The IOM Office in Tegucigalpa, working with the Honduran Government, has facilitated the final selection of another group of Honduran migrants who have been offered temporary labour contracts in Canada and Spain.

Six of the 31 candidates selected for the El Dorado Farms in Alberta, Canada have already worked in Canada and were awarded a second contract based on their outstanding performance in 2007.  The other 25 candidates are awaiting travel documents and will leave for Canada shortly.

Following a new request from Maple Leaf Foods Canada, a group of 148 persons have been selected to work in the company's meat processing plants in the provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan.  The first group of 20 is scheduled to leave Honduras on 21 May.  The rest will follow in May and June once all pre-departure formalities and travel documents are completed.

Frutas Queralt of Spain, which also requested assistance from IOM Honduras to fill temporary labour positions, will be welcoming a first group of 25 Hondurans on 19 May.

Nancy, a female applicant, told IOM staff: "This is a great opportunity that will help me push my family ahead."

Following a request from the employer, IOM's labour migration selection process begins with advertisements in local media and is followed by the processing and screening of applications, pre-selection interviews, visits to the applicants' homes, and medical check-ups.  The final selection is carried out by the employer during a face-to-face interview with the candidates pre-selected by IOM.

After the final selection, the applicants receive IOM assistance in gathering documents and filling in forms to obtain travel documents, support in case of questions regarding their employment contracts, medical exams, language training and cultural orientation.

Norberto Girón, IOM's Chief of Mission in Honduras says, "IOM is committed to facilitating safe and orderly migration and promoting migration for development.  We prepare migrants to ensure they will be successful in their new jobs and new environment.  All will send remittances home to their families, which will help improve the level of development in the communities of origin.  IOM's ultimate goal is increased cooperation between governments, the private sector and international organizations."

According to official statistics, Honduras has an unemployment rate of 17 per cent and a total of 46 per cent of its population underemployed. It is estimated that almost one million Hondurans who work full time make less than the minimum wage. 

For more information, please contact:

Evelyn Andino
IOM Honduras
Tel: +504.220.1100 Ext. 1510

or

Jeremy Mac Gillivray
Tel: +504.220.1100 Ext. 1516
E-mail: jmacgillivray@iom.int