Costa Rica, San José, December 19, 2023. - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) presents the study, Mechanisms of access to legal identity for migrants in Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. This regional study presents the findings, challenges, good practices, and recommendations on legal identity identified.

Access to legal identity is recognized as a key element for the attainment of the rights of all migrants and it is directly associated with safe, orderly, and regular migration. Identity documents enables people to fully access multiple rights and state services such as health, education, work, banking services, travel, and regular migration, among others.

Migrants who lack legal identity documents are at greater risk of being rendered invisible by States and of becoming victims of exploitation. In addition, their vulnerability is increased by risks such as the possibility of becoming stateless or not being able to access regularization processes, family reunification or voluntary return.

In Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic there are approximately nine million people living without any form of identity document registered by a state authority.  "The willingness and commitment of countries are key for facilitating access to legal identity for migrants. We hope that the findings of this study will contribute to ensuring that no one is excluded from the human right to legal identity in the region" Andrea Dabizzi, Senior Regional Programme Coordinator - IOM. 

One of the main findings of the study is the identification of key strategies to improve access to legal identity-related services such as decentralization and modernization of services, proactive outreach by institutions to beneficiary populations, and cross-country collaboration.

At the regional level, the study recommends that governments explore agreements, according to each country's legislation, to relax the requirements for identity documents and thus regularize people's migratory status. Some examples of alternative documents suggested are driver's licenses, expired passports, consular plates, among others.

The follow-up process of the recommendations and findings of this study will be carried out by the IOM national offices in coordination with the governments of each country.

This research responds to goal 4 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which calls on States to "ensure that all migrants have proof of legal identity and appropriate documentation". It also responds to goal 16.9 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which proposes to "provide, by 2030, access to a legal identity for all persons, including birth registration."

This IOM regional study was supported by the U.S. Department of State's Office of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and is available in English and Spanish here. For more information, please contact Estela Aragón, Research and Data Unit Coordinator, IOM Regional Migration Program, at earagon@iom.int.