Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2021-22
UPN Alm.del Bilag 135
Offentligt
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United Nations
A
/76/642
Distr.: General
27 December 2021
Original: English
General Assembly
Seventy-sixth session
Agenda item 15
Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up
to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and
summits in the economic, social and related fields
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution
73/195
of 19 December 2018, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General,
drawing on the United Nations Network on Migration, to report to the Assembly on a
biennial basis on the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and
Regular migration, the activities of the United Nations system in this regard, as well
as the functioning of the institutional arrangements. T he present report also responds
to the request made by the Assembly in its resolution
73/326
of 19 July 2019 for the
Secretary-General, as part of the biennial report preceding each forum, drawing on
the Network, to provide guidance for the deliberations during the forum, including
the envisaged round tables and policy debate, and to make the report available at least
12 weeks ahead of each forum. The report builds on the inputs and outcomes from the
Global Compact regional reviews, as well as dedicated Member State and stakeholder
consultations and discussions with United Nations system entities.
a
The drafting of
the report was overseen by the Network’s Executive Committee, comprising the
International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United
Nations Children’s Fund, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Programme and the
World Health Organization.
a
All practices referenced in the present report are accessible from the United Nations Network Hub:
https://migrationnetwork.un.org/hub.
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I. Introduction
1.
The need for a cooperative framework on migration has never been more
apparent, and the foresight of Member States and stakeholders in developing the
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration has never been more
evident. The first International Migration Review Forum, to be held in May 2022,
presents the international community with a vital opportunity to reinforce the
relevance and timeliness of the Compact, assess its impact to date and ensure that it
is brought to bear in equipping societies for future challenges.
2.
Since the adoption of the Compact, on 10 December 2018, international
migration has remained ubiquitous and an issue of critical importance. This has been
particularly apparent in the response to the coronavirus disease (COVID -19)
pandemic, for both good and ill. Migrants were among those groups most impacted,
whether through increased risk of COVID-19 infection, restricted or non-existent
access to health services and social protection, job losses, discrimination, protracted
family separation, inability to access online learning and child services or unsafe and
undignified returns.
3.
The essential roles that so many migrants play as front-line service providers,
pivotal actors in our supply chains and crucial sources of support for their families
and communities have been rightly recognized and celebrated in many countries. As
States responded to the pandemic and its impacts, many showed foresight in breaking
down barriers, through policy or practice, to ensure non -discriminatory health-care
and vaccine access and to ensure that migrant workers remained employed, for
example, by adapting regular pathways. Others halted deportations and accelerated
the use of alternatives to immigration detention. In addition, remittance flows hav e
remained resilient as critical sources of support for families and communities.
4.
Building on those examples will be an important component of the International
Migration Review Forum and its outcome. Also important will be acknowledging and
addressing the many deficits that remain, including the manner in which migration
governance, whether as a response to COVID-19 or not, leaves too many migrants in
desperate situations of vulnerability or denies them agency. Any failure to explicitly
include migrants in vaccination plans undermines our commitment to broader public
health goals and to combating inequality devalues the solemn commitment to leaving
no one behind that Member States made in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
5.
It is also important to recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has, in many
ways, reshaped international migration. Evolving mobility restrictions and entry
requirements have profoundly altered the mechanics and opportunities for admission,
stay, work and return. It is clear, however, that many challenges predate the pandemic.
Discrimination, xenophobia, misinformation and the stigmatization of migrants or
minorities associated with migration remain virulent. In this environment, migrants
are vilified and even considered as threats. It is unacceptable that, in today’s world,
thousands of migrants are subject to great suffering and disappear or die during their
migration journeys.
6.
The guiding principles, objectives and proposed actions of the Compact provide
the road map for addressing those challenges. Indeed, as shown in the present report,
the Compact’s value as a touchstone and guide for States has been demonstrated
throughout the pandemic, as they work to make migration work for all.
7.
Amid emerging transitions, the vision of the Compact must be promoted in order
to facilitate and recognize the benefits of safe, orderly and regular migration for
everyone and to enhance the Compact’s potential to promote the achievement of the
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Sustainable Development Goals. Dedicated efforts, including through concrete
commitments towards the implementation of the Compact, will be integral to the next
phase of realizing the Compact’s vision. In particular, the forthcoming International
Migration Review Forum provides an opportunity to harness the power of
multilateralism to provide concrete guidance in three areas of overarching and
common importance.
8.
The first area relates to how inclusive societies can be further promoted and how
to ensure that migrants are more effectively integrated into communities and
economies, whether of destination, transit or origin, and not defined simply by their
migration status.
9.
The second area relates to how regular migration can be further fostered through
diversified pathways, opportunities for regularization and sustainable reintegration,
while addressing the reverberations of the pandemic and preparing for the
intensifying impacts of climate change and for the evolution of our societies and
economies.
10. The third area relates to how to reduce the vulnerabilities that undermine the
rights or well-being of migrants, their families and societies, including the tragedies
that stem from irregular and precarious migration and the responses to them.
11. The lessons of the pandemic provide a timely opportunity to recalibrate gender-
responsive and child-sensitive migration governance at the local, national, regional
and global levels so that the commitments of the Compact, the 2030 Agenda and the
declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United
Nations are fulfilled for all migrants, and indeed for everyone. As the first
International Migration Review Forum approaches, the present report contains a call
upon States to take concerted action to advance a world that truly foster s the rights,
dignity and well-being of migrants and that is grounded in cooperation and
international law.
