Within the framework of the project Strengthening capacities for migration governance and including migration into national planning (MIRAC for its Spanish acronym), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has created the Migration Policy and Governance Training Program for key actors who are either working on any of the strategic axes of migration or are part of Government and civil society organizations that are linked to the issue, either from a legal or human rights perspective.

This training activity is also carried out within the framework of IOM's Western Hemisphere Program, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the United States Department of State.

The program began on Thursday, June 10, 2021, and lasted for 40 hours, 16 of which were face-to-face (4 half-day sessions) and 24 were virtual. Discussion and practical exercises were also included within two modules.

Both modules will cover topics on the context of migratory flows worldwide and in Latin America, the attention of the issue by international organizations and in regional dialogues, the link of this phenomenon with development and its labour implications.

Likewise, the normative and institutional context of migration in Panama were reviewed as part of the context of public policies. The conceptual and methodological aspects of public policies and their relationship to democratic governance were also addressed. The matrices that were used allowed the participants to put the knowledge into practice, so that at the end of the program, on June 24, 2021, they could develop a proposal in a specific area or aspect in which, according to their experience, the country needs that input.

Santiago Paz, Head of the Global Administrative Centre in Panama and IOM Mission in Panama, said that "the fulfilment of the goals regarding migration depends on raising awareness about the links between migration and development, and on addressing the conditions of vulnerability of irregular migration, which is why this space for reflection, understanding, analysis and management of migratory phenomena is a strategic commitment from IOM to strengthen the capacities of institutions dedicated to the development of policies and implementing mechanisms for addressing the conditions of vulnerability of the migrant population."

The program aims to support the Panamanian government's efforts to strengthen its management and governance of migration, while fostering effective cooperation by the United Nations System, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).

As of May 31, 2021, and according to preliminary figures from the National Migration Service, 16,742 irregular migrants crossed into Panama through the Darien jungle. To that date, 866 migrants were held in the various camps of the National Border Service.

In addition to explaining the methodology of the program, during the launch the main results obtained from the study Analysis on Migration Governance Needs in Panama were presented. The study addresses the challenges and opportunities that exist in the country to ensure that migration to, from and within the country is carried out through well-managed migration policies and mechanisms. The research project will be presented in its entirety shortly.

For more information, please contact Mayteé Zachrisson, IOM’s Communications and Media Assistant in Panama, at mzachrisson@iom.int.