A NEW four-year strategy aimed at reforming migration policies, addressing human trafficking issues and further helping vulnerable groups in the Gulf countries was launched yesterday.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) plan includes rolling out a special orientation programme for newly arrived migrant workers in Bahrain to brief them on their rights.
The IOM’s 2021-2024 strategy outlines nine objectives built around three strategic pillars – governance, mobility and resilience – and complements the Regional Strategy for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region 2020-2024 launched last year.
In Bahrain, the UN migration agency’s office in Sehla will work with different stakeholders to protect the rights of migrant workers and help in their management.
The strategy embraces cross-cutting priorities that focus on youth, gender, and disability inclusion, evidence and research-based programming and building partnerships and alliances with governments, private sector, UN agencies, civil society, migrant organisations, academia, the media, and other important stakeholders.
“The launch of IOM’s strategy for the Gulf countries is a testament to the critical role of the Gulf in regional and global migration pathways, and IOM’s continued commitment to ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration,” UN resident co-ordinator and IOM’s chief of mission Mohamed El Zarkani told the GDN yesterday.
“This is one of only three such IOM sub-regional strategies in the world, and the first in the Middle East and North Africa region, highlighting the importance of this region as a labour destination of choice for migrants from around the world.”
Mr El Zarkani said the Gulf states are home to approximately 31 million migrants, representing 8.3 per cent of global migrant workers.
“Bahrain, in particular, has a proud history of labour and migration reform and policy achievements, and I believe this strategy will serve to further enhance IOM’s support to Bahrain in key areas such as migration management, combating trafficking in persons, and the protection of the most vulnerable migrant populations.”
Bahrain, which joined IOM with an observer status in June 2007, is working with it to strengthen institutional capacity in various government ministries to counter human trafficking through training and awareness-raising initiatives.
The strategy was launched during a virtual conference yesterday chaired by IOM’s Mena regional director Carmela Godeau who said the four-year plan in Gulf countries is to ensure that migration is safe, orderly and regular, and further in line with the 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The IOM and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are co-ordinating closely with the Bahrain government to continue supporting its Regional Centre of Excellence for Capacity Building of Combating Trafficking in Persons,” said Ms Godeau.
“It aims to support regional stakeholders with key resources and specialised trainings to address trafficking in persons effectively.
“Additionally, to support these efforts, IOM is sharing its experience and technical expertise with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority in developing and rolling out a post-arrival orientation programme for all newly-arrived migrant workers.
“This will be complemented with a nation-wide information drive to help migrant workers and employers of domestic workers understand their rights and obligations.”
The Swiss agency established its presence in the Gulf in 1991 when it opened its office in Kuwait and currently has missions in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
IOM also has active presence and programmes in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and provides direct assistance to migrant workers and their families and victims of trafficking in Oman.
“Our missions and offices in the Gulf continue to do great work despite the backdrop of increasing challenges in human mobility, and against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic and all its consequences on the region and beyond,” said Ms Godeau.
“In the Mena region, human mobility is both complex and multifaceted,” she said adding the region had a high number of migrants in irregular and vulnerable situations.
“These mobility dynamics have been and continue to be heavily influenced by economic and conflict-related factors as well as, more recently, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The repercussions of the economic crisis alone have already had an impact on local economies and the labour market in the Gulf countries, affecting potentials for migrants.”
IOM’s Gulf director-general Hassan Abdel-Moneim said the organisation wanted to move forward the Gulf partners with the new strategy to ensure that the rights, dignity, and safety of all people are maintained.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))