IOM Presents Curaçao Needs Assessment on Migration Governance

In order to provide a panoramic view of migration management on the island, as well as to discuss the successes and challenges in establishing a migration policy, IOM discussed the main results of the Needs Assessment in Curaçao with key government counterparts on November 16. The presentation was in charge of Robert Natiello, Regional Coordination Officer for the Caribbean, and Chief of Mission for Guyana.  

The meeting was held in the office of the Directorate of Foreign Affairs. There were participants from the mentioned Directorate, from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of General Affairs, the Immigration Department, the Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Social Protection and Labour. 

Among the main needs identified were the need to create, implement and coordinate a migration policy and strategy focused on the socioeconomic integration of migrants and to improve capacities for dealing with migrants who are detained. In the area of protection and assistance, the protection of asylum seekers was identified as an area for improvement, as well as the importance of guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to migrants through comprehensive policies that are reflected in greater access to employment, health, and human development.  

 Migration trends in the Caribbean have changed along with regional and global dynamics, and in recent decades, the region has seen important transformations in the factors that push people to migrate, in the profiles of migrants and in the risks to which migrants are exposed. 

In this context, promoting orderly, safe, and regular migration is key. With the support of the international community, governments of the region have recognized the need to develop migration governance systems that allow them to respond to the emerging challenges and maximize the opportunities presented by migration offers.  

That is why The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has developed different guidelines and tools to support governments in this process and to facilitate aligning domestic policy with international standards for the protection of migrants, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

The document is already published and is available here.  

This initiative is supported by IOM under the Western Hemisphere Program, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the U.S. Department of State.