Global community urged to address migrant issue

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon the international community to address the issue of migrants and refugees across the world.
“Migration is no longer about ‘us’ and ‘them’ … it’s about prosperity and wellbeing of all the people and all states. We need to see how we can realise the transformative potential of migration by laying appropriate framework for governance of migration,” she said.
The prime minister was inaugurating three-day ninth Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
Mentioning that people move around the world for many purposes, she said, “Therefore, the challenge is to facilitate their safe, orderly and regular movement and ensure that a person moves as per his wish.”
She also laid emphasis on ensuring people’s movement and work with dignity and safety of each migrant. “We’ve to ensure that their rights are protected - in all situations, regardless of their status as we all agreed in New York in September last.”
Recognising migration’s role in connecting communities, economies and societies, the Bangladesh prime minister said it is equally essential for peace, stability and growth in a diverse and connected world. “Societies need to understand the benefits of diversity for harmony among all people, including the
migrants,” she added.
Observing that a migrant is not just a labour but has a unique story to tell, she said a migrant makes so much of sacrifice as he leaves his family and country. “Migrants contribute their ideas, labour and resources to the development of the host societies. They also spend their best part of life for others. Often we ignore their human stories, their inalienable rights as human beings.”
About the global development vision, popularly known as Agenda 2030, Hasina said all need to identify convergence of interests, balance needs, aspirations, security concerns and opportunities to realise the goals.
She hoped that Global Forum on Migration and Development will focus on some of the challenging issues like migrants in situations of crisis and conflicts, migration governance, diversity and harmony.
She mentioned about Bangladesh’s proposed comprehensive Global Compact for Migration Governance at the UN at the UN Summit on Migrants and Refugees which the world accepted in September.
Hasina said the international community is working with states and civil society to push for a comprehensive Global Compact of Migrants and
Refugees by 2018.
Apart from Bangladesh government ministers, UN under-secretary general Wu Hongbo, International Labour Organisation (ILO) director general Guy Ryder, International Organisation of Migration (IOM) director general William Lacy Swing and ILO official Lakshmi Puri also spoke at the programme.
A video message of UN Secretary General-designate Antonio Guterres was screened at the function while Colin Rajah, chair of ninth GFMD Civil Society Days (CSD), presented a report on GFMD 2016 on behalf of the civil society.
The three-day-long GFMD summit began yesterday to discuss ways and means to ensure overall welfare of migrants.
Representatives from 125 countries and UN agencies, international organisations, global civil societies and businesses are participating in the programme.