WASHINGTON, USA – The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the government of the Republic of Guatemala, through the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MINTRAB by its acronym in Spanish) will collaborate to facilitate the labor inclusion in the Central American country of refugees and asylum-seekers, according to an agreement signed by both institutions.
The project “Facilitation of labor inclusion of asylum seekers and refugees in Guatemala” will be implemented between 2024 and 2025 with funding from the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework Fund (MIRPS Fund), established within the OAS and administered by its department of social inclusion.
With the implementation of this project, improvements will be made in the Electronic Platform of Work Permits for Foreigners (PEX by its acronym in Spanish), as well as the modernization of the work permit process. It will directly benefit all refugees and asylum seekers using the services offered by MINTRAB, enabling their labor and socioeconomic inclusion.
The initiative is part of the first portfolio of projects of the MIRPS Fund, launched with the pioneering contribution of Spain.
The agreement signing event was attended by the Minister of labor and social welfare, Miriam Roquel Chávez; the vice minister of social welfare and employment, María Victoria Peneleu; on behalf of the OAS General Secretariat in Guatemala, Dacia Aragón; the ambassador of Spain in Guatemala, María Clara Girbau; the Representative of UNHCR in Guatemala, the UN Refugee Agency, Besem Obenson; and the regional coordinator of the MIRPS Fund, Melissa Pocasangre Mijango.
