VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVN #0310/01 1070939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170939Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1123
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7252

UNCLAS VIENTIANE 000310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS 
DEPT FOR PRM/FO 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE 
DEPT FOR G/TIP 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SMIG PHUM SOCI ELAB KWMN PREL LA
SUBJECT:  IOM's Return and Reintegration of Lao TIP Victims 
 
Ref: A) 06 VIENTIANE 1035 
 
The contents of this telegram are SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; please 
handle accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph nine. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary: The International Office for Migration (IOM) 
signed a long-awaited Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the 
Government of Laos (GoL) on February 27.  Based on the MOU, IOM 
plans to be more active in capacity-building and the reintegration 
of trafficking in persons (TIP) victims.  IOM plans to open a small 
project office in Laos in late April, thus allowing closer 
monitoring of return and reintegration activities.  Traditionally, 
the U.S. State Department's Office of Population, Refugees, and 
Migration (PRM) has been the primary source of funding for the 
return of Lao TIP victims from Thailand to Laos.  However, 
PRM-provided funding for this activity is expected to run out in 
June 2007.  In order to continue the return of Lao TIP victims from 
Thailand to Laos, IOM needs funding of USD 60,800 for the coming 
twelve-month period.  End Summary. 
 
Long-Awaited MOU 
---------------- 
¶3.  (U) On February 27 the Government of Laos (GoL) signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding with the International Office for 
Migration (IOM).  Specifically, the MOU was signed by IOM, the Lao 
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW), and the Lao Women's 
Union (LWU).  The MOU covers three core activities:  capacity 
building of technical staff; direct return and reintegration 
assistance to victims of trafficking in persons (TIP); and research 
and information development to include the development of a training 
manual for Lao staff who work with returned trafficking victims. 
The three-year $378,000 USD MOU will continue through 2009.  The MOU 
comes after five years of effort on the part of IOM to obtain MOU 
approval.  As part of the agreement, IOM plans to open a small 
office in Vientiane on April 20 to provide closer oversight of 
return and reintegration as well as capacity-building activities. 
 
¶4.  (U) Speaking at the MOU signing ceremony, IOM's regional 
representative Ms. Irena Vojackova-Sollorano told the audience that 
the MOU would put IOM in a better position to provide assistance to 
Laos.  She noted that Laos is a crossroads in the region and that 
migrants flow from all directions.  She also remarked that, in terms 
of ethnicity, victims from Laos are now more diverse than before. 
(Note:  Since 2001 IOM and the GoL have worked together under a 
regional return and reintegration project to return more than 800 
trafficking victims from Thailand to Laos.  In 2006 alone, 260 Lao 
TIP victims were returned from Thailand to Laos with IOM assistance. 
 End Note.) 
 
Seeking Funds for Return of Victims 
----------------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) IOM - GoL efforts to return Lao trafficking victims from 
Thailand to Laos have been a notable success.  The return of 
trafficking victims has primarily been funded by the U.S. State 
Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). 
PRM funding also supported the establishment of the MLSW's Transit 
Center for the processing of returned TIP victims.  Based on 
existing funds, however, IOM's ability to continue supporting the 
return of TIP victims from Thailand to Laos will cease in June 2007. 
 Hopeful of locating additional funding sources for its return and 
reintegration activities, IOM representatives attended a donors 
meeting in Bangkok on March 13.  Unfortunately, the donors meeting 
resulted in no additional funding leads. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) IOM expenses for returning TIP victims to their countries 
of origin within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) average USD 
10,000 per month, approximately half of which is for return of Lao 
TIP victims.  In-country expenses for returned Lao TIP victims 
include costs associated with food, family assessments, healthcare, 
travel, translation/interpretation, and minor costs associated with 
administration of the MLSW Transit Center.  Since IOM's Regional 
Return and Reintegration Program was instituted in 2000, the 
percentage of returned TIP victims from Laos has increased from 24 
percent of total returns throughout the GMS during the first few 
years to more than 51 percent of total returns in the past three 
years.  These figures, and the continued increase in Lao TIP victims 
requiring assistance to return to Laos, demonstrate the seriousness 
of the problem that will result if additional funding is not secured 
to continue the return of Lao TIP victims.  According to IOM 
representatives, in order for IOM to continue returning Lao TIP 
victims to Laos, approximately USD 60,800 is required for a 
twelve-month period of time.  In order to continue returns of TIP 
victims within the GMS as a whole, USD 122,500 would be required for 
the coming year. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) IOM has submitted an Economic Support Funds (ESF) proposal 
to Embassy Vientiane that would partially address the need for 
ongoing support for returning Lao TIP victims from Thailand and the 
related operations of the MLSW's Transit Center.  The proposal also 
includes activities to support the eventual establishment of a 
transit center in Savannakhet Province.  However, given the timing 
required for review and potential funding of ESF proposals, any 
funds associated with this proposal, if selected for funding, would 
likely not be available until early to mid-2008.  (Note:  The 
Embassy plans to submit IOM's ESF proposal as one of the leading 
five TIP proposals from Laos.  End Note.) 
 
Capacity Building Funds 
----------------------- 
¶8.  (U) While PRM has funded IOM's return activities in Laos for 
several years, the Australian Government's Overseas Aid Program 
(AUSAID) has provided most of IOM's funding for capacity building. 
AUSAID, however, does not support direct assistance costs, such as 
expenses associated with returns.  Because many capacity building 
activities were delayed due to the lack of an MOU, IOM still has 
AUSAID funds available for some previously planned capacity building 
activities and plans to dramatically increase its capacity building 
efforts after establishment of an IOM office in Laos on April 20. 
 
Action Request 
-------------- 
¶9.  (SBU)  The Embassy requests the Department's consideration of 
emergency continued funding of USD 60,800 for the continuation of 
IOM activities to return Lao TIP victims from Thailand to Laos for 
the July 2007 - July 2008 time period.  With the number of Lao TIP 
victims rescued and assisted by shelters in Thailand increasing, it 
is vitally important that efforts to return Lao TIP victims to Laos 
continue.  IOM's assistance to the GoL for return of Lao TIP victims 
from Thailand has been successful and has been a means by which to 
begin building the capacity of GoL officials so that they can 
eventually conduct such activities without significant assistance. 
Given the recently signed MOU and the planned establishment of an 
IOM branch office in Laos, the Embassy expects IOM's role to 
increase - particularly in regard to capacity building, 
reintegration, and monitoring efforts, all of which would be 
undermined by a lack of funding for the return of TIP victims.  The 
local office also allows IOM a foot in the door for possible future 
assistance to Lao-Hmong refugees, currently in Petchabun Camp in 
Thailand, some of whom may be returned to Laos. 
 
HASLACH