Liaison and Policies

Migration is interlinked with almost every aspect of social life. Migration has the potential to reduce unemployment, revitalize national markets, increase entrepreneurship and productivity, support social security schemes, strengthen social and cultural capital, increase the demand for goods and services, supply innovation and creativity, bring communities closer together and promote democratization and a human rights culture worldwide.

Through these contributions, migration has the capacity to address some of the biggest challenges faced by the region, such as demographic pressure, poverty, ever-changing labour market needs, climate change and even the fiscal deficit.

However, migration potential cannot be completely achieved if migration is not adequately and systematically managed.

The complexity of migration and its effects and implications for countries and communities of origin,transit, destination and return, requires wide-ranging, clear and legitimized policies for it to be properly managed and deliver all of its benefits.

At the same time, migrants’ vulnerability to violations and abuses in the region calls for the development of migration policies that address migrants as human beings, recognizing and actively promoting their rights

For these reasons, IOM’s strategy on migration policies focuses on providing continued support to the governments of the region in developing comprehensive, inter-sectoral, rights-based and consensual migration policies. These should address all aspects of the migration phenomenon in a clear manner, by defining governments’ migration governance guiding principles, commitments and goals.

To this end, IOM, in close collaboration with governments in the region, will facilitate technical cooperation for policy-making, training in policy analysis and policy formulation, development of action-oriented assessments and research, support of national and inter sectoral consultations, and the exchange of best practices.