challenges of irregular migration …...challenges of irregular migration including people smuggling...
TRANSCRIPT
CHALLENGES OF IRREGULAR MIGRATIONincluding People Smuggling and Trafficking in
West Africa.
Sanusi SavageIOM Sierra Leone
Presentation for the 13th regional meeting of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
23 February,2017
What is IOM’s position on Migration?
• IOM is committed to the principle thathumane and orderly migration benefitsmigrants and society• Migration is inevitable because of, inter
alia,demographic,economic andenvironmental factors• Migration is necessary to meet labour
demands and ensure the availability of skillsand the vibrancy of economies and societies.
Right to Migrate but…
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)1948 guarantees Freedom of movement• Article 13 (2):Everyone has the right to leave any country,
including his own, and to return to his country• Article 14 (1):Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in
other countries asylum from persecution
And what about the Right toenter any country?
• This is where the matter becomes slightlycomplicated because this right is not universal
• It belongs to States and Nations who appliesit as they deem fit
Irregular Migration
• There is no clear or universally accepteddefinition of irregular migration
• Characteristics of Irregular Migration:
involves the unregulated mobility of people takes place outside established regulatory
norms it is very challenging
• Intra-regional migration is by far the mostsignificant (more than 70%)
• West Africa has the strongest intraregionalmobility in sub-Saharan Africa
• Extra-Regional migration targets mainly Europethrough North Africa
Nigeria; 37.551
Gambia; 11.929
Guinea; 13.342
Ivory Coast; 12.396
Mali; 10.010Ghana; 5.084
Senegal; 10.327
2014 2015 2016
170 100 153 842
Not WCA migrants
Italy – Annual arrivals by sea
181 436
Sex/Age of the migrants arrived in Italy
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
Nigeria Guinea Ivory Coast Gambia Senegal Mali Ghana
Women Men AM UAM71%
13%
2% 14%
All nationalities
CHALLENGES
• Along the migratory routes migrants face differentchallenges, their level of vulnerability increases andthey are exposed to possible exploitative and abusiveepisodes.
• Risk of being detained
• Niger, Mali and Libya are important transit countries
The Example of Niger
Irregular migration including migrant smuggling &trafficking in persons are complex in several ways:
• Root causes are manifold…..
• A multi-layered industry woven into the fabric ofinternational criminal networks with profound impactson countries and the migrants themselves.
• No simple or easy policy solutions - comprehensiveapproaches are required, covering both preventive andremedial angles.
CHALLENGES
• Increasing number of womenand children on the move
• Vulnerable Migrants identification, referral, protectionand assistance
• Security and safety
• Identification and prosecution of smugglers andtraffickers
IOM and partners launch a referral system to protect migrants © IOM
CHALLENGES
In 2016, IOM provideddirect assistance to 545victims of trafficking.Most common forms ofexploitation are sexualand labor exploitation.
Sensitization activities conducted in Ghana © IOM Ghana
The ACP-EU Migration Action is supporting through its technicalassistance component some countries in West Africa in addressingtrafficking and smuggling
Examples:Guinea:• Assessment of the national mechanisms fighting human trafficking
and providing assistance to victimsSenegal:• Mapping of departure and potential areas of irregular migration
coupled with a review of the law fighting against MigrantsSmuggling.
• Assessing women and child trafficking through domestic labour
