Facts and Figures

IOM Member State since 2011 Capital: Maputo Population (2011): 23.9 million Area: 801,590 km sq Language: Portuguese Currency: Metical (MZN) GDP per Capita PPP (2010): USD 942 HDI Rank (2011): 184 of 187 Remittances (2011 estimate): USD 132 million Net Migration Rate (2010-2015): -0.2 migrants /1,000 population Immigrants (2010): 1.9% Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 52.1% Population under 15 (2011): 43.9% Adult HIV Prevalence (2009): 12%

Additional Resources International Migration Law DatabaseNational Instruments: Mozambique Sources and Definitions

Latest News

• IOM Delivers US Aid to Cyclone-Affected Families in Mozambique
• HIV Awareness Efforts Focus on Key Land Corridor between Mozambique and Malawi
• Information Campaign Kicks Off in Mozambique for Football World Cup
• Regional Workshop on HIV Responses for Mine Workers,
  Their Families and Affected Communities
• National Consultation on Responses to HIV in the Road Transport Sector

Overview

Mobility is an integral part of life in Mozambique – a country with a long history of labour migrants working in South Africa in mines and on commercial farms. Mozambique is a large country with more than 53 border posts, significant transport corridors linking landlocked countries – such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi – to major sea ports and to the regional hub of South Africa. These transport corridors are home to mobile and migrant groups including cross border traders and long distance transporters. With the economy in Mozambique rapidly improving, it is beginning to experience increased migration flows into the country, particularly in the north – as an entry point where many migrants enter with an intent to transit through Mozambique to South Africa, and north west of the country, as people enter to look for work on the mines in Tete.

Although Mozambique has been a peaceful country since the signing of the peace accord in 1992, the civil war, which peaked in the 1980s, saw large refugee flows into neighboring countries. IOM's operations from 1994-1996 in Mozambique facilitated massive repatriation and reintegration of returning refugees and ex-combatants. In addition to post-war recovery and reconstruction, Mozambique experiences natural disasters linked to seasonal flooding of the Zambezi River and the touch-down of cyclones along the 2,470 km stretch of coast line. This has resulted in the perennial displacement of thousands of families whose livelihoods are destroyed when these disasters occur.

At present, there continue to be significant recovery and development challenges coupled with cross-cutting concerns such as the spread of HIV and AIDS, and phenomena such as human smuggling and recent increases in irregular migration. Currently there is a large increase in irregular migrants from the Horn of Africa. Many of these irregular migrants come from Somalia and Ethiopia and seek asylum in Mozambique. However, many also try to move onward to South Africa.

Mozambique has held status as an Observer in the IOM Council since 1992.

Delivering as One and the UN Joint Programme

Mozambique is designated as one of the eight pilot countries for the United Nations' "Delivering as One" (DaO) reform programme, in which IOM's role is increasing. IOM is a member of the UN Country Team (UNCT), the Programme Management Team, the Humanitarian Country Team, the Joint Team on AIDS, and several technical working groups which fall under these coordination mechanisms.

Currently the UNCT is developing the new United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and DaO which will begin in 2012, and IOM is an active participant in this process. Three priority areas have been established to contribute to the overall development goal, which is “Reduced poverty and disparities leading to improved human development of Mozambicans, particularly the most vulnerable.” They are: 1) Governance; 2) Social Disparities; 3) Economic disparities. IOM has ensured that the outcomes of these three focus areas (which in turn will influence the outputs) sufficiently cover the areas of IOM’s mandate and areas of intervention in Mozambique. IOM will continue to play an active role in the process of developing outputs that will ensure IOM’s continuous assistance to key partners and beneficiaries including the government and migrants in Mozambique.

Movement, Emergency and Post-crisis Migration Management

Life-saving Humanitarian Response to Stranded Refugees / Asylum Seekers and Irregular Migrants. To meet the immediate humanitarian needs of stranded irregular migrants in the Northern province of Cabo Delgado, IOM in partnership with the Government and other international organizations are delivering emergency assistance to vulnerable groups and population at risk. The two main objectives of this response are:

1. To provide immediate temporary shelter, initial health screening and assistance and supply of necessary non-food items such as mosquito nets, blankets and cooking utensils.
2. Once the stranded migrants and asylum seekers are medically approved fit for travel, IOM will provide transportation assistance to the Maratane refugee camp where they can be screened and assisted by government authorities.

Projects

• Life-saving Humanitarian Response to Stranded Refugees / Asylum Seekers and Irregular Migrants

Migration Health

High population mobility, including cross border travel, has been identified as one of the key drivers of the HIV epidemic in Mozambique. The rehabilitation of the transport and communication systems that led to the movement of workers within and outside the country, had serious implications for the spread of the epidemic. Research has shown that there is a higher prevalence of HIV in provinces that contain transport links with countries bordering Mozambique.

