Migration today

The whole EU is in a tizzy about the Canary Islands and the Senegalese migrants stranded there, literally on the doorstop of Europe. In tandem with this the UN just held its High Level Dialogue (HLD) on Migration and Development, which my office worked a lot on in terms of preparing papers for our colleagues in GV and NY. Very interesting stuff is coming out these days - the issue of migration can't be avoided or ignored any longer and while it seems through the pictures even more of a North-South story than ever before, the tale is in fact far more nuanced than that.

For example, everyone thought the G77 of the developing nations would make a strong statement at the HLD in NYC (mid-Sept), in support of the migrant (worker), and in support of an international mechanism to manage migration, but in the end the G77 was divided between some sending nations, such as the Philippines and other "receiving" nations like Saudi Arabia or even Jordan. In addition, some states like India, a sending nation, but also receiving (in regional terms) and a nation with both high and low skilled workers, was quite silent through the dialogue, mainly due to its allergy to multilateral discussions. Then there were the expected attitudes of certain players - the UK being staunchly against any UN-related body being set up to coordinate migration, or to push the migration dialogue onto another level (and away from the control of the nation state). And then some real surprises, like little old Belgium. One sure fact was the linkage made and the strengthening of the acceptance of the linkage between migration and development.

How fascinating is all of this? We will look back at these times and probably shake our heads wondering why we never dealt with migration on a more global, coordinated, and managed scale and instead pushed for national sovereignity on this issue. First of all, the EC will look back and shake its head as they should be the first to move forward on "regional" coordination and pan-national mechanisms. But, anyway, EU bashing aside, migration today is what the environment was as a hot topic 15 years ago, with the same realisation taking place that we can only handle this on a pan-global level. The difference of course is the highly volatile nature of migration and how we (senders and receivers) perceive cultural changes through migration.

Some issues of interest: brain drain, brain waste, remittances as development aid, illegal/irregular migration, redefining of "refugee" and asylum, economic migrants, amnesties, citizenship, labour migration/legal migration, returns and readmission, migrant centres in the doorways of the developed world (like Libya for Africa), highly skilled migrants vs low skilled and domestic workers, rights of the migrant and the migrant worker, role of the diaspora etc etc.

Fascinating...just fascinating... and I feel privileged to be here, in the middle of the chaos and chatter, experiencing this era of change.