e_Paper, Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Opinion 21
Bangladesh leads on migration
discussions
DT
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016
The Global Forum on Migration and Development will benefit both migrants and the nations which
host them
• Anne C Richard
People do not make the
decision to leave their
homes lightly, but
sometimes circumstances
compel them to move. Many
Bangladeshis leave home to
pursue opportunities in the wider
world.
And tensions, conflict,
and discrimination inside
neighbouring Myanmar have, over
the years, led people from that
country to flee across its borders
into Bangladesh, Thailand, China,
and beyond. These phenomena
-- migration and flight -- are not
limited to this region.
For many years, Bangladesh
has taken a leading role in
multilateral discussions on
refugee and migration issues.
Such discussions support
international efforts to protect
the most vulnerable people who
have been displaced from their
homes. Bangladesh’s leadership
again was demonstrated this week
when its government hosted the
Global Forum for Migration and
Development (GFMD).
Around the world, record
numbers of people are on the
move. The issue of migrants
and refugees has exploded onto
the international agenda. It
was a dominant theme at last
September’s high level meeting of
the UN General Assembly in New
York and the concurrent Leaders’
Summit on Refugees.
This week, more than
700 diplomats, officials, and
representatives from civil society
converged in Dhaka for the Global
Forum -- 200 more than originally
expected. Participants came
together to better understand
the root causes of migration,
share best practices, forge
partnerships, and discuss ways to
solve thorny problems. We talked
about practical steps countries
can take to prevent the loss of
life, and to crack down on the
ruthless smugglers who prey upon
desperate people.
In Dhaka, as in previous Forum
gatherings, we discussed how to
create and promote legal avenues
for migration. Well-managed
migration can, after all, benefit
both sending and receiving
countries. Families rely on
remittances sent home by overseas
Countries need to recognise what migrants bring to the table
workers and these remittances
provide more resources to many of
the world’s poorest nations than
development assistance does.
Employers abroad need the
energy and skill that migrants
offer. And in countries with labour
shortages or aging populations,
migrants can propel economies
forward. Studies show that
migrants usually contribute more
to society -- including by paying
taxes -- than they receive in
benefits.
Most participants shared a
sense that more must be done
to aid and protect those who are
forced to flee and that we all have
a legal and moral obligation to do
this. Just as Bangladesh and the
international community have
worked together to address the
plight of the Rohingya, the world
must make protection of refugees
a priority and devote the necessary
resources to this challenge --
including support to nations that
host refugees.
Vulnerable and impoverished
migrants also need ways to
travel safely and legally. Victims
of human trafficking, migrant
smuggling, and people scattered
by natural and man-made
disasters want a chance to live
in dignity, to heal, and to rebuild
Employers abroad need the energy and skill that migrants offer. And
in countries with labour shortages or aging populations, migrants can
propel economies forward
their lives.
Clearly nations have a
sovereign right to control
their borders. Dangerous and
unmanaged migration risks lives,
enriches smugglers, traffickers,
and criminal networks, and
undermines public confidence in
government. Thoughtful nations,
however, have found ways to
develop border control and
migration policies that protect
citizens, asylum-seekers, and
migrants while maximising the
benefits of legal migration.
This year’s GFMD also advanced
discussions related to the New
York Declaration for Refugees and
Migrants, a document produced at
the United Nations in September
that calls for the development
of two separate “compacts” on
refugees and safe, orderly, and
regular migration.
The compacts hold promise
for improving the way the
world responds to the global
refugee and migration crisis
-- if nations can overcome their
reluctance to embrace these issues
constructively.
This is why I believe that the
GFMD -- and other migration
dialogues around the world -- are
essential. They bring countries
together to address equally
the challenges and benefits of
migration.
Governments around the
world have recognised that the
time for action is now. Through
pragmatic leadership -- of the type
Bangladesh has demonstrated
by organising and hosting the
Global Forum on Migration and
Development -- both migrants and
the societies that host them will
benefit. •
Anne C Richard is the US Assistant
Secretary of State for Bureau of
Population, Refugees, and Migration.
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