People often think of migration as a recent phenomenon. However, migration has been a feature of human existence for centuries. Humans have always migrated in groups and as individuals to seek freedom from war and conflict, to escape hunger and poverty, to find new economic opportunities and employment, to flee from religious intolerance or political repression, or even to trade and to travel to new places.
Africa also has a rich history of population movement that pre-dates the colonial period. This included seasonal or circular migration for hunting, agriculture or pastoralism, migration in search of greater security and subsistence, to escape natural disasters and warfare, for trade and pilgrimage. For example, migration from Nigeria during the 17th-18th century was often linked to pilgrimage to religious places in the Arabian Peninsula.
Peoples view of migration is in many cases marred by the problems faced by those migrants who normally leave their homes and got exiled due to problems like war, natural disaster, lack of justice, persecution at home … etc.
Yet such problems are not the only reasons for people to leave their homes and migrate to other places. They may get new and better opportunities that can benefit themselves, the destination country as well as their own family at home and their country too. This migration should be seen differently and needs due attention so as to reap maximum benefit out of it.
Considering the economic and social benefits of this mode of migration, global organizations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other relevant stakeholders have been making efforts to pave the way for effective movement of people from their origins to destination thereby fostering the economic development of countries as well as the progress of human civilization.
As such the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, covering all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner. It is a non-binding document that respects states’ sovereign right to determine who enters and stays in their territory and demonstrates commitment to international cooperation on migration.
Following the adoption of the GCM by the UN General Assembly in December 2018, international organizations and countries have been implementing the provisions so as to realize its mission of creating safe, orderly and regular migration thereby benefiting migrants and both the origin and destination countries. The organziations and implementing coutnries with replicable performance have reviewed their journey thus far. The second regional review of the implementation of the GCM took place here in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
Addressing the review UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said while intra-African migration exceeds outward migration, the steady increase in Africans migrating to Europe, North America, and the Gulf is quite significant.
“Between 2010 and 2020, African emigration surged from 20.3 million to 35.5 million, representing 14.5% of global migration. And with over 20% of Africa’s population between the ages of 15 and 24, and youth unemployment at 60%, the continent faces significant gaps in opportunities for young people.
However, we must also acknowledge the potential within Africa to develop home-grown solutions that can contribute to job creation, economic growth and innovation.
Gatete further remarked that the continent should realize the implementation of five key priority areas to make migration a dynamic force for sustainable development across the African continent. These areas are the mutual recognition of skills and qualifications across African borders, the absence of which is significantly hampering labour mobility and productivity, reforming social security systems across Africa to allow the portability of benefits, so that migrants do not lose access to benefits such as pensions and healthcare upon crossing borders, accelerating the AfCFTA’s implementation to spur greater labour mobility and support economic ambitions, beyond the movement of goods and services, making migration policies integrate climate resilience as climate-induced displacement is increasingly a reality for many in Africa, as well as ensuring stakeholder engagement and data-driven policymaking for effective migration management.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice Gedion Timothios (PhD) said on the occasion that as a source, transit and destination country for migrants Ethiopia has played a key role in the GCM process from its inception throughout its development and adoption. The country also formally launched the implementation of GCM in 2019, a year after the adoption.
“In the same year, the GoE identified priorities from the 23 objectives of the GCM and selected 10 priority objectives in line with its national priorities to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Compact. This was followed up with actual implementation through mainstreaming the priorities in to national policies and programs in conjunction with the SDGs” Gedion noted.
According to the Minister, in 2020 Ethiopia became the first Champion Country of the GCM in the Horn of African region. He added with the mainstreaming of the identified priorities of the GCM, Ethiopia has taken significant steps in its implementation and achieved notable progresses in all aspects of migration governance.
By enforcing the safe and orderly migration there is hope that people in one side of the planet with little or no economic resources can migrate to the other side where they can benefit themselves as well as their society. The GCM can facilitate migration governance so that migrants could not be vulnerable to the looming threats of slavery, labor abuse, trafficking and other violence’s that increasingly befall on them in various places.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY ZEKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2024
