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IMRF Roundtable 1 Consultation

This discussion space is being organized as part of the preparations for the first roundtable (“Roundtable 1”) of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) which will take place in May 2022. The discussion is moderated by ILO, UNDP and the UN Network on Migration Secretariat and runs until 31 January 2022. Roundtable 1 focuses on reviewing the following GCM objectives:

The aim of this discussion space is to gather inputs from a broad range of Member States and stakeholders in the preparations for that roundtable, and in particular the drafting of its background note, which is being prepared by ILO and UNDP on behalf of the UN Network on Migration, in support of the Member State co-chairs of the roundtable (to be announced in 2022). To contribute, please respond to the discussion questions below. Responses are welcomed in English, French or Spanish.

The background paper will address the background, objectives, and guiding questions for the Roundtable. It will be a short paper of 1,000 words and will be available prior to the IMRF. The Roundtable discussions will feed into broader discussions at the IMRF and will adopt a multi-stakeholder approach in line with the whole-of-society guiding principle of the GCM.

It will have at its foundations the fact that, in the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration, States and stakeholders agreed, inter alia, that:

  • Nobody should feel compelled to leave their country of origin due to circumstances and factors beyond their control, including the negative impacts of climate change;
  • People should have access to more options of safe avenues to migrate regularly in accordance with relevant considerations;
  • Migration should take place through transparent and user-friendly procedures, with referral mechanisms for categories of migrants in situations of vulnerability;
  • The rights and dignity of all migrants, including migrant workers, regardless of migration status, should be protected at all stages of migration; they should be able to enjoy decent work and develop their skills to empower them to maximize their contributions to countries of origin and destination alike.

You are invited to respond to the discussion questions below, or pose your own questions to the moderators and other participants. For help posting please contact gcmhub@iom.int and cpierrefeu@iom.int.
 

 

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Discussion Questions & Comments

Migration Netw…

4. What actions by Governments, stakeholders and/or other actors are helping to achieve the GCM objectives under review?

What more can be done to achieve the objectives going forward? These could be at all levels and by all actors.

4. Selon vous, quelles actions menées par les gouvernements et autres acteurs contribuent à atteindre les objectifs indiqués dans la brève introduction?
Que peut-on faire de plus pour atteindre les objectifs à l'avenir ? Cela inclus des actions menées à tout niveau et par tout acteur. 

4. En su opinión, ¿qué acción de los gobiernos y/u otros actores está ayudando a lograr los objetivos indicados en la breve introducción?
¿Qué más se puede hacer para lograr los objetivos en el futuro? Estas acciones pueden venir de todos los niveles y de todos los actores.

Nov 25, 2021
Spanish Commis…

Ensanchamiento de las vías legales de acceso a personas con necesidades de protección internacional. Los indicadores hasta la fecha se mantienen por debajo de las expectativas y necesidades proyectadas.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 03, 2021
Kate Barth

Moderator 

Governments should implement the recommendations set forth in the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on migrants’ freedom of association, including:

(a) Recognize in domestic laws migrants’ right to freedom of association and encourage them to self-organize, regardless of their migration status;

(b) Establish laws, policies and practices that are supportive of trade union membership for migrants;

(c) Extend labour protection in national laws to migrant workers, including domestic workers, to ensure equal protection under the law. Migrant workers should enjoy treatment no less favourable than that applicable to nationals, including with regard to freedom of association and assembly;

(d) Take positive measures, including affirmative action, to ensure that migrants with specific vulnerabilities are able to effectively exercise their right to freedom of association and assembly;

(e) Ensure policy coherence by conducting a review of all national policies that are relevant to the right to freedom of association and assembly of migrants and revising those that could adversely affect migrants’ exercise of this right;

(f) Ensure the accessibility of legal protection and effective judicial or other appropriate remedies to address any violation of migrants’ right to freedom of association and assembly regardless of their migration status;

(g) Establish in law the right for migrant workers, including those without documentation, who are victims of retaliation for their collective organizing to remain in the country of destination while they settle their dispute, and enforce robust penalties for employers who retaliate against migrant workers who organize;

(h) Address any threats, intimidation, harassment and use of violence by either public or private actors as reprisals and retaliation against migrants who exercise their right to freedom of association and assembly;

(i) Provide accessible information for migrants, including in countries of origin prior to their departure, on their right to freedom of association and assembly, and provide assistance services for migrants with vulnerabilities, including migrant women and domestic migrant workers, to ensure that they can better understand their right to freedom of association and navigate relevant processes and procedures more effectively;

(j) Ensure that migrants’ visa or residence permits are not linked to individual employers and that a migrant’s authorization to remain in the country of destination is not tied to his or her employer’s good will, as a means to safeguard migrant workers’ right to freedom of association and assembly;

(k) Ensure migrants’ work visa or permits are issued with no effective restrictions on the migrant workers’ right to freedom of association and assembly, including to form and join trade unions.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 04, 2021
Fambaye Ndoye

Moderator 

les gouvernements devraient :

1 créer des cadres de concertation et de partage avec la société civile sur la mise en oeuvre du PMM.

2.organiser des actions de promotion du PMM

3.élaborer des politiques nationales qui s'inspirent des objectifs du PMM

les autres acteurs

1.doivent développer des stratégies pour accompagner la mise en oeuvre du PMM,

2.etre plus visible dans la sensibilsation et le suivi - évaluation de l'action publique

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 07, 2021
Dr Lidia Kuzemska

Moderator 

DOMESTICALLY

  • make decision-making processes about migration status faster, clearer, inclusive, and sensitive. Don’t keep people in legal and psychological limbo.
  • make the investment into protection of migrants’ rights and wellbeing an investment into wellbeing of your communities/country and improvement of your workforce.
  • Implement flexible solutions that will enable migrants’ long-term and short-term choices. Some short-term workers will want to stay, others will become circular migrants, others will go back to their countries. Create options and pathways that will be legal, orderly, and inclusive to the changing circumstances of people’s lives. Aim for flexible rights-based national framework with local targeted needs-based solutions.
  • consult migrants and host communities/employers/cities/industries about their needs and priorities, include them into planning policies. Explore existing self-organised chains of demand-supply of migrants’ labour, simplify and amplify them if necessary.
  • be selective where government intervention in migration governance is necessary, when desirable, when not needed at all.
  • We are social beings, and we yearn for human contact and for being accepted and needed by someone through our work and involvement. Build policies on that premise – give the right to work, to study, to participate, engage and contribute.
  • engage diasporas to enable safe legal pathways and integration

1) diaspora members communicate with future and present migrants; they are usually the source of information for upcoming migrants

2) help diasporas to help their upcoming migrants to settle/integrate faster

3) promote migrants’ contribution to your society – economic, cultural, social, etc.

4) engage diasporas in finding safe and orderly solutions/pathways for circular migration, seasonal migration, family reunification, return, etc.

5) prevent segregation and ghettoization of migrant communities.

6) lower the cost for legal pathways and officially transferred remittances

7)support migrants’ actor hood and engagement (migrant protection rights monitors, ambassadors for migrants’ rights)

8) address issues of psychological and mental health assistance for all migrants who experienced violence and trauma, including the follow up support for second generations who are often more vulnerable due to long-term PTSD experienced as a child or due to failed integration process.  

