Cooperation between governments, international organizations and the private sector is one of the most effective tools to protect migrants and reduce the power of criminal organizations dedicated to human trafficking in the Americas, said the director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope.

During an official visit to Costa Rica, where he held meetings with local authorities and representatives of various sectors, Pope stressed that expanding legal, safe and orderly channels of migration makes it possible to reduce the dependence of migrants on human traffickers, who take advantage of their vulnerability to obtain profits.

In an interview with the EFE agency, the official explained that the objective is to work together with governments to establish transparent mechanisms that allow people to move through regular channels, at the same time strengthening the trust of communities in the management of migratory flows.

“The goal is to make sure we weaken the model that criminal networks have been using to exploit some of the most vulnerable people in the world,” Pope said.

Irregular migration maintains a high human cost

The IOM director recalled that the continent's migratory routes continue to register a high number of victims. According to the organization's Missing Migrants Project, at least 11,492 people have died or disappeared since 2014 while trying to migrate through different corridors in the Americas, including the border between the United States and Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Darien jungle - between Panama and Colombia - and various routes in South America.

Pope warned that the true number is probably much higher, because many cases are never officially reported or documented.

The official explained that those who migrate irregularly are often forced to resort to human trafficking networks, leaving them exposed to crimes such as extortion, theft, labor exploitation, sexual violence, kidnapping, murder or disappearance.

"We know that when people move irregularly and depend on traffickers they become extremely vulnerable. That is not the way migration should work," he said.

Regional cooperation and formal employment as part of the solution

Pope highlighted that a comprehensive response requires the coordinated participation of governments, as well as the private sector, through the creation of formal employment opportunities that meet labor needs and offer safe alternatives for migrant workers.

As an example, he mentioned a pilot program supported by the IOM between Costa Rica and El Salvador, through which Salvadoran bus drivers are hired by Costa Rican companies to fill vacancies generated by personnel shortages.

According to the director, initiatives of this type benefit both companies and workers, in addition to contributing to reducing irregular migration and social tensions that can lead to acts of discrimination or xenophobia.

He added that this model could be replicated in other Latin American countries that face a lack of workers in certain sectors due to population aging and other demographic changes.

Pope also warned that the recent earthquakes recorded in Venezuela could generate new population displacements if the affected communities do not receive sufficient support. He recalled that the majority of people prefer to remain in their country of origin, which is why he considered it essential to strengthen humanitarian assistance and the protection of displaced people to prevent them from being forced to undertake high-risk migration routes.