Facts and Figures

IOM Member State since 1967 Capital: Tegucigalpa Population (2011): 7.8 million Area: 112,492 sq km Major Languages: Spanish, indigenous languages, English Currency: Honduran Lempira (HNL) GDP per Capita PPP (2010): USD 3,923 HDI Rank (2011): 121 of 187 Remittances (2011 estimate): USD 2,907 million Net Migration Rate (2010-2015): -1.3 migrants /1,000 population Immigrants (2010): 0.3% Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 48.4% Population under 15 (2011): 36.2% Adult HIV Prevalence (2009): 1%

Additional Resources International Migration Law Database National Instruments: Honduras Sources and Definitions

Latest News

• IOM Resumes Candidate Selection in El Salvador and Honduras for Labour Migration to Canada
• IOM Responds to Floods in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras
• Honduran Labour Migrants to Leave for Canada
• Hondurans Continue to Help Meet Labour Needs in Canada
• IOM Study Recommends Greater Focus on Adult Female Victims of Trafficking in Honduras

Overview

Honduras is a country of origin and transit in Central America. Because of its strategic geographical position (e.g., a triple border area), Honduras continues to confront numerous issues related to migration. One of the challenges is the reception and reintegration of the thousands of Honduran migrants returned by land and air each year from Mexico and the United States (US).

IOM continues to support the country’s Migration Office in improving the quality of migration management at all levels.

Among the different actions and operations IOM Honduras has assisted voluntary returns of vulnerable migrants, technically cooperated with migration policy and migration management, assisted the draft of protocols and guidelines against trafficking, and a wide range of activities including labour migration programmes, returnees’ assistance and humanitarian assistance in emergency situations.

Migration and Development

IOM’s activities in this area focus on the use of remittances, awareness of the risks of irregular migration, the promotion of state policies that include the insertion of returned migrants into the national labour market.

IOM also helps in the development of returned migrants and temporary workers information systems and databases.

Human Development for Youth: Overcoming the Challenges of Migration through Employment

The general objective of this project is generating dignified employability and enterprising opportunities at local level to prevent irregular migration among the young population between 15 and 29 years of age specially those in vulnerable situations.

This project is being executed in three departments of the country: La Paz, Comayagua and Intibuca; Lenca native territories that represent mostly agriculture characteristics, the highest rates of unemployment in the country and underemployment with highly irregular migration occurrences and rates.

Project

• Human Development for Youth: Overcoming the Challenges of Migration through Employment.

Facilitating Migration

IOM supports the Government of Honduras in carrying out its Temporary Labour Migration Programme, which includes the communication with the employer, pre-selecting candidates, assisting workers in preparing their paperwork and providing orientation sessions, among other activities. These procedures enhance the socio-cultural and economic development of both the workers and their families, while benefiting entire communities and countries.

Support to the Regional Integration by Strengthening Migration Management in Central America

The regional project aims to strengthen a better coordination and cooperation among the countries in the region, and includes the development of the following activities:

• Regional, bi-national and national workshops to identify needs
• Design work plans
• Identification of proper technologies for the information and data exchange at regional level
• Sharing of Best Practices from the European Model
• Enhancement of the countries’ infrastructure to facilitate the interconnection among systems
• Development of a legal framework for migration flows
• The implementation of a pilot fund for the assistance of irregular migrants within the region and in Europe.

A Technical Cooperation Agreement for the Management of Temporary Labour Migration Programmes of Hondurans Abroad

The Project for the Strengthening of the Honduran Steering Committee for the Management of Temporary Labour Migration Programmes is designed to strengthen the Honduran Government in managing labour migration to foreign countries and enhance the capacity of the Steering Committee to prepare the workers selected for positions overseas for their new personal and professional lives.

The long-term sustainability of this Steering Committee is assured through the signing of an agreement between the National Government and IOM in which the latter commits to finance and assign the necessary funds to guarantee the operation of the Steering Committee in the future.

Since 2007 the Programme has benefited 379 Hondurans and has given assistance to these migrants workers selected to work abroad in Canada and Spain.

Currently, there are 18 workers pending to travel to Spain in March 2011.

Selective Migration Programme

With this programme IOM maintains a relationship with the country’s public and private institutions, especially with bilingual educational institutions. The purpose is to determine the specific needs of technical and qualified human resources, assisting them with the acquisition of their relevant residence documentation and work permits.

Developing Tools to Enhance Government Capacities in Latin American and Caribbean Countries to Plan and Implement Labour Migration Policies by Improving Institutional and Regulatory Mechanisms Selective Migration Programme

The regional project is coordinated by IOM Mexico and funded by the 1035 Facility. This project has a general objective to strengthen the capacities of the Latin American countries in the labour migration management through a toolkit guide in order to implement public policies related to labour migration.

Regional Labour Migration Flows: Current Situation, Challenges and Opportunities

This project is coordinated in a joint effort with the MRF San Jose. The overall objective is to improve the management and approach of labour migration flows present in the regional countries through the following tasks:

• Generate current and relevant information from direct sources, on South - South migration.
• An analysis of interdisciplinary information, which will be used to make specific recommendations in order to improve the migration and labour management of these flows.
• Disseminate the results of the investigation with authorities and other relevant institutions in each country.

Projects

• Support to the Regional Integration by Strengthening Migration Management in Central America
• A Technical Cooperation Agreement for the Management of Temporary Labour Migration Programmes of Hondurans Abroad
• Selective Migration Programme
• Developing Tools to Enhance Government Capacities in Latin American and Caribbean Countries to Plan and Implement Labour Migration Policies by Improving Institutional and Regulatory Mechanisms
• Regional Labour Migration Flows: Current Situation, Challenges and Opportunities

Return Assistance for Migrants

IOM provides support to several migrants who have been victims of trafficking or for those who need to return to Honduras due to other specific circumstances.

Assistance to Victims of Trafficking

The staff assigned by the Ministry of Security received training sessions on the Protocol to be followed for the operation of the phone line 101 that receives complaints against trafficking cases. This line was launched on September 29th of 2010 with joint efforts between IOM and the Ministry of Security.

Currently IOM is coordinating the “No More Trafficking in Persons” campaign in order to promote among general population the use of this telephone line.

Victims of Trafficking in United States, Return, Reintegration and Family Reunification.

IOM provides assistance with the familiar reunification and logistic support for the trafficking victim cases in United States, through which a total of 30 families have been reunited in United States during the period 2008-2011.

Voluntary Return for Migrants in Highly Vulnerable Conditions

In coordination with corresponding entities and the Missions in other countries the MRF San Jose IOM Honduras has provided humanitarian assistance to these cases of voluntary returns in highly vulnerable conditions which are: trafficking victims, minors without the company of an adult, pregnant women and elders.

Projects

• Assistance to Victims of Trafficking
• Victims of Trafficking in United States, Return, Reintegration and Family Reunification
• Voluntary Return for Migrants in Highly Vulnerable Conditions

Technical Assistance to the National Government

Institutional Strengthening of the Ministry of Interior and the General Direction of Migration

The Ministry of Interior, well aware of IOM’s expertise and previous assistance in matters of institutional strengthening and procurement processes, has contacted IOM Honduras Mission for assistance in the bidding, contracting and supervision of the required works and services plus the acquisition of software applications and input materials for passports and other documentation.

With this project the Ministry of Interior, the General Direction of Migration and IOM aim to ensure a transparent and effective coordination of bidding and contracting procedures.

Projects

• Institutional Strengthening of the Ministry of Interior and the General Direction of Migration

Last updated:
Main text: 15 March 2011
Facts and figures: May 2012