  • Use your resources and political capital to work with mis/disinformation about migration, migrants, address hard questions about security, racism, xenophobia, engage in honest direct dialogue with your citizens who are concerned about migration. Don’t leave migration agenda for the populists and right-wing parties. Recognize that you need labour migration, explain it, and prepare for it.
  • Migrants are not a homogenous group, ensure that the rights and needs of specific groups are also included in policies, e.g. students, older people, children, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities .

INTERNATIONALLY

  • usually, people are trying other options to improve their wellbeing before choosing to migrate, support more alternative solutions in their own communities and countries of origin.
  • Hold governments accountable for violating the rights of their citizens and using coercion and violence to push people to move.
  • engage regional organisations into migration governance as this is the most common level of migration.
  • start implementing responses to mobility in context of climate and environmental challenges – both for potential internal displacement and international movement of people.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 08, 2021
Helen Dempster

Moderator 

It would be good to see more stocktaking documents, beyond the country reviews. What does "good practice" look like under each of the objectives, and which countries are leading the way? Some countries may be interested in progressing but are unsure of what others are attempting / learning in this area.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 14, 2021
Josephine Schmiereck

Moderator 

  • Through its various migration-related projects around the world, GIZ is committed to creating secure and dignified life prospects for people in partner countries, e.g. through sustainable economic development, employment promotion, and the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. In addition, the GIZ approach to migration also aims at expanding opportunities for safe and regular labour migration.
  • Against this backdrop, GIZ contributes extensively towards achieving the GCM objectives under review. Gateways for implementing these goals are, most notably, the BMZ-funded programmes “Migration and Diaspora” (PMD), “Migration for Development” (PME), “Partnership Approaches for Development-Oriented Training and Labor Migration” (PAM), and “Human mobility in the context of climate change”.
  • PMD offers tailored advisory services for partner countries on the successful implementation of the GCM, for example through multi-stakeholder dialogues or training courses for development-oriented migration.
  • In order to provide solutions for skills mismatched in international migration, GIZ develops skills partnerships approaches through its BMZ-funded project PAM. The project aims to increase the quality of vocational training and supports the recognition of foreign vocational training qualification in Germany. It promotes mobility schemes for vocational training and labour migration and cooperates with companies, public authorities, academia and civil society in partner countries and in Germany. It also prepares participants for vocational training or labour migration to Germany.
  • Through the BMZ- and EU-funded programme “Towards a Holistic Approach to Labour Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in North Africa” (THAMM), GIZ is shaping safe, development-oriented labour migration and mobility between North Africa and Europe.
  • GIZ has built up internationally recognised beacons with its advisory centres for jobs, migration and reintegration in 13 partner countries. They support returnees in sustainable reintegration, identify job prospects for the local population and advise those interested in regular migration.
  • At a continental level, GIZ supports the African Union on migration and displacement with the objective of achieving better governance of labour and skills mobility in Africa. Supporting a gender-sensitive migration approach plays a particularly important role here. At a regional level, GIZ also contributes to strengthened capacities of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its member states to advance understanding of climate-induced migration and improve regional migration policies in the Horn of Africa.
  • Throughout all these programmes, the cooperation with academia, civil society, diaspora and the private sector is of fundamental importance.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 23, 2021
Cristina Rapone
  • FAO developed knowledge products to understand better the drivers and patterns of rural migration. Main publications can be consulted here,  https://www.fao.org/publications/highlights-detail/en/c/1365372/
  • FAO worked with governments and stakeholders to address the adverse drivers of migration in rural areas at global, regional and country levels. Examples of FAO's work included agribusiness training for prospective migrants, incubation and support to generate decent employment opportunities and set-up micro-small enterprises, and training on climate smart agriculture in countries such as Kenya, Senegal, Nepal, Uganda, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Zimbabwe. Resources from projects can be consulted here, https://www.fao.org/rural-employment/work-areas/migration/en/
  • FAO also worked to increase the capacities of rural stakeholders to integrate migration into policies and programmes through dedicated regional workshops, development of guidance tools on mainstreaming migration in rural development programmes and e-learning on the protection of migrant workers in agriculture. See FAO migration toolbox, https://www.fao.org/rural-employment/toolbox/module-6-migration/en/
  • As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, FAO increased advocacy and policy support to countries to address the needs and vulnerabilities of migrants working in agri-food systems as well as of household members remained in rural communities of origin. A number of policy briefs can be consulted here, https://www.fao.org/migration/en/

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 30, 2021
Timo Schmidt

In response to ‘what more can be done to achieve the objectives going forward’ as well as the point raised by Lidia to ‘start implementing responses to mobility in context of climate and environmental challenges’, it is key to support Member States and GCM stakeholders in their voluntary monitoring and reporting efforts under the Regional Reviews as well as the development of the Repository of Practices. 

To this end, the GCM baseline mapping project of the UN Network on Migration’s Thematic Priority 4 on Climate Change and Migration aims to establish a preliminary baseline on relevant policy instruments and practices supporting the implementation of GCM commitments related to addressing human mobility challenges in disaster and climate change contexts. This exercise will establish a preliminary baseline that can serve as a basis for future monitoring and reporting in this field, in particular regarding Objectives 2 and 5 addressed in the context of this roundtable. The mapping can also support the identification of policy instruments and effective practices from country practices that then can be scaled-up and replicated elsewhere.  

Partners to the project have already developed an analytical framework with indicators for relevant GCM commitments (which was also shared for review with stakeholders of Thematic Priority 4), and we are now conducting data collection that will feed into a global database and a baseline mapping report to be published ahead of the IMRF.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 18, 2022
Jill Goldenziel

Much more can be done to educate the public about issues related to human trafficking, human smuggling, and sea slavery. Governments, stakeholders, and the UN itself should do more to engage journalists and work on messaging and education campaigns to engage the public in working together to expose and eradicate these evils.  Journalists can drive the narrative surrounding migration and ensure that it does not slip from the headlines.

More can be done to engage academics worldwide to evaluate the GCM. Thousands of academic articles and dissertation topics can emanate from the GCM if the UNNM would more thoroughly engage with academics.  Academics can also help engage local communities and civil society in the implementation of the GCM.  Academics can help design effective messaging campaigns and other programs to help implement the GCM’s objectives. While the UNNM is already increasing its outreach to academics, more can be done to enhance the visibility of the GCM and to engage academics to evaluate its objectives.  Holding one or more conferences for academics interested in the GCM, for example, would help with visibility and outreach.

--Professor Jill Goldenziel (Academic Council on the UN System) and Professor Kevin Cope (University of Virginia School of Law, USA)

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 19, 2022
Migration Netw…

3. What emerging and priority challenges related to the objectives would you like to see the Roundtable address?

3. Quels sont les enjeux émergents et primordiaux liés aux objectifs que vous aimeriez voir aborder lors de la table ronde ?

3. ¿Qué desafíos emergentes y prioritarios relacionados con los objetivos le gustaría que abordara la Mesa Redonda?

Nov 25, 2021
Spanish Commis…

Migraciones climáticas. Prospección de flujos, magnitud y alcance de nuevos movimientos migratorios por motivos climáticos y ambientales y su vinculación con la tendencia alcista de personas migrantes; garantía de protección independientemente del estatus migratorio. Avanzar hacia una interpretación amplia de la Convención de Ginebra de 1951 para incluir la protección hacia las personas desplazadas forzosamente por razones climáticas.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 03, 2021
Kate Barth

Moderator 

The roundtable should discuss concrete ways in which States can promote migrants’ right to freedom of association and assembly through dismantling both the legal and the practical barriers.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 04, 2021
Paul Tacon

Kate Barth Thanks for all your inputs on freedom of association, this is clearly a central issue for empowering migrants to enjoy decent work and safe, orderly and regular labour migration. Would you have any specific recommendations on what ways freedom of association for migrants can be strengthened?

