1. General Directorate of Migration and Alien Status
Irregular Extra-Continental Migratory Flows: Return and Reintegration of these migrants
General Directorate of Migration and Alien Status
-February 2012-

2. Introduction
The flows of extra-continental foreign nationals who enter Central America, Panama, and Mexico both regularly and irregularly (all destined for the United States and Canada) have increased considerably in recent years.
In 2011, El Salvador reported the entry of 10,876 African and Asian citizens. The total for 2012 to date is 6,585.
In recent years, El Salvador has identified irregular migratory flows that enter the country in transit.

3. Introduction
The migratory flows identified are comprised of economic migrants, refugees, and other categories of persons (such as victims of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling).
Countries of origin of the migrants interviewed: Eritrea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Somalia, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Ghana, and Sri Lanka, among others.

4. Migratory Flow of Citizens of African Countries
January–December 2011
Country
Entry
Exit
Total
Gabon
152
153
305
South Africa
108 98
206
Guam 71 61
132
Swaziland 12 66 78
Uganda 32 39
Guinea 37 69
Egypt 26 24 50
Namibia 23 49
Ivory Coast 11 31 42
Algeria 16 21
Cameroon 18 34
Morocco 17 33
Other Countries*
138
139
277
TOTAL
658
725
1,383
* Note of Interest: The category ‘Other Countries” includes 33 different nations, thus giving a total of 45 nationalities. 4

5. Migratory Flow of Citizens of Asian Countries
January–December 2011
Country
Entry
Exit
Total
Phillipines
2,351
2,234
4,585
Japan
1,702
1,689
3,391
South Korea
1,302
1,203
2,505
Taiwan (Republic of China)
955
978
1,933
India
900
897
1,797
Israel
672
608
1,280
People’s Republic of China
519
562
1,081
Russia
463
576
1,039
Sri Lanka
330
292
622
Burma/Myanmar
136
135
271
Hong Kong
108
112
220
Indonesia
106
212
Turkey
115 81
196
Singapore 71 70
141
Malaysia 63 56
119
North Korea 49 52
101
Other Countries
376
387
763
General Total
10,218
10,038
20,256
* Note of Interest: The category ‘Other Countries” includes 27 different nations, thus giving a total of 43 nationalities. 5

6. Asian Nationalities with the Greatest Migratory Flows
January–August 2012
Country
Entry
Exit
Total
South Korea
1163
1148
2311
Japan
1028
960
1988
Taiwan
638
662
1300
India
616
601
1217
Russia
515
499
1014
Israel
531
535
1066
People’s Republic of China
489
988
Sri Lanka
332
310
642
Turkey
141
134
175
Hong Kong
133
127
260
Other Countries* (22)
704
682
1386
General Total
6300
6147
12,347

7. African Nationalities with the Greatest Migratory Flows
January–August 2012
Country
Entry
Exit
Total
Gabon
374
355
729
South Africa 95
102
197
Guinea 96 86
182
Burkina Faso 45 90
Chad 40 41 81
Ivory Coast 42 37 79
Uganda 36 73
Namibia 32 29 61
Ghana 23 46
Egypt 16 15 31
Oman 14 28
Other Countries
120
123
243
285
266
1852

8. Extra-Continental Flows that Have Been Received at the Comprehensive Migrant Services Center
Year
Cases Served
RESOLUTION
Total
Expulsion
Refugee
Provisional Freedom
2008
10 Asians
4 Africans
3 Europeans 14 1 2 17
2009
59 Asians
33 Africans
5 Europeans 30 63 4 97
2010
41 Asians
21 Africans 39 16 10 65
2011
6 Asians
8 Africans
1 European 5 9 15
2012
2 Asians
5 Africans 6
3 (pending resolution) 92 93 18
203

9. Refugee Status Petitions
Country
Sex
Total M F
Eritrea 21 5 26
Bangladesh 25
Nepal
Equatorial Guinea 1 73 78
2009
2010
Country
Sex
Total M F
Eritrea 13 3 16
Bangladesh 2
Nepal 6 1 7
Nigeria
Ethiopia
Somalia 5 28 4 32

10. Refugee Status Petitions
Country
Sex
Total M F
Eritrea 6 2 8
Bangladesh 1
Argelia
TOTAL 10
2011
2012
Country
Sex
Total M F
Bangladesh 2
East Turkestan
Ghana 6

11. Identified Routes Route from Nepal:
Nepal, India, Dubai, Brazil, Peru, to Ecuador by air
From Ecuador to Nicaragua by fishing vessel
From Nicaragua to El Salvador by speed boat
From El Salvador to the United States on foot and by car
Route from India:
India, Hong Kong, Macao (China), Amsterdam (Germany), and Panama by air
From Panama to El Salvador by air
From El Salvador by land (bus) to Guatemala
Route from Eritrea:
Eritrea, Sudan, Dubai, Brazil, to Ecuador by air
Through Colombia and Panama to El Salvador by land (through Central America)
From El Salvador to the United States by land
Route from Asia:
Mainland China, Nepal, Bangladesh, to India by air
From India by ship to Ecuador (changing vessels in mid-ocean)
From Ecuador by ship (passing through Central America)
Route from Africa:
Ethiopía, Somalia and South Africa to Russia or Saudi Arabia by air
To Cuba and/or Ecuador by air
From Ecuador to El Salvador

12. Logistical and Financial Difficulties in Returning Migrants
High cost incurred to:
Tend to migrants. (The Migrant Services Center spends approximately $150,000 per year.)
Purchase airline tickets to return them to their country of origin or residence. The General Directorate has no specific budget item for this. Help in purchasing tickets has been requested from the IOM, Embassies, and relatives.

13. Logistical and Financial Difficulties in Returning Migrants
Lack of a monetary fund that could contribute to ensuring a rapid and safe migratory exit process.
The IOM only provides funds when the repatriation is voluntary; if not, there is no support.
The language barrier represents one of the principal problems, due to the lack of interpreters.
Lack of Embassies, Consulates, or honorary diplomatic representations of the extra-continental countries.

14. Challenges
Creation of action protocols designed to quickly determine the identity, profile, and protection needs of individuals who travel in groups and arrive irregularly in the region. To achieve this, a liaison network of migration officers needs to be created to develop and execute a Regional Cooperation Plan for the return and reintegration of irregular extra-continental migrants.
Facilitation and promotion of the migrant’s return to his/her country of origin. This requires voluntary return programs and re-admission agreements between countries.
Creation of a regional voluntary return fund and reintegration programs.

15. Challenges
Have available permanent, temporary, or virtual human resources to enable communication with this population in terms of linguistic interpretation.
Develop quick and effective application procedures designed to comply with the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air
Define a mechanism that allows updated information to be obtained regarding current conditions in the countries of origin.

16. Challenges
Creation of a comprehensive system to share information on migratory flows, and specifically on extra-continental migrants.
Strengthening, integration, and harmonization of existing mechanisms for identifying profiles and referring/channeling cases among the region’s countries.
Regional legalization and establishment of clear protocols, procedures, and guidelines applicable to those extra-continental migrants who can not be returned due to vulnerability situations.