DIRECTORATE FOR ASSISTANCE DIRECTORATE FOR ASSISTANCE TO MIGRANTSTO MIGRANTS

1. MISSION:To develop programmes oriented toward preventing irregular migration and to help strengthen policies and strategies ensuring full coordination of the repatriation of Salvadoran nationals, promoting social, productive, and education programmes to enable them to reincorporate into our society and thus, to help create better conditions for citizen security and economic growth.

2. VISION:To be a leading unit within the institution, at a national and international level, developing procedures and programmes to facilitate the expedited, orderly, and safe repatriation of Salvadoran nationals and ensure their reintegration into society.

EL SALVADOR AND MIGRATIONEL SALVADOR AND MIGRATION• The United States defines an undocumented migrant as every person born outside the United States

that is not a legal resident in the country, either having entered in an illegal manner or having stayed for a period that is longer than the period established in the visa.

• El Salvador appears as the second source of migrants to the United States: From 430,000 in 2000 to 530,000 in 2009 – a 25% increase and an annual average of 10,000 persons in one decade.

• However, Salvadoran migrants account for only 5% of the irregular population in the United States.

• The list of the 10 primary countries of origin of migrants to the United States includes Guatemala as the third with 290,000 in 2000 and 480,000 in 2009; Honduras, with 160,000 in 2000 and 320,000 in 2009, and the Philippines with 200,000 in 2000 and 270,000 in 2009.

• By region, the total number of migrants from Mexico, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean was 8.5 million in 2009, followed by 980,000 from Asia and 74,000 from South America, according to “Diario de Hoy” Newspaper – 2010.

• California continues to be the favourite state of destination of migrants: 2.6 million migrants live there, accounting for 24% of the total number. However, a reduction in the percentage of migrants living in California has been observed compared to 2000, with a percentage of 30%.

CONDITIONS FAVOURING MIGRATIONCONDITIONS FAVOURING MIGRATION• Unemployment

• Lack of opportunities

• Poverty and migration

• Migration from rural to urban areas as a result of lack of agricultural productivity

• Family disintegration

• Domestic violence, causing many women to escape from their aggressor, together with their children

• Lack of living alternatives, especially for young persons

• Family reunification

• The armed conflict forced many persons in productive age to escape from the effects of the conflict

• Natural disasters (earthquakes)

• Underpaid employment and deplorable working conditions

RISKS AND DIFFICULTIES OF MIGRATIONRISKS AND DIFFICULTIES OF MIGRATION• Risks are different for female migrants than for male migrants.

• Disintegration of family bonds.

• Abuse of authority, physical mistreatment, sexual abuse, abduction, extortion, humiliations, assault by migrant smugglers and traffickers and from drug cartels.

• “While they seek employment to provide for their families, they suffer abuse and, in many cases, even death”.

• Boys, girls, adolescents, young adults, and women are victims of the crime of trafficking, under the modes of: organ trafficking, illegal adoption, slavery, forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation, illegal marriage, etc.

• Acquiring debts with migrant smugglers named “Coyotes”, loss of property, money, immoveable goods, and others.

FACING THE RETURN TO THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY WERE FACING THE RETURN TO THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY WERE BORNBORN

• Difficulty with the Spanish language, especially those persons who migrated at a very young age.

• Weak or inexistent family bonds.

• Depending on their age, the lack of possibilities to continue studying or begin studying.

• Limited possibilities for incorporating into the labour market, since their experiences are not congruent with the needs and realities in the country.

• Difficulty to obtain identity documents, which are required for every procedure.

• In some cases, they are rejected or cast out by their families, and this motivates them to migrate again.

• Lack of knowledge of their own country – in terms of geography, institutional bureaucracy.

• Lack of possibilities to adjust due to high cost of living, salaries that are not appropriate for the work performed (compared to the US).

• Stigmatized or labelled as deported persons and a sub-group of society, some have tattoos bot do not belong to gangs.

• Some return without legs or arms, are disabled and become a burden to their families.

WHAT ACTIONS HAVE WE IMPLEMENTED SINCE 2009?WHAT ACTIONS HAVE WE IMPLEMENTED SINCE 2009?A project to modernize the Repatriation Unit, currently known as the

Directorate for Assistance to Migrants.