In reply to by Kate Barth

Dec 06, 2021
Fambaye Ndoye

 la table ronde devra aussi aborder :

1.la question de la régularisation des travailleurs migrants qui ont passé toute leur vie active dans les pays d'accueil en cotisant dans le système de sécurité sociale( dès fois sous un nom d'emprunt)

2. la question du retour volontaire et la réintégration au niveau des pays d'origine(l'accompagnement financier et social font souvent défaut mettant ainsi la personne dans une situation de précarité)

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 07, 2021
Dr Lidia Kuzemska

Moderator 

Development and protection of migrants’ rights should be a priority implemented with whole-of-government approach. GMC stresses the need to maintain the rule of law, ensure migrants are given access to due process and are not put arbitrarily into detention. Securatization and weaponization of migrants prevent implementation of GMC that aims ‘to generate greater predictability and certainty for States, communities and migrants alike’

 

  • No one is illegal; crossing the border irregularly does not make a person a criminal – detainable, deportable, and dehumanized, denied dignified options and treatment.
     
  • Migration is not a warfare. Migrants are not or weapon. We need to distinguish migrants and their rights/needs/obligations from other networks that capitalize on migration.
     
  • Make pushbacks, detention centres, torture, and purposeful targeting of migrants legally punishable not only for criminal networks, but to those who overuse their power throughout the migration cycle.
     
  • Stop migration detention and ‘offshoring’ migrants.
     
  • Make procedures and information about migration options and procedures accessible and available for migrants (in their language, via accessible means of communication, early in their migration cycle).

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 08, 2021
Helen Dempster

Moderator 

- The increasing securitization and digitalization of migration - where is this heading?

- The disjointed balance seen in many high-income countries between needing migrants but espousing anti-immigrant rhetoric.

- The complex nature of skills and qualifications - how can we move beyond the low vs high skill dichotomy?

- New players in the sending / receiving country scene (e.g. China)

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 14, 2021
Josephine Schmiereck

Moderator 

  • The roundtable should address potential backlashes in regional/continental/international migration governance due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, for example in the context of the ratification of the AU Free Movement Protocol.
     
  • The negative effects of climate change on migration movements will further intensify in the future. While there are first experiences on how to approach the phenomenon in a holistic way, the roundtable should address this challenge and promote the exchange of lessons learned. The roundtable should also enable an exchange on available data on current and expected climate induced migration as well as on methodological challenges, and address how framework conditions can be improved to increase capacities of migration policies to cope with the impacts of climate change.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 23, 2021
Cristina Rapone

Moderator 

  • Investing in food systems and improving food security and access to healthy diets to address the adverse drivers of rural migration and generate resilient, sustainable and inclusive livelihood opportunities in rural areas, with particular attention to youth and women.
  • Identifying alternative livelihood options in rural areas of origin to cope with the continued COVID-19 pandemic situation and mobility restrictions.
    • Providing agri-business training and incubation services to enhance employability and create opportunities in agri-food systems along value chains.
    • Supporting the development of green jobs and green enterprises, and better integrating rural farmers into value chains, to enhance the viability of rural agricultural livelihoods and reduce the need for migration.
    • Supporting the needs of women, young people and other marginalised groups, who often face structural constraints in accessing resources, decision-making, financial services and extension advice.
  • Better matching of labour supply and demand, accounting for skills needs and the seasonality of the demand for agricultural labour, to help govern migration flows. Improved coordination and collaboration between governments in countries of origin and destination, for instance, through the creation of seasonal migration schemes that facilitate regular, orderly and legal migration, as well as ensure that migrants’ rights are upheld and protected in the country of destination.
  • Enhanced engagement of local public authorities, CSOs and private partners (trade unions, farmers’ and producers’ organizations) in countries of destination with  seasonal migration schemes with a view to ensuring migrant workers’ access to services (orientation services, job safety training, occupational safety and health, intercultural mediation, legal assistance/ representation, transport, housing and healthcare) and decent work conditions.
  • Maximising the benefits and wins of migration throughout the migration cycle for migrant workers and their families. At destination, support the development of transferable skills (e.g. language skills/ soft skills, technical knowledge, practical skills and competencies). Upon return to their countries of origin, support migrants with the transfer and translation of attained skills and experiences for improving rural livelihoods (e.g., developing climate-smart agricultural practices, setting up green enterprises).

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 30, 2021
Jill Goldenziel

The Roundtable should discuss minimizing adverse drivers in the context of a situation like the humanitarian crisis that has occurred since the US withdrew from Afghanistan. The US announced its withdrawal in the Spring of 2021, giving the UN and the international community months to prepare for what was sure to be a humanitarian crisis and a wave of internal displacement and forced migration as the government increasingly began to fall to the Taliban. The international community did not act preemptively, and now illegal migration from Afghanistan is a growing humanitarian and security concern.  The international community should consider a mechanism to preemptively respond to large forced migrations that affect international peace and security. Goldenziel (2017) discusses the formation of such a mechanism in the context of people fleeing war and violence.  A similar mechanism can be used anticipatorily in situations like the world just saw in Afghanistan, when a migration crisis was brewing for some time–and when large outflows are likely for the foreseeable future.  Such a mechanism might also be used to allow the international community respond to migration issues related to the next global public health crisis by having a migration response plan in place before the next pandemic breaks out. 

--Professor Jill Goldenziel (Academic Council on the UN System) and Professor Kevin Cope (University of Virginia School of Law, USA)

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 19, 2022
Migration Netw…

2. What emerging trends, progress and innovations, related to the GCM objectives under review, do you think should be highlighted?

These could include trends or issues to highlight as positive experiences to enhance and expand, such as new and innovative tools, partnerships and means of implementation at any level, including local, national, regional and global. Please share any relevant documents, reports or data here.

2. Quelles sont les tendances émergentes, les progrès et les innovations liés aux objectifs de table ronde qui devraient être mis en évidence ? 
Il peut s'agir de tendances ou d’enjeux à souligner comme opportunités pour améliorer et développer des outils, des partenariats et des moyens de mise en œuvre innovants aux niveaux local, national, régional et global.

2. ¿Qué tendencias emergentes, avances e innovaciones cree Usted que deberían destacarse con respecto a los objetivos que están siendo revisados? 
Estas podrían incluir tendencias a destacar, como experiencias positivas que podrían servir como ejemplo, como herramientas y partenariados nuevos e innovadores, en cualquier nivel, incluyendo el local, nacional, regional y global.

Nov 25, 2021
Kate Barth

Moderator 

As discussed in the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on migrants and freedom of association (see UN Doc. A/HRC/44/42, para 35) a number of countries have implemented good practices that support migrants’ ability to associate and assembly freely. These examples include a Spanish law that provides that foreign nationals have the right to organize freely or to join an occupational organization and to exercise the right to strike under the same conditions as Spanish workers; a Turkish Act eliminating the citizenship requirement for trade union founders and provided for the possibility for non-Turkish citizens to become founding union members; Korean jurisprudence that opened up the way for the recognition of a migrant workers’ trade union in the country; and a memorandum of understanding between trade unions in Nepal and Jordan that ensured adequate protection of Nepalese garment workers in Jordan and their participation in elections to the Federation board.

