INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY CELEBRATES ON DECEMBER 18
In the past two decades, IOM has provided humanitarian assistance to nearly 12,000 stranded migrants who fell between the cracks of existing assistance programmes by helping them to return home. Since 2004, IOM’s caseload of over 1200 stranded migrants, more than 100 of them unaccompanied children, represent every region of the world.
“The migrants usually come from developing countries and their governments usually don’t have the means to help them. Neither do the governments of transit countries. They both turn to us but unfortunately we haven’t always been able to help for much the same reason. Nevertheless, we can’t turn our backs on them and neither can the world,” said IOM Director General Brunson McKinley.
IOM has created a programme specifically designed to help distressed stranded migrants, allowing the Organization to continue providing the humanitarian assistance that is so clearly required. The humanitarian assistance programme launched earlier this month, will provide flexible and rapid assistance to those without support from any source to return home. Support for this has begun to roll in.
IOM offices around the world will identify migrants who meet these criteria as well as organise and carry out their return. IOM will also identify what other help the migrants will need upon and after arrival. Assisted migrants will be asked if they want to contribute to the programme in order to help others trapped in similar situations.
“It is important to stress, however, the resources of the programme are limited and cannot possibly help all those who need it. That is why more attention and effort is needed by the global community to address the root causes of clandestine movements and move speedily to a fairer and more efficient system of managing mobility in a globalised world,” concluded McKinley.
