SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA. July 13, 2023. In order to unify and centralize information from official data on irregular and regular migration in the region and the profiling of migrants, the International Organization for Migration's Regional Office in San José launched the pilot of the Interactive Dashboard: "Migrants in Transit through the Americas". 

The region of Central America and Mexico has been characterized as one of the most important migration corridors in the world. However, the continuous and sudden variation in migration flow trends generates uncertainty due to the limited availability and access to data on the profiles of migrants and their mobility dynamics. 

IOM, through its Country Offices and with the support of the Regional Office in San José and different projects and programs, has implemented the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) methodology that monitors the migration flow at strategic points in the region. This methodology allows the generation of data and information on migrant populations on the move, mainly those populations that are difficult to reach or that are invisible for different reasons. 

The Interactive Dashboard "Migrants in Transit through the Americas" centralizes DTM data since October 2022. Moreover, the dashboard process official statistics from governments in the region, with the goal of containing updated data that reflect the constant changes in flows and the profile of migrants in the region. This dashboard currently displays information on irregular migration from the governments of Panama and Honduras, and on regular migration from Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. 

"Having reliable and timely information on the characteristics and needs of migrants transiting through the region, as well as the circumstances in which they migrate, is essential to generate responses to manage these flows and respond to sudden changes, always prioritizing the respect for the rights of migrants," said Michele Klein-Solomon, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America and the Caribbean. 

"IOM has made this commitment to support the collection of data in a responsible manner, providing information necessary for informed decision making to ensure that migrants transit through our region in a safer manner," added Andrea Dabizzi, coordinator of IOM's Western Hemisphere Program (WHP). 

This tool contributes to the fulfillment of goals 1 and 3 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which aims to collect and use accurate and disaggregated data to formulate evidence-based policies; and to provide up-to-date and timely information on all stages of migration. It also responds to targets 5.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.7, 17.18 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The dashboard was developed by the IOM Western Hemisphere Program, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) of the U.S. Department of State, with the support of the IOM Regional Office and the contribution of the Country Offices in Central America and Mexico. For more information, please contact Fabian Solano, Information Management Officer, at fsolano@iom.int and Eugenia Loría, DTM Regional Officer at eloria@iom.int.