S08E18 Saul Díaz on the Reintegration of Returning Migrants

Voices - Conversations on Business and Human Rights from Around the World

Reuters reported in April this year that roughly 85,000 of the 172,000 migrants at the southern US border were from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. And the IOM states that from January to August of this year 70,074 were deported from Mexico and the US back to Central America. Add onto those figures, the thousands of workers who enter the US on seasonal worker visas and then return home, it is clear there are a huge number of migrants who are returning to Central America under a variety of circumstances. While there is no system currently in place to monitor what happens to migrants when they return, we do know that returnees are particularly at risk of poverty, violence, and victimization. Saul Diaz Ortiz, Regional Director of the SwissContact is addressing the unique needs of returning migrants through partnerships with individuals, communities, government, and business, thanks to the Nuevas Oportunidades project. Listen to his experience when identifying and boosting the economy of the countries of origin of returning migrants when they are properly integrated into society. JUMP-TO POINTS: 3:15 - Introduction of Nuevas Oportunidades 7:30 - The stigma against returned migrants in Central America - a historical approach 9:20 - The story of a returned migrant worker 15:30 - The importance of reintegrating returning migrants 20:06 - Working to fight discrimination against returning migrants? 21:40 - The importance of raising awareness in the private sector. 22:40 - An effective dynamic to fight discrimination at the community level 24:20 - The positive impact of Nuevas Oportunidades: an opportunity for economic development