The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
The Migration Agency
SOUTH AFRICAS MIGRATION POLICY SOME
CONSIDERATIONS
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Concluding Remarks
Ensure respect for Human Rights, Dignity and
Well-being of All Migrants
Meet Different Needs of Migrant Sub-groups
Meet Refugee Protection Obligations
Coherent and systematic migration management
Inter-State and Inter-Agency Co-operation
Meet Migration Management Objectives
Regular Migration Options
Address Underlying Factors
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CONTENTS

• Introduction IOM Key facts and figures
• SA Migration issues and trends
• Broad policy issues
• Thematic policy issues
• Conclusions

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• AT A GLANCE

IOM is
The Migration Agency
The global, inter-governmental organization
dealing with the entire range of migration issues

• 149 Member States and 12 Observer States

• 450 offices in over 120 countries

• A staff of 5,400

• Over 2,700 programmes with a USD 1.3 billion
  budget in 2011

Or, in more detail
including 70 global and regional IGOs and NGOs
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(No Transcript)
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Migration in South Africa trends and issues

• Migration in SA is a historical contemporary
  issue.
• Contribution of migration to SAs development
• SA is a transit and destination country for
  international migrants
• SA has a high incidence of internal migration
• Push and pull factors

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SA Migration Trends

• The historical patterns of migration in South
  Africa form the basis for current trends
• 1 Continued high levels of international and
  circular migration
• 2 Continued high levels of internal migration
• 3 Increased competition for access to services
  between South Africans and migrants

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Mixed Migration Flows
Complex Phenomena

• Economic migrants, high and low skilled

• Refugees

• Victims of Trafficking

• Smuggled Migrants

• Unaccompanied Minors

• Stranded Migrants

• Migrants Moving for Environmental Reasons

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Mixed Migration Flows
Manifestation
Generally come to public attention as emergencies
- A single migration event or a series of events
- A group of migrants arrive in an irregular
manner at a particular point of destination
- Gulf of Aden
- Canary Islands
- Sonora Sahara Deserts
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East Africa to South Africa Route

• Ethiopians and Somali travel via the refugee
  camps and Nairobi in Kenya through Tanzania,
  Malawi or Mozambique into South Africa.
• Routes can change on very short notice, since
  smugglers constantly assess the situation
  (weather, road checks, officials on duty) and
  have the flexibly adapt to new circumstances.
• Main part of the journey is done over land with
  typical crossing into Tanzania by boat. Some few
  migrants can afford forged documents and fly to
  South Africa.
• Nairobi is a hub for irregular migration (also
  for transit from Afghanistan or Pakistan to
  Europe) and offers opportunities to easily access
  forged documents

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Internal Migration in SA
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SA Migration Statistics
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Migration Policy Considerations

• POLICY OBJECTIVES
• Overall effectively manage migration for the
  socio-economic and political development of South
  Africa.
• General
• 1.To provide an enabling, predictable and secure
  environment for the legal and orderly movement of
  persons from, to and within South Africa.
• 2.To define and implement a balanced approach to
  migration management through facilitation and
  control interventions.
• .

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• 3.To enhance national, regional and international
  cooperation on migration management.
• 4.To address migration-related issues
  comprehensively in a coordinated manner, that is,
  without achieving the objectives of one sphere at
  the expense of neglecting those of another
• 5. To ensure the prevention and combating of the
  ill effects of irregular migration and organized
  migration related crimes.

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SPECIFIC POLICY OBJECTIVES

• 1. To facilitate legal cross-border and third
  country movements while protecting the national
  borders from penetration or infiltration by
  irregular migrants, undesirable persons, goods,
  services and influences
• 2. To attract investors, skilled workers and
  tourists with an enabling and predictable
  immigration environment
• 3. To deliver with transparency and efficiency
  travel documents for South African nationals and
  immigration documents for foreign nationals
  through adequate procedures
• 4. To maximize economic and labour opportunities
  for South Africans through migration, in
  particular in the context of regional integration
  processes and the free movement of persons

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SPECIFIC POLICY OBJECTIVES

• 5. To develop national responsiveness to
  migration-related regional integration needs
• 6. To contribute to the security and stability of
  the country through border management and control
  of foreigners in the territory
• 7. To prevent and combat irregular migration, in
  particular the smuggling of migrants and
  trafficking of persons

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• 8. To promote government capacity to manage
  migration crime while promoting respect for and
  protection of migrant rights including combating
  discrimination and xenophobia
• 9. To protect the interests and the rights of
  South Africans living abroad
• 10. To harness the potential and cooperation of
  South African diaspora towards national
  development programmes while promoting a dialogue
  between the diaspora and the Government

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Specific Policy Objectives

• 11. To enhance and strengthen inter-ministerial
  cooperation and coordination as well as
  stakeholder cooperation for the effective
  management of migration in the country
• 12. To support the adoption of e-governance as a
  crucial vehicle for the efficient delivery of
  migration services
• 13. To improve the collection and sharing of
  migration data in the country

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Specific Policy Objectives

• 14. To foster the integration of migration into
  the National Development Plan and other relevant
  national strategies
• 15. To domesticate regional and international
  migration-related instruments
• 16. To promote regional integration through
  advocacy for ratification of the SADC draft
  protocol on the facilitation of movement of
  persons.

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Thematic policy considerations

• Border Management
• Travel documents
• Travel document fraud
• Migration and Development, including
• Labour migration
• Foreign migrant labour
• SA migrant workers abroad
• Migration for education

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Challenges
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Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA)

• The objective of MIDSA is to support SADC member
  states in managing migration in a holistic and
  mutually beneficial manner, for the states
  involved and for the migrants themselves
• The first Ministerial Dialogue for Southern
  Africa (MIDSA) on managing Migration through
  Regional Cooperation was held in Windhoek,
  Namibia from the 15th to the 17th of November
  2010
• This years MIDSA will be held in Mozambique. The
  topic of this years Ministerial MIDSA is
  Enhancing Intraregional Labour Migration toward
  Social and Economic Development in the SADC
  region

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Cross cutting issues

• Migration and security
• Migration and health
• Migration and the environment
• International and regional cooperation
• Migration and human rights
• Migration data and information management

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Conclusions

• IOM appreciates this opportunity to make inputs
  on South Africas migration policy at this stage.
  
• IOM remains available for further discussions
  including policy and other related support to the
  Government of South Africa