The Philippine Embassy in The Hague affirmed its partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) during a recent courtesy call by Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya on H. E. Antonio Polosa, Chief of Mission of the IOM in the Netherlands.

Ambassador Malaya conveyed the Embassy’s gratitude for the assistance extended by the IOM in the medical repatriation of an ailing Filipino last year, and cited the valuable leadership role played by the IOM, a UN agency, on migration and development issues.

Chief of Mission Polosa shared the IOM’s priorities and programs, noting that “being an irregular migrant does not mean one loses his or her basic human rights.” He emphasized the need for international cooperation in tackling labor and migration concerns, particularly looking at migration phenomena through the prism of multilateral approach.

Ambassador Malaya, for his part, underscored that the protection of Filipino nationals overseas is one of the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy, and assured the IOM of the Embassy’s partnership in the protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of migrants. The Ambassador also shared the self-help initiatives undertaken by Filipino community groups to assist others in need of assistance, notably the Ayuda sa Amsterdam by the Filipino LGBT Europe Foundation and their partners.

The Embassy facilitated the repatriation of some 148 Filipinos from the Netherlands at the height of the pandemic last year.

With the IOM Chief of Mission at the meeting was Drs. Pauline Yick, IOM's Project Officer for Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration.

Established in 1951, the IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.

With 174 member states, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. It works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.