However, in many States migrant workers’ right to associate is increasingly under threat (see UN Doc. A/HRC/44/42, paras 44-59). Migrants have lower levels of unionization than native workers because they face additional limitations both in law and in practice. For instance, with respect to legal barriers, certain States bar migrants from joining trade unions, restrict migrants’ ability to form or hold office in a trade union or otherwise deny them full rights to engage in union activities. Some countries exclude large sectors dominated by migrant workers, such as agriculture, construction, seafood or domestic work, from existing legal protections for union activities. Other countries restrict trade union membership to workers in the formal sector, which excludes large sectors of migrant workers. Many States also exclude export processing zones from national legislation protecting labour organization, which disproportionately restricts the association rights of migrant workers, who constitute a large part of the workforce in such zones. With respect to practical barriers, trade unions may not have the resources to reach out to migrants and certain migrant workers, like maritime workers or domestic workers, find it difficult to organize because of their isolated, informal workplaces.  Language differences may also prove a formidable barrier. Concern over loss of status, deportation or placement in a detention camp also dissuades migrants from organizing in a way that they fear might place them at odds with the authorities. This is even more the case where a migrant’s status depends on a restrictive visa regime that allows officials broad discretion in visa cancellation. Private employers may erect barriers to migrant workers organizing though hindering union organizers’ access to migrant workers or retaliating against migrants who attempt to organize.

This trend is particularly problematic given the central importance of trade unions in protecting the rights of migrant workers through: collective bargaining for fair wages and labour conditions; creating a forum for discussion with employers; delivering safe migration training; acting as trusted information sources for migrants; encouraging bilateral cooperation, facilitating complaint processes; or addressing recruitment agency abuses.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 04, 2021
Dr Lidia Kuzemska

Moderator 

Policies and negotiations about migration should be based on facts, not fears. Only 3.6% of world population are migrants. Together with their families and dependent networks (employers, employees, connected professions) migration affects at least a tenth of world population. Migration and migrants are entangled into a rhizome of social processes at different levels. It is difficult to evaluate to what extent local and national ethnic, political, religious, climate, economic or simply personal or family circumstances play decisive role in migration decisions and actions. Only research can give us a strong ground for evidence-based working solutions.

 

  • use academic knowledge, practitioners’ knowledge, and migrants’ knowledge to make decisions based on long-term observations, comparisons, research; fears and misconceptions about migration will only complicate situation in the future.
     
  • act on collected and analysed data; use it to correct policies and receive feedback from the implementation actors and migrants.
     
  • use mixed data, both quantitative and qualitative. Acknowledge and use extensive amount of already existing qualitative data (observations, interviews, focus-groups, narrative and discourse analysis, ethnographic knowledge, social media analysis, oral history) with combination of big data, statistics, surveys. Hear both stories and their context, hear individuals speaking on behalf of wider groups.
     
  • Consult migrants, relevant NGOs, create migrant ambassadors in ministries and offices, outsource what’s possible to relevant NGOs and include private sector (integration programs, employment schemes).

 

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 08, 2021
Helen Dempster

Moderator 

The role that demographics, economic growth, and labor shortages are playing / will play in the future. More migration is certain, it's just down to how it's managed.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 14, 2021
Josephine Schmiereck

Moderator 

 

  • Looking at GCM objectives 2 and 5, intra-regional migration, especially on the African continent, is one important trend. As highlighted in the World Migration Report 2021, the ongoing restrictions of movements in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic have contributed significantly to an increase of migration within regions of origin. Especially on the African continent, labour migration is largely intra-regional – 80% of labour migrants move within their region or between regions on the continent. The consolidation of safe and regular South-South migration corridors to neighbouring labour markets in the search for a job and better wages is therefore of increasing relevance to achieve the GCM objective 5. In addition, the largest share of international climate-induced migration takes place within regions of origin.
     
  • Considering GCM objectives 6 and 18, the increasing demand for well-qualified labour and the competition for skilled workforce from developing countries should be highlighted during the roundtable, especially with the aim of promoting genuine partnership models that allow mutually beneficial labour migration. This trend has become particularly clear in the health sector during the ongoing pandemic.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 23, 2021
Timo Schmidt

It would be good to link this discussion to the Regional Joint Programme on ‘Addressing Drivers and Facilitating Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in the Contexts of Disasters and Climate Change in the IGAD Region’, funded under the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund. Among others, the Joint Programme aims at identifying policies and practices to reduce disaster displacement risk in the IGAD region and on developing risk profiles and a modelling tool to guide policy decision-making in this field. This work will ultimately support one of the main objectives of the Joint Programme, which is to develop innovative solutions to addressing data gaps in the IGAD region. It is also a useful experience to highlight in terms of partnerships, as the work is aligned with similar projects in the region (e.g. with GIZ) for which teams are coordinating their efforts. 

To use lessons drawn from the Joint Programme - Pacific Climate Change Migration and Human Security (PCCMHS) Programme, would also support the discussion and the review process of these GCM objectives. 

This conversation could then also better capture the exchange on available data and capacity-building in this field, as per Josephine’s comment under Question 3.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 18, 2022
Jill Goldenziel

The U.S. Government’s May 2021 Call to Action to stimulate economic development in Central America in order to address adverse drivers of migration should be studied closely and perhaps discussed at the Roundtable. The Call to Action has generated $1.2 billion in investment by business and social enterprises to sustainably address the root causes of migration by promoting economic opportunity.  Those organizations involved include major multi-national corporations like Microsoft and Mastercard, Guatemala-based Grupo Mariposa, and also CARE international.  While the U.S. has not signed the GCM, it now supports the approach of the GCM.  This program should be closely watched because it exemplifies the type of program the GCM likses to promote: involving public-private partnerships and NGOs to create innovative solutions to address adverse drivers of migration.  Many stakeholders, including the U.S. government and many academics, will be very interested in whether this program will succeed.  Lessons learned from the program will surely be useful for other initiatives seeking to address root causes of migration by promoting economic opportunity. 

--Professor Jill Goldenziel (Academic Council on the UN System) and Professor Kevin Cope (University of Virginia School of Law, USA)

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 19, 2022
Laurel Townhead

Interesting to read in the background paper about integration of migration into development plans and other planning processes such as including mobility in climate strategies and emergency response plans. As well as to read examples of review of national policy and practice.  We would welcome more reporting from States and reflection in the background document on the value and benefits of participatory policy development processes. Specifically, how are planning processes and policy development drawing on the expertise and experience of migrants.

The UNNM guidance on GCM implementation emphasises consultative processes (https://migrationnetwork.un.org/core-working-group-22-gcm-national-impl…

Our briefing paper contains principles and enabling actions towards meaningful participation by migrants in GCM Implementation at a national and local level. https://quno.org/resource/2021/12/delivering-promise-gcm-migration-just…

To give one concrete example related to this cluster of objectives: as governments seek to build on the examples of expansion of regular we encourage them to do so through participatory processes, for example, by engaging migrant-led organisations in the process for drafting and reviewing in relation to bilateral labour agreements. 

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Feb 08, 2022
Migration Netw…

1. What are the key priorities that should shape discussions and best highlight the issues covered by this Roundtable?

1. Selon vous, quelles sont les questions clés qui devraient orienter les discussions de la table ronde sur les sujets mentionnés dans la brève description ci-dessus?

