Honduras - IOM and Honduras’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs have relaunched the ALHO VOZ call centre, which this year is expected to help over 850,000 Honduran migrants with information about consular services, how to register human rights violations, the risks of irregular migration, legal and other advice.

IOM's support for the call centre has included its complete renovation. It now has ten fully equipped computer workstations, which will cut call waiting and costs. The centre receives over 2,000 calls a week from Honduran migrants.

By dialling the call centre at 504-2236-0248, Honduran migrants can also get information on government programs for social inclusion focused on reintegration, as well as monitoring of customer complaints for services offered by the different Honduran consulates and embassies abroad. Calls made to Honduran consulates in the US and Mexico will also be rerouted to the call centre in order to provide prompt and efficient service.

ALHO VOZ began operations in early 2015 and, to date, has catered to almost 40,000 inquiries related to consular services, as well as complaints and requests for protection assistance.

"The experiences have varied – from people asking to be visited at detention centres, to citizens abroad who only want to be heard. Some of them may have been alone for a long time and just need to talk to someone," said Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

The relaunch of the call centre is part of an IOM project: “Comprehensive assistance to families and unaccompanied migrant children returning in the Northern Triangle of Central America”. The initiative, funded by USAID, has helped some 21,950 returned migrants in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras since its inception.

For further information, please contact Karen Arita, IOM Honduras, Tel: +502 2220-1104, Email: karita@iom.int