Migrants in Countries in Crisis

The Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative is a government-led effort co-chaired by the United States and the Philippines which aims to improve the protection of migrants when the countries in which they live, work, study, transit, or travel experience a conflict or natural disaster. As the MICIC Secretariat, IOM supports the dissemination of guidelines and the development of related capacity building tools. In 2016, the MICIC Initiative released the Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster. The MICIC Guidelines are a set of non-binding and voluntary principles, guidelines, and practices that identify the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders and provide concrete guidance on how to prepare for and respond to crises in ways that protect and empower migrants.

Since 2018, IOM has been implementing activities in Thailand to capacitate national authorities and other stakeholders to reduce the vulnerability of migrants in Thailand as well as Thai nationals abroad during disasters and conflicts. This includes the delivery of capacity building programs for government and nongovernment agencies that act as first responders during emergencies, as well as for key migrant representatives, on addressing the specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants during emergencies. In addition, IOM has been supporting the Royal Thai Government to strengthen coordination between various line ministries and agencies through facilitating working group meetings, which provides a platform for stakeholders to share their experience on emergency response and work together.

In the long-term, the objective is to comprehensively integrate migrant populations into disaster preparedness, response and recovery plans.