Incorporating Incorporating Mechanisms for the Mechanisms for the Protection of Rights Protection of Rights

into Temporary Worker into Temporary Worker Programmes: Programmes:

Experiences, Lessons Experiences, Lessons Learned, Challenges, Learned, Challenges,

and Possibilities and Possibilities

Luis Alonso SerranoLuis Alonso SerranoDGME COSTA RICADGME COSTA RICA

ExperiencesExperiences

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

ChallengesChallenges

PossibilitiesPossibilities

ExperiencesExperiences

Costa Rica - NicaraguaCosta Rica - Nicaragua

In December 2007, a Binational In December 2007, a Binational Cooperation Agreement was Cooperation Agreement was signed between the Ministries of signed between the Ministries of Labour and General Directorates Labour and General Directorates of Migration and Immigration of the of Migration and Immigration of the Governments of Costa Rica and Governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, with the aim of joining Nicaragua, with the aim of joining efforts and regulating the efforts and regulating the procedures relating to migrant procedures relating to migrant workers in an orderly manner, in workers in an orderly manner, in strict compliance with the basic strict compliance with the basic rights of workers.rights of workers.

• Documenting migrant workers– A Special Migration Category

ExperiencesExperiences

• Documenting Resident Foreign Nationals

ExperiencesExperiences

DIMEX 2008, 2009, 2010

2008 (since June) 44.282

2009 111.211

2010 106.893

TOTAL 262.386

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

• Fundamental Thesis:

• The INTEGRATION OF MIGRANTS is an instrument to prevent social violence and, at the same time, a social development factor.

• Costa Rica: country of destination, transit, and origin for different migration flows: migrant workers, refugees, tourists……

• A balance between migration – development, migration – security is sought.

• Inter-institutional coordination

• The need for legislation that is consistent with human rights principles

• Reorganizing human resources– Potentiating regional offices– Training human resources

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

ChallengesChallenges==

Objectives !

Challenge

To comply with the principles of

fairness, equality, non-

discrimination and

interculturality, with the aim of

promoting social integration of

national, migrant, and refugee

populations.

ChallengeChallenge

To ensure that the needs in terms of labour that have to be met in order to ensure the economic development of the country can be partially addressed through orderly migration flows, in accordance with current regulations and with full respect of the human and labour rights of migrants.

PossibilitiesPossibilitiesTo promote consultation and participation with shared responsibility of workers,

employers, and labour unions in decision-making processes relating to labour migration.

To maintain and expedite an efficient and flexible process for the entry of migrant workers into national territory, with the aim of effectively meeting the development needs of the country.

To ensure the availability of financial and human resources required by public institutions to effectively perform functions linked to the entry and stay of migrant workers in the country.

To establish mechanisms in bilateral and multilateral agreements that ensure effective respect for the human rights of migrant workers.

To prevent, punish, and eradicate the hiring of irregular migrant workers by employers.

To promote social and labour responsibility practices that consider the particularities of migrant and refugee populations.

PossibilitiesPossibilities

To inform, educate, and raise awareness on the contribution of migration to national development through joint efforts between national, migrant, and refugee populations.

To recognize the cultural diversity, promoting and strengthening meeting spaces and social participation spaces for national, migrant, and refugee populations with the aim of promoting joint actions.

To implement, within the framework of the Mexico Plan of Action, a set of lasting sustainable solutions to ensure the local integration of refugees, stateless persons, and refugee status applicants at a social, labour, education, and health level.

To promote social responsibility practices through the media and with opinion-makers, with the aim of achieving that the phenomenon of migration is addressed with an approach that facilitates integration between migrant and refugee populations and the national population and prevents social marginalization, discrimination, and xenophobia.

Actions Required to Ensure the Actions Required to Ensure the Sustainability of the Programme Sustainability of the Programme

(Workshop 2009)(Workshop 2009)• Ongoing inter-institutional coordination• Capacity-building for labour migration

management (policies and programmes)• Improving labour migration information systems

(data base)• Studies on the labour market in countries of

origin and destination• Support services (before, during, and after) • Developing programmes to stimulate return and

reintegration

www.migracion.go.crwww.migracion.go.cr