Develop coherent system for safe, honourable migration : UN envoy

Developing a coherent global system under the UN with improved inter-department coordination within the states is a must for safe and honourable migration irrespective of religion, race and colour, Peter Sutherland, special representative of the UN secretary general on migration and development, said in Dhaka on Thursday.
He also criticized the sending countries, without mentioning any name, for failure in adopting policies and developing procedures conducive for safe and honourable migration.
Sutherland, an Irish national, said this in a keynote paper on ‘Migration and Development : Challenges and Perspectives’ presented at a seminar organised by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
The traffickers would be only beneficiary and the migrants, even with genuine grounds, would continue to be loser unless the sending and receiving states develop cooperation and constructive engagement among them, he said.
He also stressed the need for keeping the migration issue out of political considerations in general, internal politics in particular, especially in the receiving countries.
Bangladesh’s problem with Myanmar on repatriation of Rohingyas should be settled through constant discussion, the UN envoy said.
He also reminded the UN secretary general’s call not to ‘close doors’ but to ‘open hearts’ for the migrants who in most of the cases were victims of political persecution, deprivation of economic opportunities and discriminatory policies of the governments.
Migrant people also require to comply with their responsibilities to integrate in the receiving country, he added.
Eva Akerman Borje of Sweden, current chair of Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), said both sending and receiving countries should closely work on reducing cost of migration and creating opportunities for them to access their rights.
The governments should shun discriminatory steps when questions on ensuring migrants’ rights come, settlement of claims they make, ensuring protection from exploitation for them, he said.
About eight million Bangladesh nationals have migrated, mostly for job, in different countries.
Bangladesh is also a transit and host country with accommodating at least one million regular and irregular migrants and refugees of different nationalities, experts say.
Global Civil Society coordinator John Bingham participated in the discussion moderated by foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque. BIISS chairman Munshi Faiz Ahmad also spoke.

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