1. ¿Cuáles son las prioridades clave que deberían orientar a las discusiones y resaltar mejor los temas cubiertos por esta Mesa Redonda? 

Nov 25, 2021
Spanish Commis…

En relación al principio general primero que indica que "nadie debe ser obligado a abandonar su país de origen debido a factores ajenos a su control", el rechazo de la condicionalidad de la ayuda en el marco de la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo, de manera que esta quede desvinculada de todas instrumentalización al servicio de las políticas migratorias y/o de refugio de los países donantes o del Norte Global desarrollado; garantizándose una "eficacia de la ayuda" centrada en la lucha contra las causas de la pobreza y el subdesarrollo; cuestión que a su vez impacta positivamente en la reducción de la migración irregular por motivos económicos, así como en la reducción de las causas profundas de la migración forzada.

Es necesario garantizar que los países receptores de la ayuda estén respetando los derechos humanos a la hora de adoptar sus políticas migratorias y/o de refugio.

No debe condicionarse dicha ayuda al desarrollo a la implementación de ningún tipo de política migratoria o de refugio en general, incluidas las políticas o medidas de gestión y control de fronteras con carácter particular.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 03, 2021
Monika Peruffo UNDP

Muchas gracias Miguel Hernández por su contribución.

Para comprender mejor su comentario, ¿está sugiriendo eliminar la condicionalidad de la ayuda internacional para el desarrollo de la puesta en marcha de políticas de migración o refugio, pero mantener la condicionalidad entre esa ayuda y el respeto por los derechos humanos de los migrantes?

In reply to by Spanish Commis…

Dec 08, 2021
Kate Barth

Moderator 

This roundtable should discuss the importance of promoting and protecting migrants’ civic freedoms, in particular the freedoms of association and assembly, both as a precondition for the successful realization of GCM objectives and because States are bound to implement the GCM in ways that respect human rights (see GCM, paras 2, 15). It would be difficult, for instance, to achieve Objective 6 without the assistance of labor unions representing migrant workers’ collective interests—a fact that is recognized in the GCM itself (see GCM para. 22(i)). Migrants’ inability to organize and speak in their own interests is a major obstacle to decent work and migrant safety, well-being and regularization. As laid out in in a recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants: “the inability of migrants to exercise their right to freedom of association has a serious effect on their leverage to change the conditions of employment or other social conditions that entrench poverty, fuel inequality and limit democracy.” (see UN Doc. A/HRC/44/42, para 27).

The roundtable should consider ways that States can realize these GCM objectives through removing the obstacles that prevent migrants from organizing and speaking in their own interests.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 04, 2021
Dr Lidia Kuzemska

Moderator 

  • consider migration as part of wider socio-economic processes, hence, the priority would be to increase security and prosperity around the globe to give people a chance not to migrate if they don’t have or don’t want to;
     
  • maintain open dialogue about what stops countries and governments from implementing GCM? Does implementing GCM conflate with other competing agendas (climate/COVID/internal issues)? How does GMC ‘fit’ within national priorities currently on the table?
     
  • regard migration as part of both short-term and long-term priorities of their countries/regions (labour power, demographics, diversity, peace), reflect on how can migration help or hinder these priorities?
     
  • consider how to reframe migration to make it less politically toxic topic? Pure humanitarianism (let all vulnerable in), pure pragmatism (let’s choose suitable workers and let them in) or pure nationalism (no foreigners should be allowed in) are not the best solutions. Difficult dialogue with partners and heated discussions with critiques are inevitable. None of the migration solutions/policies will not make everyone satisfied, but they need to be publicly debated that people know that their voices (pro/against/undecided) were heard.
     
  • keep in mind that migration is messy, complex, and adaptable. Easy ‘solutions’ are utopia. Visas, border walls, artificial intelligence, surveillance and even troops on the border line will not stop people looking for better life. They are driven by dreams and hopes which cannot be policed or fences from them. Some might give up, but not all of them will stop trying despite the dangers and costs.
     
  • recognize that migration and migration governance will never be perfect. They will always have some degree of ad-hoc decisions, messiness, and complexity that no policy can predict. BUT migration can be approach from ‘win-win’ perspective that will benefit both host and sending countries, migrants and their host communities/employers.
     
  • Migration should be a choice, not a last chance. GMC stresses that ‘migration should never be an act of desperation’. Migration does not have to be unidirectional, once and for all life, permanent and settled. Migrant lives are human lives and human lives are messy. Migration policies can be flexible and humane without compromising on structuring the set of migrants’ rights, obligations and making clear procedures.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 08, 2021
Helen Dempster

Moderator 

The comment above from Lidia is fantastic.

I would say:

- Exploring how demographics, economic growth, and labor shortages are playing a role in how countries expand their immigration policies. Where are innovations taking place, what are we learning from these, and what does the future hold?

- Moving beyond the economic migrant vs refugee dichotomy, to recognize the multiple drivers as to why someone moves, and the fact that their status could change throughout their journey.

- Identifying where countries / regions have attempted to facilitate migration as a climate change adaptation strategy and what lessons can be learned from this in encouraging others to do the same.

- Understanding what people think about refugees and migrants, and attempting to engage with the public on these issues and educate them about the benefits of migrants and refugees.

- Doing a better job of comparing experiences across regions and breaking out of silos. What can be learned from other contexts / what's replicable?

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 14, 2021
Josephine Schmiereck
  • With the guiding principle of leaving no one behind in mind, the overarching aim of this roundtable should be to discuss the potential of regular migration for sustainable development, while reducing adverse drivers that force people to leave their home (including those related to climate change) as well as the risks and dangers of migration.
     
  • The discussion should focus on a triple win approach to migration, which benefits countries of origin, destination countries and migrants alike. Therefore, the roundtable should adopt a partnership-oriented approach, in which the perspectives of various stakeholders are heard, including from the private sector, diaspora, civil society and academia.
     
  • Further key priorities for consideration are the need to come up with regular migration models that prevent brain-drain as well as the necessity to share best practices on development-oriented regular migration schemes like skills partnerships. These require further coordination as well as deepened bilateral and regional agreements.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 23, 2021
Cristina Rapone

