E/CN.4/2002/94/Add.1 page 22 73. The UNHCR representatives told the Special Rapporteur that UNHCR had dedicated its efforts to the protection of foreign citizens, principally Colombians, who were seeking refuge in Ecuador. They said that where the State had refused to grant refugee status, UNHCR had sought to provide the persons concerned with guidance on the available options for regularizing their stay in Ecuador. The refugees receive humanitarian assistance from UNHCR for three months, during which they seek their own sources of income. The Special Rapporteur attaches great importance to the presence of UNHCR and IOM in the northern border region as international agencies dealing with the protection of human rights. VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 74. During her visit to Ecuador the Special Rapporteur noted that the lack of opportunities for a large proportion of the population to lead and provide their families with a decent life as the result of their labours generates a large-scale flow of Ecuadorians abroad. She notes that extreme poverty, poor knowledge of legal ways of emigrating and the risks involved in illegal migration, and individuals’ lack of proper papers, mean that they are especially vulnerable to networks of smugglers and traffickers. 75. The Special Rapporteur considers that combating illegal migration should be a priority in any Ecuadorian policy, since the context of smuggling produces the worst forms of human rights violations against migrants and the subjection of their families to criminal gangs. The Special Rapporteur is of the view that a coordinated State policy must be developed to check corruption and the impunity enjoyed by the networks. The principal focus of this policy should be coordinated action by the system of administration of justice and the police, and it should enjoy political and institutional backing at the highest level. The Special Rapporteur also considers that practical steps should be taken in the areas where the networks of smugglers operate, including the coastal areas and other parts of the country from where there is an outflow of Ecuadorians. Combating the phenomenon in all its dimensions and categorizing it as a criminal offence are also matters of priority. 76. In parallel to that effort, the Special Rapporteur recommends that campaigns should be organized to inform the population of legal means of migration and the risks involved in leaving the country illegally. It is important that this effort should be accompanied by appropriate documentation and be effectively monitored by the State bodies responsible for issuing identity documents. The Special Rapporteur views as positive and necessary the initiatives for the issue of a new, secure passport and to register Ecuadorian migrants abroad properly in consulates. 77. The Special Rapporteur also considers that it is of fundamental importance to provide assistance to members of migrants’ families in the areas where illegal migration originates. She observed during her visit that many State institutions and provincial authorities have still not become fully aware of the problems experienced by this segment of the population, and that the State provides scant care to the families. She believes that it is important to enhance the State’s capabilities and reinforce the work being accomplished by the Ombudsman in this area. She considers that the office of the Ombudsman is particularly well placed in the State apparatus to pursue initiatives to watch over migrants’ families and prevent smuggling, because of its geographical coverage, its contacts with the population and the role it has to play in protecting human rights.