IOM #Ecuador Newsletter (January 2015)

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1.Vinicio Vega, Mayor of Lago Agrio and Rogelio Bernal, IOM Ecuador Chief of Mission, sign the cooperation agreement.

2.Vinicio Vega, of Lago Agrioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Municipality, Dana Francis, of PRM and Rogelio Bernal, of IOM Ecuador.

3.Flor Jumbo, Deputy Mayor, Vinicio Vega, Mayor of Lago Agrio, Dana Francis of PRM, Rogelio Bernal of IOM Ecuador joined by members of the local community.

AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE FOR THE PREVENTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE INTEGRAL PROTECTION OF VICTIMS OF THIS CRIME IN THE CANTON OF GUAMOTE

OFFICIALS FROM THE BUREAU OF POPULATION REFUGEES AND MIGRATION OF THE UNITED STATES VISIT IOM Sean Hantak, Officer for the Refugee Admissions Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Francis Dana, the new Regional Refugee Coordinator and Stephanie Lacouture, Regional Officer of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Program of the U.S. Department of State visited IOM Ecuador during the last week in January.

Meetings were held with the IOM Chief of Mission in Ecuador, Rogelio Bernal, with Victoria Kasabyan, Shannon Smith, María Isabel Sánchez and Stanislav Shelukhin of the Resettlement Support Center for Refugees to the U.S. Programme (RSC), and with Jaime Paredes, Officer of the Programme for Assistance to Persons Seeking International Protection in the northern border.

In August 2014, Rogelio Bernal officially handled the Project of Municipal Ordinance for the Prevention of Human Trafficking and the Integral Protection of Victims of this Crime to the Municipality of Guamote, for debate and approval

On January 15, the Municipal GAD of Lago Agrio approved, in the second debate, the Municipal Ordinance for the Prevention of Human Trafficking and the Integral Protection of Victims of this Crime. This activity was planned as part of the Coordination and Cooperation Alliance of the Canton Agenda for the Prevention and Punishment of Human Trafficking and the Integral Protection of Victims 2013-2015 On February 9, socialization of the ordinance will be undertaken through the canton’s and province’s community leaders and authorities with the aim of seeking support from law enforcement agencies to ensure that the appropriate sanctions are applied in cases of human trafficking IOM has been present in Guamote since 2011 and one of the greatest achievements of the Programme against Human Trafficking has been the inclusion of this problem in the Integrated Network for the Protection for Children and Adolescents (REDPINA). REDPINA comprises both public and private actors and is one of the local networks most active nationwide that seeks to combat this crime. During these months, the Programme has supported the Municipal GAD in the implementation of the Canton Agenda.

One of the most important activities was the provision of technical support to the Municipality for the participatory preparation of a Draft Ordinance to help combat human trafficking

VISIT OF THE CANADIAN CULTURAL ORIENTANTION GLOBAL COORDINATOR

AGENDA

REFUGEES DEPART FOR THE UNITED STATES

On January 21, RSC Latin America provided support to 58 people who traveled to the United States through the Resettlement Program. After months of waiting since their cases were referred to the program, and following a series of interviews and internal processes, these families were able to travel to different destinations in the US where they will be able to restart their lives and move forward.

RSC personnel provide assistance to the families until their flights take off, ensuring that all the airport processes are undertaken smoothly and that refugees begin their journey in a safe and appropriate manner

Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) Ecuador began 2015 with an important visit from Ms. Louise Bélanger, the COA Global Coordinator who is based in Nairobi (Kenya). This was Ms. Bélanger’s first visit to Quito since its designation as a permanent COA training site in April 2014. During her 3 day monitoring visit from 14 to 16 January, she met with other IOM programme coordinators (Canadian Resettlement and Ops, the Canadian Visa Application Centre, and the Resettlement Support Centre) as well as with the IOM Ecuador Chief of Mission Mr. Rogelio Bernal in order to explore how COA works with and relates to IOM Ecuador’s other projects.

It is no coincidence that the monitoring visit coincided with a 3 day predeparture orientation session with Colombian refugees bound for Canada.

During the 18 hour long session, Ms. Bélanger along with Ms. Diana Niño, the COA Colombia coordinator who also took part in the monitoring visit, participated in the session’s activities and evaluated COA Ecuador’s Coordinator/Facilitator’s training ability and his knowledge of the Canadian Refugee Assistance Programme The session was opened with words of welcome and encouragement by Ms. Niño, IOM Ecuador’s Chief of Mission, and Second Secretary from the Canadian Embassy in Ecuador Mr. Gabriel Frappier. Each day included information and activities designed to provide the participants with clear and concise information that will aid them in beginning successful new lives in Canada After each day of the session, the three COA coordinators identified any necessary updates of information, discussed what could be done differently in future sessions as well as some exciting upcoming developments for the programme in Ecuador and the region. COA Ecuador’s Coordinator used the monitoring visit and session as a venue to showcase several new activities developed in Quito. The programme hopes to continue its forward momentum during the year ahead

Above: Louise Bélanger, Global COA Coordinator, with the group attending the first Canadian Cultural Orientation of 2015.

Right: Rogelio Bernal, IOM Ecuador Chief of Mission, and Gabriel Frappier, Second Secretary from the Canadian Embassy in Ecuador speak at the opening of the COA session.

APPROVAL OF THE MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE FOR THE PREVENTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE INTEGRAL PROTECTION OF VICTIMS OF CRIME AND IN THE CANTON OF OTAVALO

PERSONNEL IOM Ecuador welcomes the following new personnel to its staff -DYLHU &HOL $OHMDQGUD &RHOOR 3UHHWL 'KLOORQ (OL]DEHWK +DQJ 6DQWLDJR 7ROHGR and 3DXOD 9HJD who will form part of the Resettlement Support Center for Refugees to the U.S. Kevin Aguinaga has also joined us as an assistant in the administrative area.

We also extend congratulations to our colleague Victoria Kasabyan, who has just given birth to her second daughter, Maya Leybovski Kasabyan.

August 2014, Rogelio Bernal of IOM Ecuador handles Mayor of Otavalo, Gustavo Pareja, the Project of Municipal Ordinance for the Prevention of Human Trafficking and the Integral Protection of Victims of this Crime, for debate and approval.

On January 29 approval of the Municipal Ordinance for the Prevention of Human Trafficking and the Integral Protection of Victims of this Crime in the canton Otavalo was achieved. The Ordinance was approved in the second debate of the Municipal Council Session According to the diagnosis performed by IOM in 2012, the canton is heavily populated by the Kichwa Nationality people. Although the marketing of handicrafts and textiles, both locally and internationally, provides this population with an economic activity and an identity, it also provides opportunities for international human trafficking through the labor exploitation of children and adolescents. Recruiters are individuals often close to, and even include, the family. Data compiled by the IOM Programme Against Human Trafficking, highlights various cases of children and adolescents from Otavalo being exploited in South American countries such as Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil since 2011 The Programmeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support in creating the ordinance was included as part of the Integrated Protection and Reparation Scheme - Restoration of Rights of the Canton Agenda for the Prevention and Punishment of Human Trafficking and the Integral Protection of Victims 2013-2015. During this year, the IDF-funded Program will support the publication of this ordinance for socialization at community level