Fundamental Rights Conference 2014:Fundamental Rights and Migration to the EU

11 November 2014 

William Swing, Director General International Organization for Migration

I Human Mobility – the global trends

II

III

Development policy & Humanitarian action

EU at the forefront

OVERVIEW

I. GLOBAL MIGRATION TRENDS

232 million international migrants + 740 million internal migrants

1 billion migrants

UNPRECEDENTED HUMAN MOBILITY

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1990 2000 2010 2030 2040 2050

in m

illion int'l m

igrants

Growth of International Migrants

Source: UN DESA (2013) and IOM WMR (2008)

1990 – 2050  projected increase around 150%

2000 – 2015  approx. increase 35%

Greatest Forced Displacement sinceWorld War II

1. Syria, Iraq, CAR, South Sudan – Libya, Somalia,

Afghanistan, Yemen

2. Increasing refugees/IDPs (50 million) &

climate displacement (22 m, mainly Asia – IDMC 2013)

3. Desperation Migration – IOM’s Fatal Journeys 2014

• 40,000 since 2000 worldwide – land and sea

• 22,000 deaths trying to reach Europe since 2000

Migration Drivers Increase Complexity1. DEMOGRAPHY: North – ageing,  South – youthful 

2. DEMAND labour shortage vs. labour surplus 

3. DISPARITY increasing: economic, social 

4. DISTANCE‐shrinking : budget transportation

5. DIGITAL REVOLUTION: instant information

6. DISASTERS / DEGRADATION: natural /human, rapid / low onse

7. DREAMS / DESPERATION: life with dignity and prosperity.  

SOUTH‐NORTH

Source: IOM World Migration Report 2013

SOUTH‐SOUTH

22% NORTH‐NORTH

5% NORTH‐SOUTH

JUSTIFY MIGRATION IN GLOBAL RECESSION

POST-9/11 SECURITY CONCERNS

PERCEIVED THREATS TO IDENTITY

POLITICALLY SENSITIVE ISSUES TO MANAGE:

USD 454 bn. remittances by 2015o developing countries

Offsets effects of ageing societies

More vulnerable in mega-cities

MEGA TREND  MEGA IMPACTSEconomic

Social

Environnemental

II. MOBILITY IN DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND HUMANITARIAN ACTION

Inevitable Necessary Desirable

Migration Is TransformativeECONOMIC

• Alleviates poverty

• Increases trade 

• Stimulates innovation

SOCIAL

• Raises rights issues

• Empowers women

• Diaspora: agents of change

Increases resilience through:

• Remittances 

• Planned mobility

ENVIRONMENTAL

Risks to Migrants = Risks for Development

FORCED DISPLACEMENT

• Length of displacement average 17 years

• 72 million displaced is development impediment

VULNERABILITY

• Increased “desperation migration”

• 40.000 known migrant 

deaths since 2000

EXPLOITATION

• Unethical recruiters take abusive fees

• Employers take passports as “security”

Post-2015 on Migration & Development

Target on migration and mobility in the suggested SDG 10 on “Inequalities”, from the Outcome Document of  Proposal of the Open Working Group, July 2014

“10.7 facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through implementation of planned and well‐managed migration policies.”

HOW MIGRATION IS REFLECTED IN THE OPEN WORKING GROUP OUTCOME DOCUMENT

OWG Chapeau

• Reference to promoting economic growth, social development and environmental protection for the benefit of all, without distinction of any kind including migration status.

• Notes commitment to migration and development through HLD Declaration.

Goal and target framework

Goal 5Gender equality

TRAFFICKING (FOCUS ON WOMEN AND 

GIRLS)

Goal 8Employment & decent work

MIGRANT WORKER RIGHTS

WOMEN MIGRANTS

Goal 10Reduce 

inequality

PLANNED & WELL‐MANAGED MIGRATION POLICIES

MIGRANT REMITTANCES

Goal 16Peaceful & inclusive societies

TRAFFICKING (FOCUS ON CHILDREN)

Goal 17Global 

partnership

DATA DISAGGREGATION (INCLUDING BY MIGRATORY STATUS) –

RELEVANT TO HEALTH AND EDUCATION

Goal 4Education

SCHOLARSHIPS (STUDENT MOBILITY)

Goal 1Poverty 

eradication

RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE EVENTS AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND 

ENVIRONMENTAL SHOCKS

Goal 11Sustainable 

cities

REDUCE DEATHS & ECONOMIC 

LOSSES CAUSED BY DISASTERS

DRR PLANS

Goal 13Climate change

RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE HAZARDS AND NATURAL DISASTERS

Specific references

Other entry points

Responses to forced population displacement

Humanitarian community acts through IASC

UN Humanitarian coordinator – global and country level

Camp Coordination and Camp Management: Conflict and Natural disaster (UNHCR and IOM lead)

IOM Humanitarian policy & MCOF

IOM & partners assisting victims of major climate change – induced  displacements

Multilateral Processes (2014-17)

UN World Conference on DRR – Sendai March 2015

UN post‐2015 Development Agenda

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

World Humanitarian Summit

Global Forum on Migration and Development

Regional Consultative Processes on Migration – 16 

III. EU at the FOREFRONT OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION POLICY

Essential Elements: Humanitarian• Saving lives

• Support action on mobility aspects of crisis

• More resettlement in EU and protected entry procedures to EU

• Regional protection programs work better linked to resettlement

• IOM collaboration on risk analysis/info sharing: DTM

• Support to transit countries

• “Mare Nostrum” & “Khartoum Process”: key interim measures

Essential Elements: Development

• Regular migration channels

• Mobility Partnerships – Morocco (2013) and Tunisia (2014)

• Support diasporas: investment opportunities and circular migration

• Support South‐South migration & dev

• Reducing remittance costs – esp. high‐cost remittance corridors

• Insert migration in national development/poverty reduction plans

• Disaggregate migrants in population statistics

“High Road Scenario” Elements

• Centralized and simplified migration programmes

• Liberal legal migration avenues

• De‐criminalization of irregular migrants

• Multiple entry visas

• Dual nationality laws

• Portable social security benefits

• Integration, resettlement and citizenship as options

“High Road Scenario” Elements

• Assistance for migrants in crises, including AVRR 

• anti‐trafficking/smuggling laws

• active campaign against traffickers and smuggler

• Diaspora support

• Participation in regional migration dialogues

• Humanitarian Border Management

• Measures to respond to the "drivers" of migration

CONCLUSIONS

• Human mobility = global megatrend

• Migrants: mega‐actors for development

• Migrants’ wellbeing and human rights: must be policy core

• Comprehensive approach needed: combine

development and  humanitarian action

CONCLUSIONS:Migration Challenges in a

World in Disarray• Changing the migration narrative

• Managing social diversity