Currently, as a result of the still ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and most recently from the effects of the Russian war in Ukraine, IOM has been identifying new migrant vulnerabilities and needs. The pandemic has restricted human mobility in unprecedented ways, directly impacting people all over the world, in particular those who were already in precarious and vulnerable situations. Thousands of people remain stranded abroad and unemployed, as the economic crises was largely felt in sectors that traditionally rely on migrant workers, thus humanitarian assistance is still needed globally to resolve these challenges. In addition, more recently, the quick inflow of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine to seek asylum in neighboring countries has required IOM to scale up operations to respond with emergency support. Funding is urgently needed to provide basic protection and assistance to these civilians fleeing from war, while we develop solutions for longer-term support.
IOM continues to receive requests from governments authorities and civil organizations to help with the return and reintegration of their nationals. It is, thus, essential that we step up our efforts to assist migrants in vulnerable circumstances so that they their basic needs are addressed and their reintegration is done in a sustainable manner. In this project, the IOM Global Assistance Fund aims to provide essential protection and assistance to migrants who cannot find support elsewhere.
While significant progress has been made in combatting trafficking and in protecting migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse, all too often the victims of trafficking and related forms of abuse and exploitation are unable to access the protection and assistance services they need. This is due to a number of reasons, including limited state capacity to identify, refer, protect and assist vulnerable migrants; discriminatory laws or practices that exclude migrants from protective services; and barriers to access such as lack of trust of authorities, cultural and language barriers. Without timely and quality care, vulnerable migrants are left unable to recover from dangerous and exploitative circumstances and face continued rights violations, re-trafficking, and permanent mental and physical health issues.
Since 2000, IOM has been operating the Global Assistance Fund (GAF) to assist migrants in urgent need of protection and assistance services across the world who are unable to access support through other means. Over the past 21 years, GAF has assisted 3,690 individuals in vulnerable circumstances, including over 2,000 victims of human trafficking or at risk of trafficking with comprehensive, direct, tailor-made and sustainability-focused protection and assistance services.
Migrants eligible for protection and assistance under the Fund include:
- Migrants vulnerable to or who have experienced violence, exploitation and abuse;
- Victims of trafficking;
- Unaccompanied or separated migrant children;
- Migrants in extreme psychological and physical distress with identified protection concerns (e.g., victims of torture or rights violations, kidnap and ransom cases, cases of arbitrary detention, etc.);
- Stranded and/or smuggled migrants who require return assistance (including migrants in vulnerable situations and/or migrants with health needs).
The services provided by the GAF aim to address urgent, life-saving, humanitarian needs as well as long-term recovery and stabilization. Using a case management approach (from initial identification and assessment, through to case planning and implementation, monitoring and eventual case closure), IOM works not only to immediately prevent further harm, but also to support the sustainable recovery and rehabilitation of migrants, so that they can achieve a state of well-being and self-sufficiency that prevents future situations of unsafe or irregular migration which puts them at risk of harm.
The services provided by GAF are tailor-made to each individual’s unique needs. Once a vulnerable migrant is identified, an IOM case worker completes an initial screening to determine the migrant’s immediate needs. Emergency needs often include urgent medical care and immediate safety and security. Once these needs are attended to, the case worker undertakes longer-term assessment of the services needed and develops an assistance plan with the migrant, so that their unique concerns are addressed and a pathway towards sustainable recovery is identified. The case worker coordinates provision of the services required by the migrant and ensures continuity of care and efficiency of assistance through to eventual case closure.
GAF’s services to be provided to eligible migrants may include:
- Safe accommodation;
- Food and nutrition;
- Clothing and hygiene items;
- Psychological first aid;
- Mental and physical health care;
- Information and counselling;
- Referrals for specialized services;
- Document assistance (e.g., obtaining birth records, travel documents, etc.);
- Travel and escorting, both in ground and for safe and dignified return;
- Cash assistance;
- Family tracing/assessment and reunification;
- Safe and dignified return assistance;
- (Re)integration assistance planning and financial support.
GAF has a global scope therefore it has assisted cases in all regions of the world. However, as an option of last resort, its efforts have been concentrated in low resources and/or under-funded regions where the protection and assistance gaps are greater, particularly in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America, although annual trends reflect broader migration trends and crisis.
As per donor requirements, in the scope of this project, the IOM Global Assistance Fund will commit to allocate USD 10,000.00 of the total funds to assist migrants in vulnerable circumstances in Ghana, and another USD 15,000.00 to support the needs identified specifically in Ecuador.
IOM proposes to respond to these gaps by continuing to provide comprehensive, personalized and direct assistance services to migrants who experienced or are vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse; victims of trafficking; separated and unaccompanied migrant children; migrants in extreme psychological and physical distress; and migrants who are unable to meet their basic needs or those of their dependents due to the COVID-19 pandemic or due to the Ukraine crisis. This project will contribute to the aims of the Global Assistance Fund (GAF), which seeks to ensure that all migrants in vulnerable circumstances have access, as a last resort, to the often lifesaving protection and assistance services required to resolve their vulnerabilities, achieve their well-being and empower their independence.
