Irregular Extra-Continental Migratory Flows: Return and Reintegration of these migrants

1. Irregular Extra-Continental Migratory Flows: Return and Reintegration of these migrants General Directorate of Migration and Alien Status -February 2012-

2. Introduction • The flows of extra-continental foreign nationals who enter Central America, Panama, and Mexico both regularly and irregularly (all destined for the United States and Canada) have increased considerably in recent years. • In 2011, El Salvador reported the entry of 10,876 African and Asian citizens. The total for 2012 to date is6,585. • In recent years, El Salvador has identified irregular migratory flows that enter the country in transit.

3. Introduction • The migratory flows identified are comprised of economic migrants, refugees, and other categories of persons (such as victims of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling). • Countries of origin of the migrants interviewed: Eritrea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Somalia, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Ghana, and Sri Lanka, among others.

4. Migratory Flow of Citizens of African Countries January–December 2011 * Note of Interest: The category ‘Other Countries” includes 33 different nations, thus giving a total of 45 nationalities.

5. Migratory Flow of Citizens of Asian Countries January–December 2011 * Note of Interest: The category ‘Other Countries” includes 27 different nations, thus giving a total of 43 nationalities.

6. Asian Nationalities with the Greatest Migratory Flows January–August 2012

7. African Nationalities with the Greatest Migratory Flows January–August 2012

8. Extra-Continental Flows that Have Been Received at the Comprehensive Migrant Services Center

9. Refugee Status Petitions 2009 2010

10. Refugee Status Petitions 2011 2012

11. Identified Routes Route from Nepal: Nepal, India, Dubai, Brazil, Peru, to Ecuador by air From Ecuador to Nicaragua by fishing vessel From Nicaragua to El Salvador by speed boat From El Salvador to the United States on foot and by car Route from India: India, Hong Kong, Macao (China), Amsterdam (Germany), and Panama by air From Panama to El Salvador by air From El Salvador by land (bus) to Guatemala Route from Eritrea: Eritrea, Sudan, Dubai, Brazil, to Ecuador by air Through Colombia and Panama to El Salvador by land (through Central America) From El Salvador to the United States by land Route from Asia: Mainland China, Nepal, Bangladesh, to India by air From India by ship to Ecuador (changing vessels in mid-ocean) From Ecuador by ship (passing through Central America) Route from Africa: Ethiopía, Somalia and South Africa to Russia or Saudi Arabia by air To Cuba and/or Ecuador by air From Ecuador to El Salvador

12. Logistical and Financial Difficulties in Returning Migrants • High cost incurred to: • Tend to migrants. (The Migrant Services Center spends approximately$150,000 per year.) • Purchase airline tickets to return them to their country of origin or residence. The General Directorate has no specific budget item for this. Help in purchasing tickets has been requested from the IOM, Embassies, and relatives.

13. Logistical and Financial Difficulties in Returning Migrants • Lack of a monetary fund that could contribute to ensuring a rapid and safe migratory exit process. • The IOM only provides funds when the repatriation is voluntary; if not, there is no support. • The language barrier represents one of the principal problems, due to the lack of interpreters. • Lack of Embassies, Consulates, or honorary diplomatic representations of the extra-continental countries.

14. Challenges • Creation of action protocols designed to quickly determine the identity, profile, and protection needs of individuals who travel in groups and arrive irregularly in the region. To achieve this, a liaison network of migration officers needs to be created to develop and execute a Regional Cooperation Plan for the return and reintegration of irregular extra-continental migrants. • Facilitation and promotion of the migrant’s return to his/her country of origin. This requires voluntary return programs and re-admission agreements between countries. • Creation of a regional voluntary return fund and reintegration programs.

15. Challenges • Have available permanent, temporary, or virtual human resources to enable communication with this population in terms of linguistic interpretation. • Develop quick and effective application procedures designed to comply with the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air • Define a mechanism that allows updated information to be obtained regarding current conditions in the countries of origin.

16. Challenges • Creation of a comprehensive system to share information on migratory flows, and specifically on extra-continental migrants. • Strengthening, integration, and harmonization of existing mechanisms for identifying profiles and referring/channeling cases among the region’s countries. • Regional legalization and establishment of clear protocols, procedures, and guidelines applicable to those extra-continental migrants who can not be returned due to vulnerability situations.