adevelopment tool is recent, and manyquestions of how to exploit their fulldevelopment potential have yet to beanswered.

This report addresses some of thesefundamental questions on the role ofremittances in the context of themigration-development nexus.

http://www.iom.int/iomwebsite/Publication/ServletSearchPublication?event=detail&id=3292

Migrant Remittances as a Development Tool:The Case of Somaliland

This paper examines the relationship between migration and development in thecase of Somaliland, where an estimated 25-40 per cent of the population receiveregular remittances from family members abroad.

Remittances constitute a critically important source of income for poor house-holds throughout Somaliland and the Horn of Africa. Although a substantial shareof remittances are spent on immediate consumption needs such as food, shelterand healthcare, they are also invested in entrepreneurial activities. New evidencesuggests that the Somali diaspora is increasingly funding development-related pro-jects such as hospitals, schools and universities as well.

The dramatic impact of remittances – and more generally of Somali diasporaactivities – on poverty alleviation and local development in Somaliland, is the focusof this paper.

To view the entire report visit the IOM Website:http://www.iom.int/iomwebsite/Publication/ServletSearchPublication?event=detail&id=3293

Migrant Remittances as a Development Tool:The Case of Morocco

In 2003, the World Bank’s Global Development Finance report took formalnotice of remittances as an important source of global development finance andlisted Morocco as the fourth-largest recipient of remittances among developingcountries. Despite the high level of remittances, Morocco remains characterized byconsiderable regional developmental disparities and poverty. Emigration potentialsremain high in the north, closest to Spain, one of the European Union’s chief front-line states.

Research tends to show that it is often difficult to mobilize different forms ofrepatriated capital such as remittances, skills and new socio-cultural and politicalvalues for home country development because of enduring economic and infra-structure barriers.

This paper examines how this type of resource mobilization has been attemptedin the case of Morocco.

To view the entire report visit the IOM Website:http://www.iom.int/iomwebsite/Publication/ServletSearchPublication?event=detail&id=3291

managing migration for the benefit of all

Documents