Moderator 

  • The drivers of migration are often interrelated. To make migration a choice it is key to address the adverse drivers of rural migration in a holistic way, including poverty, food insecurity, inequality, lack of decent employment opportunities, limited infrastructure and access to markets and services. Attention should be paid to territorial development, intermediary cities and resilient, sustainable and inclusive food systems
  • Fostering decent work opportunities in the rural economy and in agri-food systems, particularly for rural youth and women, and stimulating diversification is one of the key elements. Large shares of migrants come from rural areas, and many migrate in steps, first to cities and then abroad.
  • Addressing the immediate needs and vulnerabilities of rural residents, including households reliant on remittances, while also investing in medium-to-long-term socio-economic development objectives, to allow those who want to stay in rural areas build sustainable livelihoods. In particular, addressing underlying structural and institutional factors that produce and reproduce vulnerability and inequality in rural areas.
  • Recognising the role and potential of migration as an adaptation strategy in the context of changing climate and environmental conditions. Mainstreaming climate-related considerations into migration policies and governance is particularly important for rural areas that are highly exposed to environmental degradation and the negative effects of climate change. Conducting climate risk assessments, developing climate risks profiles, supporting the development of climate-smart agriculture and strategies for climate change adaptation/mitigation should be integral to the design of migration policies and interventions.
  • Improving coherence and coordination between policies concerning migration, climate change, adaptation, food security and agriculture across different levels of governance (sub-national, national, regional, global) is key to facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration while also maximising the benefits of migration for adaptation and development in places of origin and destination. Rural stakeholders, including relevant ministries and stakeholders such as producers’ organizations, should be capacitated and involved in multistakeholder dialogue processes to ensure migration policies and programmes reflect food security and food systems concerns and vice versa.
  • Providing decent work conditions (protection and access to labour rights such equal treatment, trade union rights, ethical recruitment, opportunities for skills development and recognition, income security, occupational safety and health,  social protection coverage and portability of benefits) for migrants working in the rural economy to ensure that the migration experience is positive for migrants and host communities and does not exacerbate vulnerability and inequality. Attention should be given also to seasonal workers employed in agri-food systems, and to the development of migration schemes that protect workers and respond timely to the needs of the agricultural sectors (crop, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) to ensure safe and regular migration pathways.  

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Dec 30, 2021
Timo Schmidt

Here are a few further reflections on this question in addition to the remarks made by colleagues:

There are clearly a range of priority issues that will fall under this roundtable discussion, many of which are interrelated and should be addressed holistically. More specifically:

  • Environmental degradation, desertification, drought and disasters linked to the adverse effects of climate change, such as flooding, drought and other extreme weather events or processes, increasingly compel people to move and the risk of being displaced will likely increase in the years to come in the context of the adverse effects of climate change. Particularly Objective 2 (paragraphs 18.h-18.l) and Objective 5 (paragraph 21.g-21.h) include references to these types of movements, making this roundtable a key opportunity to discuss progress on implementing commitments related to addressing human mobility challenges in disaster and climate change contexts under the GCM.
  • Christina has already highlighted the need to look at strategies to mainstream climate-related considerations into migration policies and governance. We echo this point and further suggest exploring what tools exist to support this process, e.g. the guidance developed on regular pathways for admission and stay for migrants in vulnerable situations (Thematic Working Group 3 of the UN Network on Migration) provides insights on how to alleviate pressure on migrants in disaster and climate change contexts.
  • Several comments have called for developing strategies to enhance the adaptive capacity of migration in disaster and climate change contexts, as for example mentioned under Obj. 2 paragraph 18(i). While this is indeed a priority, we also know that resources to stay and adapt are scarce and - in short - that there are limits to adaptation and risk reduction ad infinitum and in situations of extreme environmental degradation. As people continue being compelled to move in climate change and disaster contexts, we must therefore also work across policy frameworks outside the GCM (via GCR, UNFCCC, Sendai etc.) in protecting their rights, responding to their needs and preparing for challenges in the future.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 18, 2022
Jill Goldenziel

Creating evidence-based, data-driven policies and effectively measuring the role of the GCM in promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration will be crucial to achieve the GCM’s objectives. Over the last two decades, social scientists have developed increasingly sophisticated methods for evaluating how treaties – especially human rights and humanitarian treaties – impact actual conditions in member states (e.g., Cope et al. 2020; Lupu 2013, Simmons 2009). These studies have contributed to a related line of research that has questioned if, and under what conditions, international institutions truly matter to policy outcomes. This research has also contributed to a new interest among policymakers, civil society, and scholars about how different international institutional design features succeed or fail in affecting state behavior (e.g., Koremenos 2016). Many of the methods used to measure human rights treaties’ impact can likely be used to similar ends for the GCM.

Because the effects of international institutions can lag well behind their implementation, it is often impossible to measure those effects until several years have passed. The GCM was officially endorsed just over four years ago, and so we may be just now approaching the time where we can observe any domestic and transnational impacts it may have had. 

To be sure, some of the GCM’s objectives lend themselves to empirical analysis better than others. For instance, some of the objectives, like #5 (“Enhance availability and flexibility of pathways for regular migration”) are likely too vague to measure meaningfully. In contrast, some other GCM-relevant trends are fairly amenable to cross-country observation. For example, considering objective #20 (“Promote faster, safer and cheaper transfer of remittances and foster financial inclusion of migrants”), it is likely possible to collect systematic data on if and how much barriers to remittances are decreasing.

Regardless, evaluating the GCM’s observable policy successes and failures will be critical both to the institution’s short-term credibility, and to its ultimate success. As with all governance and other endeavors generally, understanding how one has succeeded and failed is a prerequisite to developing more effective policy.

--Professor Jill Goldenziel (Academic Council on the UN System) & Professor Kevin Cope (University of Virginia School of Law, USA)

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 19, 2022
Neha Misra
  • Regular pathways must be developed hand in hand with regularization of the undocumented, climate change responses, and humanitarian needs. The labor movement is calling for a new approach to migration that centers long-term regular pathways around the human rights of migrants, breaking down the artificial separation between refugee/asylum-seekers on the one hand, and migrants on the other. All people on the move have rights and should have regular pathways, regardless of the incoherent categories created by migration systems. In their efforts to promote regular pathways, states should focus on restoring and expanding humanitarian resettlement options, rather than misdirecting desperate migrants into flawed and abusive temporary labor migration programs. 
  • And decent work must be the driving principle for development - with an emphasis on the creation of decent work in origin countries so that migration is a choice and not an economic necessity - and ensuring that all regular pathways meet decent work criteria so that workers and their families that move across borders do so with full respect of their agency and humanity.
  • The strategies enacted in response to the Global Compact must protect and empower workers in countries of origin, transit and destination, and produce positive labor market outcomes for all working people, regardless of race, gender, or immigration status. In order to effectively integrate a worker rights lens into policy frameworks, workers need and expect a seat at the table as these policies are being developed and implemented. We have had enough of siloed, ineffective tweaks to an unjust migration system, and instead call for policy coherence that incorporates migration governance into broader economic, social, racial and gender justice initiatives. The new social contract called for by the global labor movement is an excellent frame for this.
  • We must recognize that a worker is a worker is a worker. All workers, regardless of their migration status, of whether the are in the informal or formal economy, whether they identify as male or female, whether they are Black or brown, whether they are identified as asylum seekers or refugees, economic migrants or a mix of all of the above must be treated the same under the protection of labor laws, and in particular we must move beyond the flawed language in the global compact and instead adhere to the ILO principle that ALL workers have the freedom of association, right to organize and collectively bargain. Workers agency to have a say in migration processes and their wages and working conditions must be recognized fully and without condition. 
  • States must put more emphasis on access to justice mechanisms for ALL workers - including migrant workers, refugees who work and asylum seekers, and the undocumented. Wage theft among migrants has always been a major problem, and it has become even more rampant during the pandemic. Fair wages are a fundamental part of the employment relationship, and we can no longer accept the practice of wage theft to be practiced with impunity. 
  • States must also ensure social protection for all migrants. We have been saying this for decades and the global pandemic has provided more than enough evidence of why this is so crucial.
  • And states must eliminate the use of temporary (circular, sponsorship, or guest-worker) labor migration programs that systematically and structurally expose migrant workers to exploitation by recruiters, employers and others. Temporary migration programs should not be used as a solution to labor shortages, humanitarian crisis, climate change, or irregular migration.
  • Given that serious humanitarian concerns gave rise to the GCM, implementation strategies should prioritize regularization schemes and rights-based channels—which allow migrants the freedom to move, settle, work, and fully participate in society—over expanding temporary or circular work programs. States should promote regular migration pathways that ensure full worker rights, facilitate social and family cohesion, and provide options for permanent residence and meaningful participation in civic life. 

