Santiago, August 12 - Representatives of different ministries of the Government of Chile and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission in Chile held a inter-ministerial consultation to present the preliminary results of the evaluation of the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI), a tool that aims to help countries identify good practices and areas with potential for development in this respect.

The event was led by the Director of the National Migration Service, Álvaro Bellolio, and Richard Velázquez, IOM Chile Chief of Mission, and included the participation of representatives of the ministries of Interior and Public Security, Foreign Relations, Health, Work and Social Security and Education.

“We are pleased to participate in these international meetings and work on the continuous improvement of the challenges we face as a new service with respect to migration,” said Bellolio regarding the event and the preliminary results. “Collaboration with IOM has been fundamental in this area where it is necessary to work collaboratively, because migration is an integral and multilateral phenomenon that transversally affects many areas of public policy, having the great potential to improve the quality of life of both nationals and foreigners.”

“As IOM, we value the participation and interest of the Government of Chile in this exchange exercise on good practices and challenges, which undoubtedly shows a great commitment,” said Velázquez. “In this sense, from IOM we reinforce our joint efforts by continuing to accompany the Government in this process, making relevant technical inputs available and generating proactive instances to guide the policies that allow progress towards a migration that is favorable to everyone.”

During the consultation, the main results of the analyzed dimensions were discussed: Rights of migrants, comprehensive government approach, alliances, socioeconomic well-being of migrants and society, mobility in crisis situations, and safe and orderly migration.

IOM, in partnership with The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), developed the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI), a set of more than 90 indicators that help states assess the comprehensiveness of their governance structures.

Today there are 84 national governments and 30 local authorities that use this instrument, which aims to strengthen migration governance in accordance with the priorities of the countries and facilitate inclusive dialogues on this matter among stakeholders. On the fifth anniversary of the MGI, IOM published a compilation of examples from different countries whose national and local governments have used the MGI to strengthen their migration policies.

The results of the MGI assessment will be compiled into a Migration Governance Profile, a full summary of good practices and identified gaps. The Chile profile, once finalized and validated by the Government, will be published on the IOM migration data portal.

Press contacts:

National Migration Service, Romina Palma: rpalma@interior.gob.cl 

IOM, Rocío Sanhueza Repetto: rsanhueza@iom.int