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Global summit reaches accord on migration

New rules to be drawn up on how countries should treat migrants
Global summit reaches accord on migration

Rohingya migrants sit in a boat as they're towed closer to land by fishermen, off the coast near the city of Geulumpang in Indonesia's Aceh province, before being rescued in this May 20, 2015 photo. (Photo by AFP)

Published: December 15, 2016 06:29 AM GMT
Updated: December 15, 2016 06:30 AM GMT

A ray of hope broke through clouds of war and desperation when 130 countries agreed to create an international treaty on migration governance at a summit in Dhaka.

Some 600 delegates from 130 countries attended the Global Forum on Migration and Development on Dec. 10-12. There, they agreed to create a "Global Compact on Safe and Orderly Migration."

The world is seeing the largest population movement since World War II. There are people fleeing wars in the Middle East and North Africa and more who are seeking a better future for themselves and their children.

Most illegal migrants and refugees will face serious abuses in their host countries while many die en route. Legal migrants also face problems due to exploitation by unscrupulous agents and middlemen.

Bangladesh, which has some eight million citizens working abroad, proposed a global initiative on migration at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

John K. Bingham, International Catholic Migration Commission's (ICMC) head of policy, said that the proposal was supported by countries like Mexico, Benin, Sweden and Switzerland and was accepted. He added that this was the first time governments have discussed all aspects of the migration problem

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said that all 130 countries agreed on the initiative. It will likely be finalized by an inter-governmental conference in 2018 after a series of consultations beginning early 2017.

"There was no blame-game. Even Middle Eastern countries [which have large numbers of migrants] recognized the problems and agreed to have a global treaty," he told journalists on Dec. 12.

Professor Ray Jureidini, in an International Labor Organization (ILO) report released this year, said large numbers of South Asian migrants in Arab countries face forced labor and debt-bondage.

"We spent six to seven hours, discussing how do we reduce recruitment costs, exploitation and debt. Many millions of people face similar problems, not only from Bangladesh, but from Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and many other countries," said Bingham.

Another area of concern is unsafe migration when workers and refugees have no choice but to move, Bingham said.

"How do we change that and move from the current system that seems to generate more and more undocumented migrants is a real question," he said.

The governments of Central America and some countries in Africa said at the summit they were tired of other countries wanting their workers but not offering them legal protection when they arrive.

The International Organization of Employers (IOE) also attended the forum and spoke about how to improve recruitment practices and working conditions. They are now working with the ILO and the International Organization for Migration to standardize recruitment practices.

"There are some employers that are terrible, but some are not," John Bingham said. The IOE has committed to improving the recruitment practices of migrant workers and "this is a sign of hope. They started to sit on chairs and fix certain problems," he added.

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