Migrant information hubs in Costa Rica strengthened with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives

 
Costa Rica
4 February, 2019

 

 

Upala, Costa Rica. Since October 2018, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has worked in conjunction with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) with the goal of improving the services offered by the migrant information hub in the Municipality of Upala, and identifying strategic synergies with civil society in the area.  

The canton of Upala is located on the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua and thus is a transit zone for many migrants. Additionally, according to the last National Population Census, 17.1% of the total population of the region of Upala are migrants. In July 2018, the Municipality of Upala opened the Municipal Migrant Information Hub with the support of IOM.  

“The hub is an essential means for migrants who live in or transit through the canton to access relevant and trustworthy information about migration processes, regularization options, the risks of irregular migration, and more, in order to facilitate dignified and safe migration,” explained Isis Orozco, National Coordinator in Costa Rica of the Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica- the Caribbean.  

Specifically, the collaboration between the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and IOM with the hub has enabled the development and launch of an information campaign about its services, which was carried out in cooperation with the Youth Network of Upala. A training was also held to strengthen interinstitutional coordination between the different municipalities of the northern region, in particular for the management of job placement programs for migrants.  

Additionally, a participatory activity was held for the community on January 29. It included live music sessions with the music group Talawa Reggae Army, who are goodwill ambassadors for IOM, as well as a training about the crimes associated with irregular migration supported by technical specialist staff from IOM. 

For more information about activities in Upala or in Costa Rica, contact Isis Orozco, iorozco@iom.int