Mozambique has an estimated HIV prevalence of 11.5 per cent within the adult population (15-49 years) according to 2009 statistics, up from 12.5 per cent in 2007. AIDS-related illness has been identified as one of the leading causes of death in the country.

Some groups are particularly vulnerable to HIV as women and girls are disproportionately affected. Among women aged 15-24 in Sofala Province, for example, there is a 20.8 per cent prevalence. The government of Mozambique considers migrant populations – long-distance truck drivers, miners, informal traders, solders in barracks or drafted military units, and sex workers – as particularly vulnerable to HIV infection.

PHAMESA: Partnership on Health and Mobility in Eastern and Southern Africa. Through its PHAMESA programme, IOM works to prevent and counter the misinformation, misunderstanding, and stigmatization that are often associated with HIV and AIDS and migration. IOM uses a rights-based and participatory approach to bring HIV prevention and access to care and support to migrant and mobile populations throughout the world.

IOM's Partnership on Health and Mobility in Eastern and Southern Africa (PHAMESA) is a regional programme managed from IOM's Regional Office in Pretoria that aims to reduce HIV incidence and to improve health accessibility among migrants and mobile workers, their families and in the communities with which they interact.

In Mozambique a particular focus of this programme is working with partners to reduce HIV incidence and the impact of AIDS on mine workers and their families in Gaza Province.

United Nations Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS. IOM Mozambique has received support to conduct activities as part of the Mainstreaming, Prevention, and Monitoring & Evaluation Working Groups.

Under the UN Joint Programme, IOM Mozambique is focusing on prevention, mainstreaming and M&E activities by:

1. Utilizing radio as a means of raising awareness on HIV, migration and gender through radio dramas and documentaries;
2. Building the capacity of the private sector to carry out prevention activities in selected port communities to facilitate, provide and promote equitable access to comprehensive HIV services for workers and their families;
3. Conducting two qualitative assessments: One on the Maputo transport corridor leading to Swaziland, and the other on the growing Nacala corridor into Malawi to assess the impact and causes of high rates of HIV infections and prevalence rates.

Project

• PHAMESA: Partnership on Health and Mobility in Eastern and Southern Africa
• United Nations Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS

Regulating Migration

Resettlement Assistance. IOM is presently working with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Embassies of the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, and Canada in assisting refugees to complete the mandatory requirements for resettlement in those countries. Additionally, IOM organizes and assists with logistical support and travel arrangements and facilitates medical screening and assessments of potential migrants.

Project

• Refugee Resettlement and Migrants Assistance

Migration, Climate Change and Environmental Degradation

Applying Disaster Risks Reduction Strategies in Areas affected by Floods. Mozambique was struck by severe floods in late 2007 and early 2008. While the affected communities are still receiving assistance in the form of infrastructure rehabilitation, the focus is shifting towards establishing mechanisms to mitigate the effect of future natural disasters. An estimated 34,000 people in 54 districts across the country are vulnerable to seasonal flooding. Mozambique is also potentially vulnerable to cyclones, drought and earthquakes.

Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness (United Nations Joint Project on DRR). This response was developed as one of the components of Delivering as One United Nations in Mozambique. The programme was created in recognition that disaster preparedness, risk reduction, vulnerability reduction and disaster mitigation are fundamental to the development of Mozambique, a country affected by frequent natural disasters.

The reduction of vulnerability through strengthening communications infrastructure and developing government and civil society capacity not only serves the UN Joint Programme's goals, but it also furthers IOM's mandate and commitment to stabilizing communities in an effort to manage environmentally induced migration and to support national adaptation strategies. As an implementing partner in the UN Joint Programme IOM is developing disaster risk reduction programmes for the media (concentrating on community radio as a medium) as well as offering technical assistance to improve their transmitting capacity. The five components of the programme are as follows:

1. Provide technical assistance to the Government in order to develop a multi-sectoral package of emergency preparedness, contingency planning and response tools for use by national and international humanitarian actors, including for assessment, registration, monitoring and evaluation.
2. Promote communication and social mobilization activities – through radio, community theatre, posters, leaflets and community activities – to prevent and mitigate epidemics such as cholera, and to inform about HIV/AIDS.
3. Support risk identification at community level through periodic direct consultations and awareness raising efforts on risks through radio programming.
4. Strengthen the capacity of existing community radio stations in disaster-prone districts through the training of community radio staff and increasing broadcast range and provide standardized programming materials for disaster preparedness.

Project

• The United Nations Joint Programme on Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness

Last updated:
Main text: August 2011
Facts and figures: May 2012