The transnational links between countries of origin and countries of destination are one of the most important aspects of the relationship between migration and development. These links or networks woven between migrants and their communities of origin are an opportunity that governments can harness for social, cultural, economic, and political development, in communities of destination as well as of origin.
This issue has gained relevance in the international and regional agenda precisely in order to coordinate actions to advance these transnational links. The Diaspora Ministerial Conference, held in 2013, provided an international platform for the first time for governments to share experiences and thoughts on the participation, policies, and programs regarding the diaspora.
While IOM has worked with diasporas since the mid-1970s, this conference was a landmark in the commitment of the Organization and enabled us to define a strategy based on three pillars or axes: Enabling, engaging, and empowering the diaspora. This strategy (IOM’s Strategy to Enable, Engage, and Empower Diaspora) defines diaspora as transnational communities because in a world of unprecedented global mobility, they comprise people who are connected to more than one country. The transnational nature of diaspora implies that these people are crucial when it comes to connecting countries and communities because they can call on multiple networks, relate to different identities, and share a sense of belonging to more than one community.
In this context, it is a pleasure to share this study, titled The Engagement of the Diasporas of Central America and Mexico: Opportunities and Challenges, with the various government actors, donors, diaspora organizations, academia, and the private sector.
This report is ground-breaking in the region in that it provides a look at the Mesoamerican diasporas and emphasizes a transnational and bidirectional focus on diaspora organizations and links with countries of origin and destination. The findings and evidence in this report will be useful for facilitating spaces in which diaspora organizations and the governments of the region can come together. The purpose of this is precisely to identify, agree on, and support more actions to enable, engage, and empower diaspora organizations, establishing through them true transnational corridors for development.
This investigation, undertaken in collaboration with the Laboratory of Economic and Social Studies (LEES), is without a doubt the first of its kind in the region. The available information on the Mesoamerican diaspora dealt in large part with the experiences of Mexico and El Salvador. With this exploratory exercise, IOM is contributing to a first regional approach to diaspora organizations. It is thus a starting point for continuing to deepen understanding of these Mexican and Central American diaspora organizations and promoting dialogue between the various actors involved in migration and development.