Migrants & Displaced Persons

TRIANGLE in ASEAN (2015-2027), supported by Australia and Canada, protects migrant workers in Southeast Asia through research, policy advice, capacity building, and service facilitation. The program covers all ASEAN countries plus key destination countries. Activities include: applied research on labor migration to inform policy changes; legislative reviews based on International Labour Standards; training for government officials, workers' organizations, and private sector; public attitude tracking surveys (Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand); publications on skills mobility and recognition in ASEAN; COVID-19 impact studies on migrant workers. Related "Safe and Fair" project (ILO-UN Women) specifically addresses women migrant workers' rights.

Work in Freedom (2013-2018+), a partnership between ILO and UK DFID, addressed human trafficking of women and girls from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal to garment and domestic work in India, Jordan, Lebanon, and UAE. The £8.3M program targeted 100,000+ women with: (1) skills and pre-departure training for 50,000 migrants to secure legal contracts, (2) economic empowerment for 30,000 women to control income and send remittances, (3) prevention of migration for girls under 16 (keeping them in school), (4) recruitment agency codes of conduct with no-fee policies. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine measured outcomes including worker satisfaction, employer attitude changes, and agency adoption of ethical practices.

The Fair Recruitment Initiative, launched in 2014, prevents human trafficking and forced labor by protecting migrant workers from abusive recruitment practices. The initiative's four-pronged approach: (1) enhance global knowledge on recruitment, (2) improve laws/enforcement, (3) promote fair business practices, (4) empower and protect workers. Since launch, FRI has covered 50 countries, contributed to 110 countries regulating recruitment fees, and supported 133 new ratifications of relevant ILO Conventions. The ILO General Principles state that NO recruitment fees should be charged to workers. The program addresses the estimated USD 5.6 billion annual illegal profits from exploitative recruitment fees charged to migrant workers.

IOMs Community Stabilization Programme in Iraq addresses post-ISIS conflict through an integrated approach combining social cohesion, mental health (MHPSS), livelihoods, and protection services. Since 2006, IOM has supported Iraqi communities through the Community Revitalization Programme. Key activities include: community centers for IDP-returnee-host interaction, dialogue groups, non-competitive sports, mediation training, and memorialization/storytelling. MHPSS services include psychiatric consultations, support groups, relaxation workshops, psychological first aid, and suicide prevention awareness. IOM collaborated with Government of Iraq on national suicide prevention strategy. Livelihood support includes vocational training and income generation grants. Protection services address GBV, trafficking, and housing/land/property documentation.

Musicians Without Borders (MWB) founded in 1999 uses music for peacebuilding in conflict-affected regions globally. Programs include: Mitrovica Rock School (Kosovo, since 2008) creating ethnically mixed bands; Palestine Community Music with Rap for Social Change and music for hearing-impaired children; Rwanda Youth Music training 80+ Community Music Leaders to heal women/children affected by HIV from genocide; Music Bridge (Northern Ireland) for reconciliation; Welcome Notes (Europe) connecting refugees with host communities; and Soy Musica (El Salvador with UNICEF). The approach trains local musicians as community music leaders, emphasizing locally-owned long-term programs. MWB believes music can connect, heal, teach empathy, counteract violence, and transcend divisions.

Aware Migrants is an awareness campaign launched in 2016 by IOM and the Italian Ministry of Interior to inform potential migrants about the dangers of irregular migration across the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea. The campaigns slogan is Information is Empowerment. It features video testimonials from migrants who experienced perilous journeys, subtitled in English, Italian and Arabic and broadcast in 15 countries. The campaign uses social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter), radio/TV, community theatre, sports tournaments, cooking events, and photography courses. African artist Rokia Traore wrote the official song Be Aware Brother, Be Aware Sister. Between 2016-2023, the campaign reached 530,000+ people across 11 countries in North and West Africa.

IOMs global Migration Health Programme ensures migrants access high-quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate health services while strengthening health systems. The programme takes a route-based approach, strategically planning interventions along migration corridors with local communities. In MENA region alone, IOM provides approximately 1 million consultations annually through health facilities and mobile clinics, conducts 34,000+ health promotion sessions, and supports immunization services. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) uses community-based, interdisciplinary approaches including psychosocial mobile teams. The programme addresses communicable diseases (TB, HIV), non-communicable diseases, and climate-related health risks. Aligned with Global Compact for Migration and SDG Goal 3.

IOM X is a USAID-partnered campaign to prevent human trafficking and exploitation in the Asia-Pacific region. The flagship product Prisana: An IOM X Drama premiered in 2015, highlighting trafficking in the fishing industry through a compelling love story featuring popular actors. MTV Philippines and MTV Thailand were official distribution partners. The campaign provides free educational content to broadcasters and organizations. IOM Philippines also participated in MTV EXIT Live Manila (2011) reaching 25,000 attendees. The program addresses trafficking realities: fishermen endure 18-20 hour workdays, 1.5 years average entrapment, cramped conditions, and unpaid labor. IOM has directly assisted 100,000+ trafficking victims over 25 years.

Migrants as Messengers is an IOM peer-to-peer awareness campaign where returned migrants share their experiences with potential migrants in West African communities. The program trains returnees as community ambassadors who conduct outreach in schools, markets, community gatherings, and through social media. By leveraging the credibility of those who have actually made the journey, the campaign provides authentic perspectives on migration risks and opportunities. The approach complements mass media campaigns like Aware Migrants by adding personal, trusted voices. Returnees share balanced information about both dangers and legal migration pathways, empowering informed decision-making rather than discouraging all migration.