Repository of Practices
Primary GCM Objectives
Secondary GCM Objectives
GCM Guiding Principles*
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Dates
Type of practice
Geographic scope
Country:
Regions:
Sub Regions:
Local:
Summary
Context for how the practice began
Maldivian Red Crescent recognized that a large population of the migrants to be living in lack appropriate access to basic services and social protection even during normal times. The situation is exacerbated during crisis, emergencies, and disasters. As such provision of humanitarian assistance to migrants in vulnerable situations was included in MRC’s Strategic Plan 2019-2030. Following the establishment of the Strategic Plan 2019-2030, MRC took the initiative in 2019 to carry out a High level Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on the Situation of Migrants in the Maldives to advocate for migrants and to discuss a way forward to coordinate between organizations to provide the necessary services to migrants and to improve their living and working situations.
Central aims or objectives of the practice
The central aim of the practice is to provide access to relief assistance, basic needs & services such as information, healthcare and legal aid to migrant workers in the Maldives.
Main beneficiaries
Main direct beneficiaries of the program were migrants who lacked proper documentation, female migrant workers, and migrants in economic hardship. Indirectly, Risk Communications and Community Engagement activities were carried out for the general migrant population to ensure important information was delivered in a timely manner.
Key activities
The Migrant Support Programme activities officially were initiated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Primary activities that were carried out under the program included food distribution, hygiene kit distribution, assisting voluntary repatriation, facilitating access to healthcare services, issuance of delivery passes to migrant only food caterers and rapid assessments to determine immediate needs of migrants in quarantine. These services have now evolved to meet the current requirements of the migrant community. This involves facilitating access to vaccines for migrants without documents, floor support to vaccination centers, and the operation of a toll-free Migrant Support helpline (1458). In addition to these services MRC continuously engages with the Health Authorities in Information Dissemination in various modalities and language till date. MRC also recently worked with Restoring Family Links team of Bangladesh Red Crescent National Society to assist a voluntary repatriation effort of a Bangladeshi National. Considering the large number of Bangladeshi Nationals in Maldives, further collaboration activities between MRC & BDRCs will be implemented. In all these activities migrant volunteers of MRC were involved and provided invaluable support.
Key resources used (could include donors, nature of financial or in-kind assistance, staffing, pre-established infrastructure etc.)
Italian Red Cross HR, Financial and Technical Support Host Community Donations, Financial & Material MNU, Technical Support
Organizations
Main Implementing Organization(s)
Partner/Donor Organizations
Benefit and Impact
MRC maintains an online Beneficiary Management System that allows MRC to maintain data of services provided to the migrants. This system allows us to track gender segregated data, number of vaccinated individuals and number of individuals other services have been provided to. Additionally, our toll-free Migrant Support Helpline collects data and maintains a log of incoming and outgoing calls and the services provided and requested.
It is to be noted that MRC does not share any sensitive information with any authorities. Only Health service providers are provided with necessary information for health purposes where required.
The impact of the program can be observed in real time, as MRC makes an effort to ensure program outputs are recorded daily as well as reported monthly.
Local host community donations were a primary source of funds that supported the work of MRC suggesting that the host community is also supportive of inclusion of migrants in relief efforts.
MRC is in the process of developing a sustainable model for the Migrant Support Programme via the conduction of a Migration and Displacement Needs Assessment.
Key Lessons
Additionally, host community reservations & negative perceptions about migrants receiving vaccination equally was encountered during the initial roll out of the first dose of vaccines.
The support of migrant volunteers was what allowed MRC to build trust and to overcome the challenge of language barriers. They assisted in translation of material as well as mediators on an ad hoc basis. MRC has been constantly recruiting, training & orienting volunteers (both local & migrant) to the activities of the Migrant Support Programme to ensure consistent service delivery.
To address host community reservations and negative perceptions, MRC along with government authorities reiterated the message that "no one is safe, until everyone is safe". Along with distribution of other information regarding herd immunity and effectiveness of vaccines. Information was disseminated via various modalities and languages which included, mobile audio messaging, Social Media messaging, direct outreach & conduction of awareness sessions to ensure maximum reach. Migrant Perspectives and testimonies on the program could be collected to ensure that service delivery is meeting the needs of the migrant community.
MRC has conducted several Rapid Assessments prior to service delivery. Currently, a Migration & Displacement Needs Assessment is underway to incorporate the lessons learnt as well as to redesign any aspects of the program that may require changes according to the need of the migrants.
Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)
Furthermore, since migration is a cross-border concern, any and all programs addressing the issues concerning migration should involve an aspect of cross-border considerations, coordination and corporation. As Maldives is a destination country our considerations when designing the program were mainly targeted towards long-term migrants. Other countries should consider where they are along the migratory route prior to program implementation for the program to meet the needs of the migrants.
Innovation
Additionally, the issuance of a recognized ID document for migrants without documentation (BenCard recognized by the local health authorities) via the online Beneficiary Management System is also the first time such a system has been implemented. Any migrant in the Maldives can be issued a BenCard that will facilitate vaccination for the individual if they do not have any documentation.
The practice catalysed other related initiatives, its impacts are sustainable and it is scalable.
All activities were adapted to the changing circumstances posed by COVID-19. For example, when a physical registration center for vaccination was no longer viable due to a surge in May 2021, the Migrant Support Helpline (1458) was immediately set up to address the needs of those requiring support for vaccination as well as for those who needed information, referrals, or MRC relief assistance.
Date submitted:
*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).