Regional

UN Agency Offers Help with Migration Crisis

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Immigration Minister Keith Bell is in talks with the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) to discuss migrant management methods in The Bahamas.

Published

3 years ago

August 18, 2022

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Immigration Minister Keith Bell is in talks with the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) to discuss migrant management methods in The Bahamas.

The IOM is in The Bahamas to see what they can do to help the government with our migration problem. They briefed us before their meeting today so we could find out more about what those issues may be.

Regional Director of the IOM, Michele Klein-Solomon is responsible for the region of Central America, North America, and the Caribbean.

Klein-Solomon says economic constriction due to COVID-19, as well as fuel shortages and food shortages indirectly caused by the war in Ukraine have caused a steep increase in irregular migration, and migrants are taking more dangerous paths.

Because these journeys usually take migrants through multiple countries on their way to their destination, the IOM works to facilitate relationships between world leaders so they can collaborate on managing the movement.

Klein-Solomon says the IOM is also hoping to discuss an alternative to deportation called “assisted voluntary return”.

The IOM also hopes to speak with other ministries about disaster management, disaster risk reduction, and offer training for line ministries, consular officials, as well as the media in the handling of migrant issues.