The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Project Information Document/ Identification/Concept Stage (PID) Public Disclosure Copy Concept Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 17-Nov-2022 | Report No: PIDC270338 Nov 17, 2022 Page 1 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Environmental and Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Social Risk Project Name Classification Moderate SPF: Dominican Republic P179751 Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Region Country Date PID Prepared Estimated Date of Approval LATIN AMERICA AND Dominican Republic 17-Nov-2022 CARIBBEAN Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Public Disclosure Copy Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development (MEPYD), National Institute of Migration (INM), General Directorate of Communication Investment Project Dominican Republic (DIECOM), Supérate Financing Mujer Program, National Office of Statistics (ONE), Ministry of Woman, General Directorate of Migration (DGM), Single System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN) PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 4.60 Total Financing 4.60 Financing Gap 0.00 Nov 17, 2022 Page 2 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 Non-World Bank Group Financing Trust Funds 4.60 State and Peace Building Fund 4.60 B. Introduction and Context Country Context The foreign-born population in the Dominican Republic exceeds 570,933 people (5.6% of the total population of the country), almost double in proportion to what Colombia experienced in 2018, although receiving much less international assistance. The largest migrant groups are those coming from Haiti (87.2%) and Venezuela (5%). Although the Dominican Republic has traditionally been a recipient of Haitian migrants and an important transit node for mixed migratory movements the characteristics of these flows are Public Disclosure Copy different from the patterns observed five years ago in two dimensions. The number of Venezuelan migrants doubled in the last 6 years, while the Haitian population grew by 8.6% from 2012 to 2017. First, the speed and magnitude of these human flows are stretching the social fabric, with the country experiencing greater conflicts between host communities and migrants, especially Haitians. Second, both immigrant populations are fleeing their home countries following outbreaks of conflict, violence, poverty, and political instability. Consequently, the Dominican Republic receives people in increasingly vulnerable conditions (refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people of Haitian origin or descent, forcibly displaced persons, and unaccompanied migrant children), as well as people who, due to their degree of social and economic vulnerability, cannot apply for a visa, residence permit, documentation or even some of the humanitarian statutes, harming their regularization. During the United Nations General Assembly, and in various national and international forums, President Luis Abinader has requested international support to respond to mixed migratory flows, especially considering the fragile situation in Haiti. This proposal responds to the need to mobilize technical and financial resources to provide international assistance to the Dominican Republic in its response to migratory flows. The activities proposed are complementary to each other, and together, they help advance an unprecedented coordinated and multisectoral migratory response from the national government. If approved, these resources will have a catalytic effect in the country for three reasons: (i) it would represent a historic contribution to the public budget on migration matters; (ii) it represents a unique window of opportunity to advance an inclusive and peacebuilding agenda that has the support of 11 government institutions under an integrated strategic vision for the country (one that had not been open in the past due to protracted backlash against Haitian immigrant, see risk section for additional details); and (iii) it would make it possible to strengthen a gender and social cohesion approach to the migration response on an unprecedented scale in the country. Nov 17, 2022 Page 3 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Sectoral and Institutional Context This grant will help advance complementary efforts to improve the institutional, statistical, planning and coordination capacities to inform national policies towards a multisectoral and inclusive response to migratory flows in the Dominican Republic. These efforts complement initiatives financed by own-source resources and smaller donations by other international development partners including the Inter-American Development Bank, the IOM, UNHCR, UNAIDS, UN Women, World Food Program, FAO, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), and the International Labor Organization. These efforts also complement the regional commitments to achieve a more sustainable solution to the Venezuelan and Haitian situations agreed on Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection (June 10, 2022). Further, the opportunity cost of inaction is also high. The World Bank has pledged to support client countries affected by the Venezuelan and Haitian massive displacement situations, with the Haitian situation disproportionally affecting the Dominican Republic as the second largest host country in LAC after the United Public Disclosure Copy States. Failure to support ongoing national efforts may have substantive consequences on the likelihood of advancing a more progressive migratory policy, given the scale and momentum of the activities to be supported by this grant, with potential lifelong effects on thousands of Haitian and Venezuelan migrants living in the Dominican Republic. Relationship to CPF The proposal is aligned with the CPF 2022-2027’s objective to "promote resilient recovery and inclusive and sustainable growth