HomeOther Policy Issues – Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration...International Migration

# 									International Migration							

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

There are hundreds of millions of international migrants globally, each a person with a name, a unique story, and a reason for leaving their home.  People migrate for work or education, to reunite with family members, and to seek new opportunities.  Some return home, while others seek to immigrate to other countries.

While most people move by choice, conflict, violence, persecution, human rights abuses, disasters and the impacts of climate change push millions of people to flee their homes in search of safety and stability.

No single country can address and resolve complex, global migration and displacement issues on its own.  The United States recognizes that to achieve safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration, we need comprehensive regional and global strategies and continued collaboration with governments, civil society, international organizations, and other partners.  For example, the United States and 21 regional partners committed to the **Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection** to forge a coordinated and collaborative approach to address migration challenges in the Western Hemisphere.

## U.S. International Migration Themes

        - Protection : Every individual who migrates deserves dignity and respect for their human rights.  Our work emphasizes the importance of protection for migrant individuals in need.
        - Collaboration : We work with countries to improve collaborative migration management in ways that are grounded in human rights, transparency, nondiscrimination, responsibility-sharing, and State sovereignty.  We welcome collaboration with migrants, their communities, civil society organizations, international organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive approach to humane migration management.
        - Information : The need to provide accurate and timely information to migrants on safe and regular migration, including lawful pathways.
        - Data : The value of collecting and using accurate and disaggregated data as a basis for evidence-based policies.
        - Integration and Inclusion:  Develop welcoming strategies for migrants and refugees that promote integration and inclusion.

## What We Do

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) promotes safe, orderly, and humane migration management as well as protection for vulnerable migrants around the world through diplomacy and capacity-building, in addition to direct assistance programs.  PRM’s efforts are led by the Office of International Migration (PRM/IM).  Additionally, PRM fulfills its humanitarian mandate by promoting effective and humane migration management policies and practices.
        - Programs :  PRM contributed nearly $84 million for migration programs in FY 2023.  PRM administers foreign assistance funding for targeted projects and programs that support partner countries in building their capacity to humanely manage their migration systems and to prepare for emergencies that displace people.  Implemented primarily by the  **International Organization for Migration** (IOM), these programs promote safe, orderly, and regular migration; promote the human rights of migrants, address human trafficking and smuggling and assist survivors; promote fair and ethical recruitment practices for migrant workers; and prepare countries to assist vulnerable migrants caught in crises or disasters, including those impacted by climate change.  We also support  **regional consultative processes** (RCPs) around the world to promote regional solutions to migration challenges.  Led by member states, these processes facilitate inter-governmental cooperation on border management, data sharing, humanitarian protection, and countering human trafficking and smuggling.  Examples of achievements supported through U.S. funding include:           - Migration Management : Guatemala, working with IOM, approved the country’s first comprehensive policy to address migration in 2023.  The National Migration Policy (NMP) includes a broad range of policy guidance such as assistance to vulnerable populations, reintegration, access to services, and border management.  In addition to laying the foundation for humane migration governance in Guatemala, the NMP also allows Guatemala to fulfil commitments under the  Global Compact for Migration  (GCM) and other national and global policy frameworks.
          - Partnerships : In late November 2023, the Government of Ghana in partnership with PRM’s Africa Regional Migration Program, implemented by IOM, hosted a  Cross-Regional Dialogue for Champion countries of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) .  Bringing together representatives from 28 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, this event was an opportunity to strengthen partnerships among governments, discuss regional and cross-regional collaboration in GCM implementation and demonstrate the value of integrating the GCM into national planning.  The dialogue concluded with a set of recommendations for the GCM Regional Reviews taking place throughout 2024.
          - Migration Crisis Response :  Across the Southeast Asia region, IOM supports government officials with technical guidance and training to assist survivors of human trafficking and cyber scam operations.  In Indonesia, IOM partnered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to produce a film to raise awareness on the risks and signs of forced labor recruitment:  Through the Screen .  In Central Asia, a region highly vulnerable to climate shocks, IOM supports research on the impact of climate on migration and displacement to inform data-driven decision making for those responding to and managing migration.
          - Communications :  The  Piensalo 2 Veces , or Think Twice, campaign educates youth ages 15-25 in Central America and Mexico on the dangers of irregular migration and promotes regular pathways.  IOM launched the initiative in El Salvador in 2020 and has reached 94,000 youth and 54,000 via the campaign’s website  Somos Colmena.   Participants registered a 34 percent increase in knowledge about human trafficking than non-participants and 94 percent of program participants observed they were very likely to seek reliable information on regular migration options before deciding to migrate. 
        - Multilateral Diplomacy :  The quadrennial  **International Migration Review Forum** (IMRF) established by the 2018  **Global Compact for Migration (GCM)** , is an important global forum addressing international migration.  To effectively support U.S. foreign policy objectives, PRM continues to engage throughout the world in a variety of spaces and conversations to advocate for a collaborative, humane approach to migration management.
        - Data :  We prioritize programs and partnerships to improve migration management through evidence-based migration policies.
        - Impacts of Climate Change on Migration :  As outlined in the October 2021 White House  **Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration** , “Migration in response to climate impacts may range from mobility as a proactive adaptation strategy to forced displacement in the face of life-threatening risks.”   PRM with other U.S. departments and agencies support programs and policies that prepare for and respond to migration and displacement related to climate change.  Our climate strategy  focuses on protection, partnerships, multilateral engagement, and coordination.

Tags

DiplomacyImmigrationMigrationUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Back to Top