 

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Jan 28, 2022
Kristin Eitel, IOM

Moderator 

It is well documented that with the right enabling conditions – as outlined in the GCM – migration contributes to positive development outcomes in countries of origin, transit, and destination.

COVID-19 has exacerbated inequalities and set us even further back when it comes to our progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. The reduction of regular pathways resulting from the pandemic increases the risks of people moving through irregular and unsafe means, further entrenching inequalities. Safe and regular migration pathways must therefore be considered more clearly as part of the solution to comprehensively addressing the drivers of migration. As climate-related disasters and environmental degradation add to these drivers in new and increasingly complex ways, the need for safe and regular pathways recognized in the GCM provides an opportunity to integrate migration into climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies.

Whilst adverse factors negatively impact mobility outcomes and require to be addressed and mitigated, other factors are more positively related to people’s search for opportunities of human development and should be enhanced in migration and sustainable development policy frameworks. We must therefore insist upon comprehensive and contextualized understanding of the drivers of migration that better connect our efforts to enhance the availability and flexibility of pathways for regular migration with those to minimize the adverse drivers and structural factors that compel people to move, ensuring that the rights and dignity of migrants are respected and maximizing the contributions of migration to sustainable development.

The IMRF provides us with a critical opportunity to do this; an opportunity that we cannot miss if we are to realize the vision set forth by the GCM and the 2030 Agenda.

In reply to by Migration Netw…

Feb 12, 2022
Nkiru Perpetua Duru

To enhance voluntary, safe and regular migration, there is need to discourage visa restriction to developing countires and a more friendly global visa process for intending migrants. This measure in no way should under rate the skill development and skill recognition of migrants. The world is a global village so as such migrants who wish to explore opporturnities outside his/her home country should be given the opporturnity and not making obtaining visa a hectic task. 

Nov 29, 2021
Fambaye Ndoye

pour une migration sûre, ordonnée et régulière, il faut :

1. reconnaitre la migration comme un droit humain universel au regard de l'art13 de la déclaration universelle des droits de l'HOMME

2.rendre accessible les voix légales de migration par une facilitation des procédures d'accès au visas et une réduction des frais

3.Motiver les refus d'octroi de visa pour permettre à la personne de rectifier s'il y a erreur

5.augmenter les accords bilatéraux de main d'oeuvre pour faciliter la mobilité des travailleurs migrants

Dec 07, 2021
Fambaye Ndoye

en ce qui concerne l'accès à un travail décent pour les migrants, il faut :

1. la qualification des travailleurs migrants d'abord dans les pays d'origine ou souvent le système éducatif n'est pas adapté et le formation professionnelle coûte chère

2.l'accès à l'information sur les opportunités d'emploi et à la formation professionnelle continue dans les pays d'accueil

3. la garantie et la protection des droits sociaux(droits fondamentaux du travail) dans les pays de destination(ratification des conventions de l'OIT)

4. des systèmes de protection inclusives dans tous les pays

5. l'implication des partenaires sociaux, syndicats et employeurs lors des négociations des accords de main d'oeuvre ou de sécurité

Dec 07, 2021
Fambaye Ndoye

Paul Tacon 

Comme bonne pratique sur les compétences des migrants par les gouvernements : je salue l'initiative de la Commission économique pour l’Afrique dans le cadre du programme «Statistiques migratoires et reconnaissance des compétences en Afrique» qui concerne 7 pays dont le Mali, le Sénégal, la cote d'ivoire et le Maroc. le 22 sept 2021 à été organisé une rencontre à Dakar avec la présence du Maroc, du Mali et de la Côte d’Ivoire, pour les besoins de la présentation du rapport d’analyse de l’étude portant sur la reconnaissance des compétences des migrants au Sénégal réalisée par la CEA.

Pour les syndicats, comme bonne pratique dans le cadre de l'accès à l'information: je salue l'ouverture des bureaux d'accueil et d'orientation des migrants ouverts au niveau de l'union nationale des syndicats autonomes du Sénégal(UNSAS) et la CNTS dans le cadre de la coopération syndicale avec les CC.OO d'Espagne(seulement à la fin des projets ces bureaux fonctionnent difficilement sans moyens)

In reply to by Paul Tacon

Dec 08, 2021
Paul Tacon

Fambaye Ndoye Merci de votre réponse et de votre engagement continu ! Merci de nous avoir fourni des exemples concrets, qui s'adressent aussi bien aux Etats qu'aux syndicats parties en tant que prenantes, nous les considérerons dans le cadre de nos reflexions autour de cette table ronde. 

In reply to by Fambaye Ndoye

Dec 08, 2021
Kallie Aultman

In order to enhance voluntary, safe and regular migration, it is critical to minimize the adverse drivers of migration and protect those that are most vulnerable to these drivers.  Currently, 83% of all disaster in the last decade were caused by climate- and weather-related disasters, internally displacing 30.7 million people last year alone (IFRC’s World Disasters Report 2020 & Displacement in a Changing Climate).

While most disasters strike without warning, over 20% can be predicted. Therefore, IFRC's our viewpoint, the background paper for Roundtable 1 should address the following:

1). Invest in preparedness, including climate change adaptation and early warning/early action systems at the local level and in a timely manner, by improving the quality of forecasting and ensuring that local communities understand the climate and weather information, how it will impact their lives/livelihoods, and how they must plan.

2). Focus on underlying vulnerabilities that cause climate-related displacement, from building community resilience to supporting planned relocation through engagement and consultation with affected communities.

3). Integrate climate-related displacement into national laws, policies and strategies, including disaster law, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction plans.

Dec 24, 2021
Kallie Aultman

In order to ensure that migrants have access to decent work, it’s important guarantee that migrants are integral members of their communities and have access to basic services. While migrants account for just 3.5% of the global population, they contribute to approximately 9% of global GDP. We now know that the COVID-19 pandemic did not hit everyone equally, and migrants are disproportionally affected (IFRC’s Locked Down and Left Out). Due to the ongoing pandemic and new variants, IFRC believes the background paper should address the following:

1). Ensure all migrants, irrespective of legal status, are included in local and national COVID-19 responses that guarantee access to basic services, including healthcare, housing, food, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial support, education, emergency support and protection services.

2). Ensure all migrants, irrespective of legal status, have effective access to timely, accurate and reliable information on COVID-19 (and any future pandemics) in a language they understand and through accessible dissemination channels.

3). Ensure all migrants, irrespective of legal status, are included in COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination policies and roll-out strategies and have equal access to testing, treatment and vaccines.

4). Ensure all migrants, irrespective of legal status, who have lost their livelihoods and are unable to meet their basic needs are included in pandemic-related socio-economic support (now and in the future).