in the Dominican Republic", through the strengthening of institutional and statistical capacity to improve the multisectoral response to migratory flows. C. Project Development Objective(s) Proposed Development Objective(s) To improve the institutional, statistical, planning, and coordination capacities to inform policy dialogue towards a multi-sectoral and inclusive response to migratory flows in the Dominican Republic. Key Results Pillar 1 - Expected outcome: improved statistical capacities to inform national policies to respond to migratory flows in a comprehensive and articulated manner. Pillar 2 – Expected outcome: improved institutional, planning, and coordination capacities to provide a multisectoral response to migratory flows in the Dominican Republic Pillar 3 - Expected outcome: response approaches to vulnerable migrant population, women, and survivors of GBV strengthened in migration management. Nov 17, 2022 Page 4 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Pillar 4 - Expected result: strengthened policy dialogue. D. Preliminary Description Activities/Components Pillar 1. Strengthening statistical capacity ($ 2,478,585) Component 1.1. Periodic Demand Estimation Program of Foreign-born Labor Force (INM - US$646,462). The objective of the program is to generate periodic information on the foreign labor force demand estimations to inform and strengthen national migration policies and support the technical discussions of the National Migration Council (CNM). Since 2021, the national government has been supporting large regularization efforts of Haitian immigrants and initiatives to reduce discrimination and exploitation risks, Public Disclosure Copy primarily through a structured dialogue with the private sector, and national and local authorities. The main objective of this dialogue is to design a more systematic way to estimate immigrant workers´ demands and provide safer legal pathways to migrant workers, particularly those coming from Haiti. Under this broader public-private framework, this component will support hiring experts and consultants to implement quantitative and qualitative methods to estimate the demand and supply of foreign labor needs (e.g., business surveys and interviews with key stakeholders). This component will analyze the labor dynamics in the agriculture (rice, bananas, and beans), Construction, and Tourism sectors, which have the highest representation of the foreign labor force in the country (54.4%; 53.2%, and 17.5%, respectively). Component 1.2. Strengthening the Administrative Records Program within the National System of Migratory Statistics (ONE - US$150,000). Based on the findings of the diagnostic report (RRAA) carried out in 2019 by the ONE on the main migratory statistical operations in the country, this component contributes to reducing the gaps in data coverage, level of disaggregation, lack of harmonized classification systems, and the comparability and interoperability of the data collected by different institutions linked to migration management (e.g., MIREX, DGM, Ministry of the Interior and Police, among others). This component is structured under the broader national roundtable of migratory statistics, which brings together national institutions and international agencies to generate joint assessments and data collection efforts. Complementing data from studies and surveys, this component includes: (i) supporting the collection of primary data to calculate the sector's indicators, including social, welfare, health, and education indicators; (ii) expanding the diagnostic of administrative records carried out in 2019 to cover other government institutions that fulfill statistical operations related to migration, such as Social Protection, Health and, Education; (iii) disseminating the key findings and the improvement plan to strengthen administrative records; and (iv) implementing a rapid improvements plan to improve databases structures, conceptual harmonization of variables, acquisition of electronic equipment, and identification of opportunities for the expansion of the Social Protection and Health databases, based on best international practices. Component 1.3. National Immigrant Survey, ENI (ONE - US$287,000). Building on the 2012 and 2017 rounds, the ENI aims to generate relevant information to better design and target public policies and investments that support migrant and host populations in the country. The ENI is the main data source on Nov 17, 2022 Page 5 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows the immigrant population, and it is a national and regional reference. Without the ENI, there is no systematic way of evaluating the contributions that the migrant population makes to the Dominican economy and society, the transformations they have experienced in recent years, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ENI 2023 will include a module to evaluate the progress of the National Normalization Plan for Venezuelans in the country. Activities under this component will include: (i) hiring incremental fieldwork staff, supervisors, and technical support; (ii) data processing and related consulting services; and (iii) support for fieldwork implementation. Component 1.4. Single Social Beneficiaries System (SIUBEN - US$1,015,052). The objective of this component is to implement improvements in the registry of the migrant population in conditions of vulnerability and pilot a migration module in SIUBEN. Under the principle of non-discrimination, this component will support: (i) adapting the questionnaire and methodological approaches to minimize non- response rates and the low representativeness of Haitian households in SIUBEN (including hiring a field team Public Disclosure Copy of Haitian origin); (ii) installing an open-source platform to register households that lack identity documents; (iii) pilot a self-registration module for Venezuelan migrants; (iv) strengthening the