IOM is the world’s largest provider of direct assistance services to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants. Since the 1990s, it has assisted over 100,000 victims of trafficking from at least 138 countries, supported 1.5 million migrants to return voluntarily to their countries since 1979, and assisted more than 60,000 vulnerable migrants in 2020 alone. IOM’s unique access to vulnerable migrants and victims of trafficking worldwide has allowed it to develop significant expertise in the identification, protection, assistance, referral and case management of vulnerable migrants, and its global network of referral partners is unparalleled. The GAF has the unique role of global coordination among IOM missions, receiving and assessing requests from all regions of the world, and has handled over three and a half thousand cases so far.
The GAF team is in place ready to start implementation, having already established standard case management procedures, eligibility criteria, and datasets for case tracking. The newly launched GAF website, created thanks to USA for IOM’s contribution last year, facilitates the access of all IOM case workers to GAF’s information, templates and standing procedures, which eases coordination with case workers and ensures compliance with GAF’s criteria, in addition to promoting GAF’s achievements.
Moreover, an evidence-based and learning approach will be integrated into this project by building up IOM’s Migrant Information Management Operating Systems Application (MiMOSA) and adapt it to GAF cases. The GAF manager will encourage case workers to register their requests for GAF on MiMOSA, to the extent possible, and this will enable IOM case workers and the GAF manager to manage cases efficiently, ensure continuity of care through monitoring, and to capture data on migrant profiles, experiences, services received, and outcomes to inform policy and evidence-based decisions.
This project will be managed from IOM Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and implemented in coordination with IOM Country Offices across the world. The IOM Global Assistance Fund will be under the overall supervision of the IOM AVM Head, within the Department of Program Support and Migration Management (DPSMM), and will collaborate with and inform other IOM programs, as relevant.
Each individual migrant’s vulnerabilities will be assessed by a country-based IOM case worker, using IOM’s standardized assessment forms. The GAF manager will work closely with case workers in IOM country offices to ensure that requests for assistance respect GAF procedures and meet the eligibility requirements. S/he will also work closely with managers of other IOM Funds (e.g., the Emergency Fund for Victims of Trafficking, based in Washington, and the Humanitarian Assistance Fund for Stranded Migrants, based in HQ) to either refer cases to them when the migrant falls into their specific eligibility criteria, or receive from them eligible requests that these funds cannot take.
Case workers in IOM country offices will be responsible for reviewing funding availability in the country to ensure no other national or regional funding sources are available to assist the case. Upon confirmation that no other suitable programs are available, they will submit applications for support from GAF as the option of last resort; determine the budget for assistance; coordinate the day-to-day provision of services to eligible migrants; conduct the general monitoring and report on financial expenses. In addition, the case worker will liaise with the migrants to develop with them reintegration or recovery plans for a sustainable resolution of the case. All these responsibilities will be conducted under the close supervision of the IOM GAF manager, who will be in place to assess the eligibility of applicants; approve GAF’s assistance plans; provide technical guidance and supervision on case management; ensure good coordination between the different IOM missions involved, other potential implementing partners and the migrants; and guarantee that the services are delivered in a timely and efficient manner, following GAF’s procedures and in the best interest of the migrant. The goal is always to reach a sustainable resolution of the case and help the migrants achieve self-sufficiency.
IOM will prepare interim financial and narrative reports, as well as a final report to be presented to USA for IOM. These reports will clearly state the date of submission, the reporting period, and will include an overview of the project’s progress during the appropriate period of time, details on how the project indicators are being met, and will also importantly highlight the successes and challenges to be discussed and addressed. Reports will be prepared and submitted as follows:
- Financial Reports: IOM’s Project Management office will submit the interim financial report to the donor describing the first 6 months of project implementation, no more than sixty (60) days after the close of the reporting period. The final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement shall be submitted to the donor within ninety (90) days after completion of the project.
- Narrative Reports: IOM’s Project Management office will submit the interim narrative report describing and evaluating the activities undertaken in the first six months of the project pursuant to this agreement, no more than sixty (60) days after the close of the reporting period. The interim narrative report will detail activities undertaken since the last update, results to date as compared to the objectives and indicators, challenges encountered in implementation. A final narrative report will be submitted within ninety (90) days of program end date and will contain a brief summary of the activities carried out during the full period of the agreement and recommendations for further action.
Each protection and assistance case supported by GAF will, upon the consent of the beneficiary, be monitored at three, six, and nine months following the date it was opened to ensure that an appropriate assistance plan has been developed and is being implemented (by month three), that all necessary services have been provided (by month six), and that a sustainable case resolution plan has been developed and implanted (by month nine). IOM recognizes that not all cases can be closed within such a timeframe (e.g., third country resettlement cases). In those situations, the case worker in the IOM country office will discuss the case with the GAF manager to determine the way forward, including advocacy with the national authorities to assume responsibility for longer-term care and maintenance, as appropriate and when in the best interest of the migrant.
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