Before

After

Improving assistance to persons returning from Mexico

Before

After

Assistance to persons returning from the US has been improved. Logistical support is now provided to them: Telephone calls to reach their families, transportation to terminals, one night accommodation, etc.

Awareness-raising processes on irregular migration for persons collaborating with the Directorate of Assistance to Migrants. Addressing the topic with a human rights approach.

IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE PROVIDEDIMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED

This person received new clothes. His former clothes were stained since he was arrested while he was at work.

A wheelchair was donated to a migrant who was repatriated on May 22, 2011 with a diagnosis of amputation of the left foot due to accident.

On May 3, 2011 a girl was received, who voluntarily returned from the US. She survived a fire where her mother and a sister died on December 30, 2010. Reception actions were coordinated with representatives from ISNA, MIRE, and members from the girl’s family.

On August 22, 2011 a man was received. Actions were coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, AIES. Diagnosis: schizophrenia. He was admitted to the National Psychiatric Hospital “Doctor José Manuel Molina Martínez”.

On September 3, 2011 another man, was received. The Ministry of Public Health assessed Mr Pineda. Diagnosis: Schizophrenia and mental disability.

STATISTICS FOR 2011STATISTICS FOR 2011

MONTH Nº OF BUSES MEN WOMEN BOYS GIRLS TOTALJANUARY 16 435 53 12 7 507

FEBRUARY 25 601 77 36 16 730MARCH 29 789 105 34 19 947APRIL 32 738 102 43 26 909MAY 35 806 128 67 31 1032JUNE 25 668 69 32 25 794JULY 23 536 127 29 10 702

AUGUST 23 537 140 40 19 736SEPTEMBER 25 549 118 53 16 736

OCTOBER 22 572 103 30 8 713NOVEMBER 26 519 121 61 21 722DECEMBER 15 321 59 28 11 419

TOTAL 296 7071 1202 465 209 8947

OVERVIEW OF REPATRIATION BY LAND, 2011

MONTH

GENDER AGE TYPE OF FLIGHT BACKGROUND

MALE FEMALE Total ADULTS CHILDREN Total COMMERCIAL FEDERAL TotalNo criminal

RecordCriminal Record Total

JANUARY 1103 96 1199 1195 4 1199 105 1094 1199 522 677 1199FEBRUARY 1189 107 1296 1290 6 1296 31 1265 1296 617 679 1296MARCH 1326 141 1467 1460 7 1467 34 1433 1467 834 633 1467APRIL 1039 108 1147 1141 6 1147 36 1111 1147 606 541 1147MAY 1555 139 1694 1673 21 1694 40 1654 1694 822 872 1694JUNE 1537 169 1706 1687 19 1706 34 1672 1706 960 746 1706JULY 1237 151 1388 1365 23 1388 40 1348 1388 744 644 1388AUGUST 1132 426 1558 1542 16 1558 35 1523 1558 915 643 1558SEPT. 1211 213 1424 1417 7 1424 32 1392 1424 791 633 1424OCTOBER 1249 75 1324 1315 9 1324 28 1296 1324 722 602 1324NOV. 1366 76 1442 1433 9 1442 32 1410 1442 723 719 1442

DECEMBER 1159 105 1264 1251 13 1264 47 1217 1264 873 391 1264

SUB-TOTAL 15103 1806 16769 140 494 16415 9129 7780

TOTAL 16909 16909 16909 16909

OVERVIEW OF REPATRIATIONS BY AIR, 2011

PLANS FOR 2012

•To continue with the process of adapting and fitting out the Directorate for Assistance to Migrants to receive repatriated persons from the United States and provide comprehensive assistance to populations returning by land and by air.

•To decentralize services for repatriated populations.

•To register repatriated populations in the Integrated Immigration System with the aim of generating indicators for decision-making.

•To strengthen cooperation between various State institutions involved in the topic of migration: RREE, ISNA, PNC, FGR, etc.

•To participate, as appropriate, in the councils that have been established under the Special Law on Migrants and their Families and the National Council Against Trafficking in Persons.