A Workshop on Cross-Border Disaster Displacement for the Ibero-American Network of Immigration Authorities

April 23, 2022
Events

Panama City, 21-22 April 2022 – the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) carried out a regional workshop for the Ibero-American Network of Immigration Authorities (RIAM) on cross-border displacement and protection of migrants in the context of disasters, which was attended by delegations from fifteen member countries of RIAM network.

The workshop titled ‘Intercambio de experiencias y taller regional sobre desplazamiento transfronterizo y atención de personas migrantes en contextos de desastres’ aimed to advance the work on human mobility in the context of disasters, environmental degradation and climate change for RIAM member countries, as well as to strengthen knowledge around main concepts, relevant frameworks, trends and challenges associated with human mobility in the context of disasters, climate change and environmental degradation in the RIAM region.

This regional workshop helped to identify progress and challenges in the implementation of relevant global and regional frameworks from a migration management perspective. Moreover, the event intended to support the review process towards the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), in particular, implementation of objectives 2 and 5 derived from the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).

During the two-day workshop, immigration authorities shared best practices, groundbreaking norms and challenges on data gaps, protection of persons displaced across borders in the context of disasters, and provided an opportunity to share global efforts in mapping relevant practices, including the recently published report on ‘Implementing the Commitments Related to Addressing Human Mobility in the Context of Disasters, Climate Change and Environmental Degradation’.

The workshop was attended by high-level authorities and technical immigration personnel from fifteen countries, including the Deputy Immigration Director from Ecuador (Chair of RIAM), National Immigration Director from Bolivia, National Immigration Director from Paraguay and Deputy Immigration Director from Guatemala. Other delegations attended the event virtually, including delegations from Colombia, Mexico, and Nicaragua.