Dec 24, 2021
Bruno Antunes

Objective 2. Minimize the adverse drivers and structural factors that compel people to leave their country of origin

International trade of goods and services accounted for 29 per cent of developing economies’ gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. This is an underestimation as the contribution of services to exports goes beyond what conventional statistics measure.[1] By contributing to economic development, trade addresses some of the economic drivers of migration. When countries trade more, improvements in productivity and living standards also tend to follow in a virtuous circle towards more sustainable development.[2] The relevance of the economic drivers is supported by the fact that, in 2019, 169 of the 272 million migrants are migrant workers. The number of migrant workers corresponds to 4.9 per cent of the global workforce.[3]

UNCTAD emphasises the importance of labour mobility and free movement of people to foster trade facilitation to reap equal benefits from trade integration. For instance, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is recognized as an opportunity to harmonize and implement freedom of movement policies, and foster the implementation of the ‘Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment’.

In this context, trade promotes migration as a choice and provides a good example on how it is important to consider the mutually reinforcing roles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). IOM and UNCTAD collaborated in producing a toolkit to assist States and stakeholders in leveraging the linkages of trade and migration to minimize the drivers of movement of people. The toolkit aims increasing awareness and supporting the efforts on integrating migration in development policy.[4] This includes, for example, international cooperation efforts of the European Union and other donors.

 

[1] UNCTAD, 2019, Enhancing productive capacity through services. Available at https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/c1mem4d20_en.pdf

[2] UNCTAD, 2018, Economic Development in Africa Report 2018. Migration for Structural Transformation. United Nations, New York and Geneva, Available at https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/aldcafrica2018_en.pdf

[3] ILO, 2021, ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers Results and Methodology, Third edition. Available at https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/…

[4] IOM and UNCTAD, 2021, Private Sector Development and Trade Toolkit. Available at https://eea.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl666/files/documents/private_sec…

Feb 01, 2022
Bruno Antunes

Objective 5. Enhance availability and flexibility of pathways for regular migration

Regular migration can be promoted by economic cooperation and trade agreements. These initiatives, at bilateral, regional and multilateral level provide governance tools that can facilitate pathways for regular migration. Moreover, facilitating movement across borders can provide more secure working conditions for informal cross-border traders and reduce their vulnerability from crossing the border irregularly or suffering income losses from lengthy visa applications.[1] Several trade agreements include measures regarding the temporary movement of natural persons as this is one way in which services can be provided.[2] These measures do not apply to permanent employment but are a relevant instrument to govern a movement of people which can be considered a subset of international migration. These agreements remove barriers to mobility by allowing people that move regularly to provide services and by establishing tools to recognize qualifications or streamline recruitment criteria.[3]

A WTO services waiver provided preferential treatment to least developed countries (LDCs) in several of these measures. These included doubled limits to periods of stay, waived economic needs tests, waived visa fees, and work permits. To further address these trade and mobility barriers, in line with objective 2.18.d of the GCM, countries can extend this preferential treatment and waive qualification requirements in specific situations.[4]

 

[1] UNCTAD, 2021, Economic Development in Africa Report 2021. Reaping the potential benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area for inclusive growth. United Nations, New York and Geneva, Available at https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/aldcafrica2021_en.pdf

[2] The provision of services by people moving to another country is referred to as the Mode 4 of services trade in the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in other agreements. Other modes of services supply include cross-border supply through Mode 1, consumption abroad through Mode 2 and commercial presence through Mode 3.

[3] UNCTAD, 2017, Trade, Migration, and Development in KNOMAD, Handbook for Improving the Production and Use of Migration Data for Development. Available at https://www.knomad.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Handbook%20for%20Imp…

[4] UNCTAD, 2020, Effective market access for least developed countries’ services exports: An analysis of the World Trade Organization services waiver for least developed countries. Available at https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditctncd2019d1_en.pdf

Feb 01, 2022
Bruno Antunes

Objective 18: Invest in skills development and facilitate mutual recognition of skills, qualifications and competences

The most mentioned tools to recognize skills in the GCM, such as labour agreements, have played a central role. Still, the potential to pursue the recognition of skills through trade agreements is relevant and needs to be further considered in GCM-related discussions as an additional option. The recognition of qualifications can enhance trade in services through the movement of natural persons. The economic objective of the trade agreement is aligned with the goal of the migration and development agenda. Policies that address barriers to services trade, such as recognition of qualifications, can improve mobility of people confirming the mutual reinforcement potential of trade and migration policies.[1] As such, trade agreements can potentially generate more support to recognizing qualifications.

 

[1] Information from workshop on recognition of qualifications to facilitate movement of natural persons, organized by UNCTAD with the ACP Secretariat in May 2019. More information available at https://unctad.org/meeting/workshop-recognition-qualifications-facilita…

Feb 01, 2022
Andrew Rose

This IMRF roundtable (and its background paper) could usefully capture the emergence of displaced talent labour mobility pathways as an illustration of an emerging positive state practice.  While they are “complementary pathways” within the nomenclature of the Global Compact on Refugees, they equally represent a recent adaptation of established pathways for regular migration, consistent with Objective 5 of the GCM. The critical objective of displaced talent labour mobility pathways is to connect employers with a talent pool that is often overlooked, and to make skilled migration pathways more open to migrants in situations of vulnerabilities.

Australia has established a pilot programme as an element of our skilled migration programme. The eligibility criteria for a skilled migrant visa have been adapted to make the programme more accessible for the displaced migrant; many of the barriers that forcibly displaced people face when trying to access employer-sponsored skilled migration pathways have been removed, for example, the requirements to have a skills assessment and to prove work experience have been waived. Further information on the Australian pilot is available at Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot Program (homeaffairs.gov.au).

Australia’s key partner in delivering the pilot is Talent Beyond Boundaries or TBB. Further information on TBB’s model for displaced talent labour mobility, as well as its corporate partners and other Member States engaging in pilots, is available on the Talent Beyond Boundaries website.

By promoting this emerging pathway for migrants in situations of vulnerability, other Member States will hopefully be encouraged to follow suit and establish similar pathways for regular migration.

Feb 02, 2022
Spanish Commis…

The Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) is a non-profit civil society organization founded in 1979, working in defense of the right of asylum, promoting migrant´s human rights and the complete development of refugess, stateless persons, asylum seekers and migrants in need of international protection and/or exposed to social exclusion, including those with special needs and/or in vulnerable situation. In Spain, it is important to eliminate the requirements of transit visa for people coming from countries in conflict such as Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Gambia and Cameroon as their populations suffers grave human rights violations and is therefore susceptible of receiving international protection. Family reunification´s requirements needs to be more flexible. In addition, more options for regular and safe pathways will entail a reduction in migrant trafficking, which is another goal within the Global Compact for Migration, as stated in its Objective number 5.

May 19, 2022
Pablo Sebastia…

The GFMD Mayors Mechanism – co-steered by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Mayors Migration Council (MMC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – submits its Position Paper for Roundtable 1.

This paper has been prepared for the 2022 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). It illustrates the contributions and progress of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) toward the implementation objectives of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) under discussion at Roundtable 1 of the IMRF. It proposes recommendations to national governments and international organizations for joint action to advance future progress.

May 31, 2022

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The Hub is a virtual “meeting space” where governments, stakeholders and experts can access and share migration-related information and services. It provides curated content, analysis and information on a variety of topics.

The Hub aims to support UN Member States in the implementation, follow-up and review of the Global Compact for Migration by serving as a repository of existing evidence, practices and initiatives, and facilitating access to knowledge sharing via online discussions, an expert database and demand-driven, tailor-made solutions (launching in 2021).

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Network on Migration and its members. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the discussion do not imply expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations or the United Nations Network on Migration concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).