interoperability of migratory registries with the General Directorate of Migration (DGM), emergency response registries, and the single registry of beneficiaries; (v) implement an interoperability pilot with educational centers with a high migrant population (and potentially the non-contributive health insurance); and (vi) develop dashboards and web mapping. These data will allow for a more complete registry of potential beneficiaries of social benefits and services, as well as improve their socioeconomic characterization so that they can later be included in social benefits and services. The data will also be used to improve and compare well-being indicators between the host and mobile populations. The improved registry will also serve as an updated sampling frame for additional studies and as a basis for expanding improvements under the World Bank's Social Protection Project (P147213 and new operation in preparation that will support interoperable social protection systems). Component 1.5. Strengthening DGM’s protocols and procedures for safe and people-centered migration management (DGM - US$380,071). To support the Dominican Republic’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals to promote orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration, this component will finance the following activities aimed at protecting migrants and promoting peaceful coexistence between host and migrant communities: (i) strengthening technical capacity of the DGM for managing irregular migration, human trafficking and smuggling, with a focus on the protection of migrants rights, improving response protocols in control border points; (ii) establish clear and context-sensitive (i.e. language, age, sociodemographic considerations) communication channels that increase social cohesion between government and migrants; (iii) improving biometric data collection processes and data privacy procedures (compliant with ISO-9001: 2015). Altogether, these activities will contribute to strengthening DGM’s data center and local migration offices, which serve as the primary data entry point of the national administrative records database on migration statistics. Pillar 2. Strengthening of multisectoral institutional, planning, and coordination capacities (US$ 1,064,042) Nov 17, 2022 Page 6 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Component 2.1. National Social Cohesion Strategy between migrants and host communities (DICOM/INM - US$400,000). Currently, the Dominican Republic does not have a national strategy that articulates sectoral policies to strengthen social cohesion between the migrant population and host communities. This component will strengthen the coordination and planning of national policies from the central government under an integrated strategy. For the preparation and dissemination of the strategy, this component will support three activities: (i) technical consultants and experts for the preparation and dissemination of the National Social Cohesion Strategy, focusing on the prevention of interpersonal conflicts and violence between host populations and migrants; (ii) design and implementation of a pilot Social Cohesion Laboratory to monitor narratives about migration in social networks, the media and public debates; and (iii) conducting a survey to study perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and practices on social cohesion to understand the origins of common narratives in host and migrant populations. Component 2.2. Strengthening of the legal and institutional framework for migration management (INM - Public Disclosure Copy US$664,042). In order to inform progress towards the objectives of the national policy instruments on migration, this component will support technical consultancies to: (i) carry out a comprehensive regulatory and institutional framework review and provide policy recommendations; (ii) provide technical support to the congressional and Executive´s technical commissions (e.g., National Migration Council, National Climate Change Council, National Interior and Police Commissions of both chambers of the National Congress, Inter- institutional Commission to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Illicit Smuggling of Migrants, CITIM); (iii) carry out international seminars and knowledge exchanges with civil society participation; and (iv) awareness- raising and sensitization activities among civil society, private sector, and civil servants. Pillar 3. Investments for improved support to vulnerable migrant populations (US$ 749,500) Component 3.1. Pilot Tool for the Continuous Measurement of Binational Markets (MEPYD - US$350,000). Its objectives are to improve the income-generation mechanisms and living conditions of the migrant and host population that operates in the binational markets of the border area between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It will support the following activities: (i) produce recurring data on the flow of users in 2 of the 19 binational markets between Haiti and the Dominican Republic (Dajabón and Pedernales binational markets); (ii) document user profiles (migrants and nationals) in the two selected binational markets; and (iii) help inform policies to respond to human mobility situations at the national, regional and local levels. These activities will help articulate responses with the ONE, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the DGM and the INM, all of which are linked to the market trade and need better and recurring data on the changing dynamics in these markets. This information will also serve to inform infrastructure investments (outside the scope of this proposal) in the two binational markets. Component 3.2. Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence (GBV) among migrant women and support for the implementation of the 2022-2024 National Plan Against Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking (Ministry of Women – US$150,000). The objective of this component is to strengthen response protocols and services to care for migrant women, regardless of their legal migratory status, who are victims of gender-based violence, human trafficking, and smuggling. The component will support (i) the training of technical personnel at the Provincial and Municipal Offices for Women (OPMO/WMO) in Bateyes and 2-3 Nov 17, 2022 Page 7 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows selected border areas, particularly on human trafficking identification and responses; (ii) acquiring basic equipment to improve the physical conditions of OPMO/WMP shelters specialized in human smuggling and trafficking; and (iii) strengthening the Ministry of Women's campaign “Living without violence, it is possible”, by supporting its translation into Haitian Creole, and the preparation of brochures and promotional materials in traditional and digital media. These interventions are intended to improve the response skills of public officials in the Dominican Republic to identify risks and respond in a humane manner to the target population that needs protection; as well as strengthening shelter and response systems for victims and close relatives, such as sons and daughters in the 15 shelters and 58 offices distributed throughout the country. These activities will also help inform the design of the World Bank's Social Protection Project (P147213 and new operation in preparation) and mainstream a gender approach, specifically to include care for the women and vulnerable migrant population. Component 3.3. Strengthening care for women migrants in the Supérate Mujer Program (Supérate Mujer Public Disclosure Copy Program $249,500). The objective of this component is to provide technical support and articulate interventions for eligible women and girls survivors of GBV (eligibility conditions are being finalized, and it is expected that these will include having a valid identity document), as well as to cover social protection gaps in households that host children and adolescents orphaned because of femicides. This component will support the following activities: (i) provide eligible beneficiaries with information about their rights to access social benefits; (ii) access to specialized training on economic and financial inclusion; (iii) assess eligibility for the National Happy Family Housing Plan and to other cash transfer programs such as the "Women's Bonus" granted by the Ministry of Women. These activities will also help inform several components of national Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) programs, including psychological support, and Learn and Advance Plan for School. These activities will be complementary to larger-scale investments contemplated in the WB Social Protection Project (P147213 and new operation in preparation), such as the improvement of service centers and the inclusion of alternatives for payment mechanisms of the Supérate Program, as well as the standardization of processes with SIUBEN, DGM, Ministry of Women and other government institutions with competences in the matter. Component 3.2 supports all women migrants regardless of migratory status, while Component 3.3 expands existing programs to support eligible women migrants with valid identification documents that experience GBV and high degrees of vulnerability. Pillar 4. Support for the management and execution of projects (US$ 707,837) Component 4.1. Project Management Unit, PMU (MEPYD - US$ 307,873). A PMU will be created within the MEPYD (with links to participating institutions) to coordinate the overall implementation of the program, the results framework, and report progress to the WB. The PMU will serve as an articulating entity with the participating institutions and will be responsible for involving other relevant actors and institutions with competencies in migration policy, data, and investments. Component 4.2. Appraisal and implementation support (WB - US$ 400,000). The World Bank will coordinate the activities’ evaluation, carry out technical assistance, technical audit, supervision, and support for the Nov 17, 2022 Page 8 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows program implementation, in addition to informing the SPF Secretariat about the results and progress towards PDO. Environmental and Social Standards Relevance E. Relevant Standards ESS Standards Relevance Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social ESS 1 Relevant Risks and Impacts ESS 10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant Public Disclosure Copy ESS 2 Labor and Working Conditions Relevant Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and ESS 3 Relevant Management ESS 4 Community Health and Safety Relevant Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary ESS 5 Not Currently Relevant Resettlement Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of ESS 6 Not Currently Relevant Living Natural Resources Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically ESS 7 Not Currently Relevant Underserved Traditional Local Communities ESS 8 Cultural Heritage Not Currently Relevant ESS 9 Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant Legal Operational Policies Safeguard Policies Triggered Explanation (Optional) Projects on International Waterways OP No 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Screening of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts The overall Environmental and Social Risk Rating is considered Moderate at this stage. The environmental risk rating for the Project is considered Moderate. Project activities are not expected to generate adverse environmental risks and impacts. The Project will support the institutional, statistical, planning, and coordination capacities of the Dominican Republic to respond to migratory flows by gathering and processing information, conducting surveys, improving data bases and registries, managing dashboards and other tools, preparing