IOM in Costa Rica

Costa Rica joined IOM as a Member State in December 1952, just a year after the founding of the organization. In 1954, IOM established its presence in the country. Since then, IOM Costa Rica has worked closely with the government of Costa Rica as well as with Costa Rican organizations and institutions to address the challenges posed by immigration in the country and more recently by the emigration of Costa Ricans.

Also, thanks to its vast experience in several fields, IOM Costa Rica has implemented various projects of regional scope, through the IOM Regional Office for Central and North America and the Caribbean based in San Jose.

The Regional Office in San José:

• Supervises, coordinates and supports the activities of IOM in the region.
• Reviews and approves projects and project reports and provides technical support to country offices, particularly in the area of project development.
• Plans and coordinates strategies and activities in the region and maintains links and partnerships with governments, development partners and civil society.
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• Provides technical assistance to governments to develop national frameworks for migration and to strengthen management systems migration.
• Supports and maintains the link with the Regional Conference on Migration and other sub-regional and regional relevant processes such as Central American Integration System (SICA), the Central American Commission of Migration Directors and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
• Maintains the relationship with multilateral agencies such as the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Pan American Health Organization regional institutions.

Currently, IOM is working in Costa Rica to: improve the human security of Panamanian indigenous migrants in the country; improve the approach and attention of Costa Rican emigration in sending communities; and provide technical cooperation to the government to implement its comprehensive migration policy, address human trafficking and several other challenges posed by migration.

For more information, visit the website of the IOM Regional Office for Central and North America and the Caribbean.

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Last updated: January 2016
Facts and Figures: May 2012