27/10/2026
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are stepping up protection for vulnerable people at their borders.
La Antigua, in Guatemala, hosted the Central American Regional Meeting on the Protection of Vulnerable People in the Context of Human Mobility, organised by the European Union’s EUROFRONT programme, implemented by FIAP and IILA.
The meeting was organised in collaboration with the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and brought together representatives from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, alongside national institutions involved in migration management, the protection of children and young people, the fight against human trafficking, human rights and consular cooperation.
During the meeting, participants were able to analyse the main
challenges posed by human mobility in Central America and, in particular, those situations requiring a coordinated response between different countries and institutions. Among the topics addressed were: migration flows, the situation of unaccompanied children and adolescents, human trafficking, the smuggling of migrants and the protection of vulnerable people.
In addition, examples of good practice in cross-border cooperation were presented, including the Binational Protocol on the Protection and Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adolescents between Guatemala and Honduras. The characteristics and challenges of human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants in the region were also analysed, as were the protection needs of vulnerable populations.
During the final session of the meeting, a joint communiqué was read out, which will help to strengthen the countries’ efforts to protect vulnerable people on the move. It was also agreed at the end of the meeting that Honduras would take over the baton, as it is the country where next year’s Meeting on the Protection of Vulnerable People in the Context of Human Mobility will be held.
For several years now, EUROFRONT has been carrying out various initiatives in South America, in line with FIAP’s work programme, aimed at strengthening institutional capacities and coordination between the authorities responsible for migration management and the protection of individuals.
The inclusion of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in this line of work enables the programme to transfer the experience it has gained in South America to Central America, whilst at the same time incorporating the specific capacities, experiences and priorities of the Central American countries.
The regional meeting held in La Antigua represents a new step in the consolidation of this line of work, moving from national experiences and the exchange of good practices towards more structured and sustained regional cooperation across the continent.
One of the main outcomes of the meeting was the establishment of a Regional Network, designed to serve as a forum for contact and exchange between professionals and institutions from the participating countries. The Network will enable ongoing dialogue between the institutions involved, facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and promote opportunities for collaboration in situations requiring coordinated responses.
The protection of human rights and of people in vulnerable situations is a priority for EUROFRONT and for the European Union and, given its particular importance in the field of integrated border management, it has also become established as one of the programme’s areas of focus. This approach aims to ensure that border management combines effectiveness and security with the protection of fundamental rights, paying particular attention to those most at risk in the context of human mobility.