policies, protocols and procedures, disseminating information, promoting financial inclusion, running pilot programs, awareness-raising and sensitization activities among civil society, private sector, and civil servants; TA for the strengthening of the legal, institutional frameworks, and policy development; and Nov 17, 2022 Page 9 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows other technical assistance activities. The Project will not finance any type of civil works .Key environmental risks and impacts are related to the potential generation of e-wastes from the replacement of electronics to be procured. Technical assistance activities will consider the elements of the ESF, as applicable. The grant may face difficulties for implementation, given negative perceptions towards migrants, especially from Haiti, and effort to support this population could exacerbate this trend. To mitigate this risk, the grant will develop sensitization, awareness, and communications campaigns. Another risk, particularly under Pilar 3, is the social conflict between migrants and host communities that currently do not receive any type of social assistance and the Grants intention to assess eligibility for the National Happy Family Housing Plan and to other cash transfer programs such as the "Women's Bonus" granted by the Ministry of Women. As mitigation measure, care will be taken to guarantee the quality, transparency, and effectiveness of the targeting process. Finally, as TA involves collection and registration of data through surveys, as well as the improvement of existing data bases and registries, there is the need to ensure that all required information security controls and protocols for the protection and controlled access to personal data are in place. The Public Disclosure Copy need for interinstitutional coordination and information security protocols will be reviewed during preparation. The Client will prepare, consult and disclose a draft Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) prior to appraisal and will update, consult, publish and adopt a final SEP within 60 days after Project Effectiveness. The SEP will include the mapping of relevant stakeholders, and a plan for consultations with them during project preparation and implementation, including potential Project beneficiaries ((especially migrants, migrant women, and survivors of GBV, smuggling and human trafficking, and children), relevant government institutions at the central and local levels, skills and labor training providers, and civil society organizations that represent identified vulnerable groups. Additionally, the Program will have an adequate GRM mechanism for beneficiaries and the community at large; this is documented in the SEP. The grant will fund the hiring of fieldwork staff and supervisors, experts, and consultants to implement low-risk activities related to capacity building. All capacity building TA and activities will be designed according to the principles of the relevant Environmental and Social Standards (ESS). The carrying out of surveys and qualitative and quantitative data collection implies community engagement which could infer a certain risk of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA)/sexual harassment (SH) or misconduct. These activities will be designed considering the principles of the relevant ESS, especially ESS 2 and 4. Additionally, in accordance with ESS2 and the Borrower will develop, publish, and adopt a stand-alone Labor Management Plan (LMP) within 60 days after Project Effectiveness; and in accordance with ESS3, the Borrower will, develop, publish and adopt a stand-alone E-Waste Management Plan (EWMP) also within 60 days after Project Effectiveness. CONTACT POINT World Bank Contact : Ana Isabel Aguilera De Llano Title : Social Development Specialist Telephone No : 5220+80922 / Email : Borrower/Client/Recipient Nov 17, 2022 Page 10 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Borrower : Dominican Republic Implementing Agencies Implementing Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development (MEPYD) Agency : Contact : Sandra Lara Title : General Director of Multilateral Cooperation Telephone No : 18298981401 Email : sandra.larasantos@mepyd.gob.do Implementing National Institute of Migration (INM) Agency : Contact : Adria de la Cruz Title : Technical Assistant Public Disclosure Copy Telephone No : 18492593032 Email : adria.delacruz@inm.gob.do Contact : Wilfredo Lozano Title : Executive Director Telephone No : 1-809-729-1950 Email : direccionejecutiva@inm.gob.do Implementing General Directorate of Communication (DIECOM) Agency : Contact : Guillermo Vasquez Title : Research and monitoring officer Telephone No : 18099141112 Email : guillermo.vasquez@diecom.gob.do Implementing Supérate Mujer Program Agency : Contact : Amaury Rodriguez Title : Director of Planning and Development Telephone No : 18095342105 Email : au.rodriguez@superate.gob.do Implementing National Office of Statistics (ONE) Agency : Contact : Kenia Sanchez Title : Liaison department manager Telephone No : 18097023982 Email : kenia.sanchez@one.gob.do Implementing Ministry of Woman Agency : Director of Prevention and Attention to Contact : Jesica Croce Title : Violence against Wom Telephone No : 18096853755 Email : jesica.croce@mujer.gob.do Implementing General Directorate of Migration (DGM) Agency : Contact : Nancy Arias Perez Title : Planning Manager Nov 17, 2022 Page 11 of 12 The World Bank SPF: Dominican Republic Multisectoral Response to Migratory Flows Telephone No : 18095082555 Email : narias@migracion.gob.do Implementing Single System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN) Agency : Contact : Susana Doñe Title : Planning Manager Telephone No : 18096895230 Email : sdone@siuben.gob.do FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Public Disclosure Copy Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects Nov 17, 2022 Page 12 of 12