About the Migration Governance Indicators
About the Migration Governance Indicators
Migrants' rights
Migrants' rights
Indicators in this domain assess the extent to which migrants have the same status as citizens in terms of access to basic social services such as health, education, and social security. It also describes the rights of migrants to family reunification, to work, and to residency and citizenship. The ratification of the main international conventions is also included within this domain.
Indicators in this category look at the extent to which migrants have access to certain social services such as health, education and social security. They also examine measures to ensure integration and access to work.
Whole of government approach
Whole of government approach
Indicators in this domain assess countries’ institutional, legal, and regulatory frameworks related to migration policies. Domain 2 also reviews the existence of national migration strategies that are in-line with development, as well as institutional transparency and coherence in relation to migration management. This domain also investigates the extent to which governments collect and use migration data.
Indicators in this category assess the institutional frameworks of cities for migration. This area also examines the existence of migration strategies consistent with development objectives, as well as institutional transparency and coherence in migration management.
Partnerships
Partnerships
This domain focuses on countries’ efforts to cooperate on migration-related issues with other states and with relevant non-governmental actors, including civil society organizations and the private sector. Cooperation can lead to improvements in governance by aligning and raising standards, increasing dialogue and providing structures to overcome challenges.
Indicators in this category focus on cities’ efforts to cooperate on migration issues with the national government as well as other cities and relevant non-governmental actors, including civil society organizations and the private sector.
Well-being of migrants
Well-being of migrants
This domain includes indicators on countries’ policies for managing the socioeconomic well-being of migrants, through aspects such as the recognition of migrants’ educational and professional qualifications, provisions regulating student migration and the existence of bilateral labour agreements between countries. Indicators equally focus on policies and strategies related to diaspora engagement and migrant remittances.
Indicators in this category assess cities’ initiatives in terms of international student mobility, access to the labour market and decent working conditions for migrant workers. Aspects related to diaspora engagement and migrant remittances are also included in this domain.
Mobility dimensions of crises
Mobility dimensions of crises
This domain studies the type and level of preparedness of countries when they are faced with mobility dimensions of crises, linked to either disasters, the environment and/or conflict. The questions are used to identify the processes in place for nationals and non-nationals both during and after disasters, including whether humanitarian assistance is equally available to migrants as it is to citizens.
Indicators in this category examine the type and level of readiness of cities to deal with aspects of mobility crises. The questions focus on the processes in place for citizens and non-citizens both during and after disasters, especially if humanitarian assistance is available for migrants and citizens.
Safe, orderly and regular migration
Safe, orderly and regular migration
This domain analyses countries’ approach to migration management in terms of border control and enforcement policies, admission criteria for migrants, preparedness and resilience in the case of significant and unexpected migration flows, as well as the fight against trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants. It also assesses efforts and incentives to help integrate returning citizens.
Indicators in this category look at the cities’ approaches to migrant safety as well as return and reintegration policies and the fight against trafficking in persons.
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Key findings
INTRODUCTION
This Profile describes examples of well-developed areas of Municipality of Coto Brus (Costa Rica) migration governance structures and areas with potential for further development, as evaluated through the six domains of the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI). These address migrants’ rights, a “whole-of-government” approach, partnerships, socioeconomic well-being of migrants, the mobility dimensions of crises, and safe and orderly migration.
Click the icons on the wheel to explore the key findings.
The Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) initiative is a policy-benchmarking programme led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and implemented with research and analysis from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Funding is provided by IOM Member States.
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Key findings
MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS
Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas
- Under Costa Rican legislation, the entire migrant population of Coto Brus is entitled to Government-run health services, irrespective of their migration status.
- Since the year 2014, Coto Brus operates the Casas de la Alegría to assist the children of migrant agricultural workers; besides offering childcare and support, they also serve as a means of ensuring that migrant minors are protected.
- The General Directorate of Migration and Aliens provides legal aid and legal advice to foreign nationals entering the country at its Río Sereno border post in the canton of Coto Brus.
Areas with potential for further development
- The municipality still lacks specific measures for ensuring access for foreign nationals to primary and secondary public education.
- Coto Brus has not yet introduced measures to facilitate access for foreign nationals to subsidized housing.
- There are no local information and awareness-raising campaigns to combat xenophobia and exclusion, and encourage acceptance of migrants, as well as social cohesion.
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Key findings
WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH
Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas
- In August 2022, the municipality adopted a local migration policy for the canton in the period 2022–2032.
- The municipality of Coto Brus provides clear and transparent information regarding the rights and duties of migrants and access to municipal public services.
Areas with potential for further development
- Enhancing the vertical coherence of migration policies is deemed an area with potential for further development.
- Locally, no data are regularly compiled or published on migration or migrants.
- The municipality provides ad hoc training for municipal officers in the realm of cultural sensitivity.
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Key findings
PARTNERSHIPS
Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas
- The municipality of Coto Brus cooperates with the private sector in implementing migration-related policies and programmes.
- The municipality participated in 2021 in the “Training programme in migration policies and governance with an emphasis on the local and municipal levels” organized by the Regional Conference on Migration.
- Local authorities cooperate actively with IOM on migration matters.
Areas with potential for further development
- The establishment of bilateral programmes for cooperation on international migration issues between cities in Costa Rica is an area for further development.
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Key findings
WELL-BEING OF MIGRANTS
Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas
- The Local Policy for the Prevention of Gender-based Violence 2015–2020 covers all women in the canton, including migrant women.
- The municipality implements national guidelines to promote the orderly and safe migration of persons seeing to agricultural crops, including from a migration, labour and health perspective.
Areas with potential for further development
- No assessments are undertaken to monitor the local labour supply and the effects of emigration on the local labour market.
- Because it is not a local function, the Coto Brus Municipality has no programmes to improve the financial acumen of migrants and their families or that of persons receiving remittances.
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Key findings
MOBILITY DIMENSION OF CRISES
Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas
- Emergency management falls within the remit of the Municipal Emergency Committee (CME), which functions include disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery in the canton.
- In crisis situations in which irregular migrants require assistance, the municipality coordinates with the CME to provide humanitarian aid subsidies through the Inter-agency Institute for Social Assistance (IMAS).
- There are local communication systems for receiving information on evolving crisis situations and ways of reaching assistance services.
Areas with potential for further development
- The implementation of coordination agreements, partnerships or referral systems with key players to provide assistance to foreign nationals in the event of local emergencies is an area with potential for further development.
- The municipality still has no contingency plan for managing large-scale population movements in times of crisis.
- Areas deemed to hold potential for further development include the design of local emergency response strategies that are gender-sensitive and mindful of the specific needs of migrant women, and also the implementation of local measures in times of crisis to protect migrant children, unaccompanied minors and minors left behind.
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Key findings
SAFE, ORDERLY AND REGULAR MIGRATION
Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas
- There are some local programmes for the training of public servants on the rules of migration and the rights of migrants.
- Under the 2018 joint programme to improve the human security of Ngäbe and Buglé temporary migrants in Costa Rica and Panama,36 government officers and coffee farmers were sensitized and trained with respect to the Ngäbe–Buglé population.
- Between 2017 and 2019, and in the framework of the Academias de Crianza project, the municipality joined forces with the Ministry of Health and the National Child Welfare Institute to provide training on the rights of minors, for caregivers in the Casas de la Alegría in the canton of Coto Brus.
Areas with potential for further development
- No measures are yet in place locally to counteract the exploitation of migrant labour.
- Up to the time of this report, the municipality had not deployed a local strategy against trafficking in persons.
- The Municipality does not publish information on activities to combat against trafficking in persons.
2022 September
