‘Sami’ Chatbot: an A.I. to provide verified information to migrants and refugees in Colombia

Support System for Informed Migration

• Facilitates decision-making for migrants through reliable and up-to-date information, regardless of nationality, migration status, or length of stay in the country. 

• Strengthens evidence-based decision-making in the humanitarian sector through efficient data collection, supporting humanitarian programming and public policy design. 

Bogotá, March 25, 2026. The Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) in Latin America announces the launch of the Support System for Informed Migration – Sami, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot hosted on WhatsApp. It is designed to provide timely, reliable, and verified information to refugees and migrants in Colombia regarding rights, services, and humanitarian assistance tailored to their specific needs and profiles. 

The development of this tool is based on evidence collected by MMC in the region, which identified significant gaps in access to reliable information during migration journeys. Surveys conducted with refugees and migrants revealed a high reliance on social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to obtain information about routes, services, and conditions in destination areas. 

These findings were complemented by a social media listening exercise and six focus groups conducted in two cities in Colombia. These showed that many migrants make decisions based on outdated or unverified information, increasing risks during their journey and integration process. 

“Disinformation scenarios are creating extremely high risks for migrants. For this reason, we have activated a WhatsApp number, through which we are putting artificial intelligence at the service of this population. In the future, it will also help connect humanitarian assistance services directly with potential beneficiaries,” said Simon Tomasi, Regional Manager for MMC in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In addition, humanitarian actors working in the field lack real-time information and data to understand the characteristics of migration movements. This lack of data prevents organizations from having the necessary tools to make timely and well-informed decisions and to adapt their responses to the needs of migrants. 

The chatbot is powered exclusively by a consolidated and verified database developed by MMC and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Colombia, strengthening the link between data-driven research and operational realities in the field. It does not perform internet searches, ensuring that its responses are based solely on previously validated and updated information.