Snapshot of migration and migrants: global data and trends
• The number of persons living outside their country of birth or
citizenship has witnessed robust growth in recent decades, reaching
281 million in 2020.
a
• As a result, international migrants as a share of the global population
increased from 2.8 per cent in 2000 to 3.6 per cent in 2020.
• At the end of 2020, 35.5 million children, or 1 in 66 children
globally, under 18 years of age were living outside their country of
birth.
b
• In 2019, there were more than 169 million migrant workers in the
world.
c
• During the 2015–2020 period, the net flow of migrants moving from
less developed to more developed regions was estimated at
2.8 million annually.
d
• The pandemic may have reduced the global number of international
migrants by around 2 million by mid-2020.
• Between 1 January 2019 and 24 November 2021, more than 8,436
migrant deaths were recorded globally; a further 5,534 migrants went
missing and are presumed dead.
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• In 2020, officially recorded remittances to low- and middle-income
countries were $549 billion, only 1.7 per cent below the total for 2019.
d
• At their peak, in mid-December 2020, travel measures, mobility
restrictions and border closures implemented by Governments in the
context of the COVID-19 pandemic exceeded 111,000 and, as of
November 2021, more than 25,000 entry restrictions related to the
pandemic remained in place.
e
a
b
International Migration 2020: Highlights
(United Nations publication, 2020).
International Data Alliance for Children on the Move, “Missing from the Story:
The Urgent Need for Better Data to Protect Children on the Move” ( 2021).
International Labour Organization,
ILO Global Estimates on International
Migrant Workers
(Geneva, 2021).
International Organization for Migration, Migration Policy Institute,
COVID-19
and the State of Global Mobility in 2020
(Geneva, 2021).
Ibid., “Human mobility impacts due to COVID-19”. Available at
https://migration.iom.int/
(accessed in November 2021).
c
d
e
II. Progress on implementation
A.
State and stakeholder engagement on the Compact
12. While hurdles stemming from the pandemic affected progress on the
implementation of the Compact, States endeavoured to implement its commitments.
In their voluntary reports submitted in response to the regional reviews on the
Compact, more than 90 States discussed progress and challenges.
1
Approaches to
implementation differ. Kenya and Portugal adopted Compact-specific national
implementation plans. Some States incorporated the Compact into existing
frameworks. Others observed that their existing framework s sufficiently reflected the
Compact. States also reported on national efforts that were already under way when
the Compact was adopted and that aligned with the commitments and recommended
actions of the Compact.
13. States identified other challenges to implementation aside from the pandemic.
Those included limited resource, technical and technological capacity; inadequate
coordination within Governments and with stakeholders; the complexity of irregular
migration; and the need to simplify procedures and generate greater awareness of
regular pathways.
14. With support from the United Nations Network on Migration, 27 “champion
countries” have come together to share experiences and foster State engagement with
the Compact, through, for example, their joint statement at the 2021 high-level
political forum on sustainable development. Cultivating the engagement of countries
with different migration policies and experiences has proved beneficial for promoting
exchange, cooperation and partnerships.
15. Recommendations stemming from multi-stakeholder regional, subregional or
thematic consultations were presented during the intergovernmental regional review
conferences that were held over the past two years. Stakeholder consultations,
interventions and written inputs suggested that engagement with stakeholders be
strengthened prior to the conduct of regional reviews and in the preparation of
voluntary reports. Stakeholders also called for more perspectives from migrants in
__________________
1
State reports are available at
https://migrationnetwork.un.org/regional-reviews.
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the analysis of implementation needs, the development of national plans and the
Compact review and follow-up.
16. The instrumental role of local actors in implementing the Compact, as first
responders during crises and more generally, has become increasingly apparent.
Often, only local action can fulfil policies and programmes that are developed at the
national, regional and international levels In addition , policies adopted at the local
level have a direct impact on the well-being of migrants. Local governments and
stakeholders must be seen as allies in efforts to promote and implement the Compact
and enhance coherence across commitments. A call to local action launched by the
Mayors Mechanism of the Global Forum on Migration and Development aims to
showcase and support city-led approaches to migration governance and to illustrate
actions that contribute to the implementation of the Compact. Recognizing the legal
and political mandates of local governments is critical.
17. As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic and a damaging two -speed
recovery, some States have taken actions that honour the interconnectedness between
the well-being of migrants and the prosperity of societies. Equally, regressions and
worrying trends exist and coincide with unanticipated challenges. Therefore,
reinvigorating international migration and optimizing its benefits for migrants, their
families and societies require steadfast commitment to the Compact’s 360-degree
approach, its guiding principles and the achievement of all 23 objectives. The sections
below provide an overview of the progress, practices and challenges noted by
Governments and stakeholders, including during the regional reviews, across 10
themes.
B.
Recharging the decade of action and delivery for sustainable
development in order to address adverse drivers
18. The pandemic reversed the progress that had been made towards the realization
of the 2030 Agenda.
2
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of poor
people has increased by up to 124 million.
3
Between 83 and 132 million people may
have been pushed into chronic hunger in 2020,
4
while an additional 101 million
children and young people fell below the minimum reading proficiency level.
5
During
2020, the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs were lost.
6
E/2021/58.
Global
working hours in 2021 are estimated to have remained significantly below 2019
levels, with the burden falling principally on middle- and low-income countries.
7
Women and girls faced a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work and a range of
other pandemic-associated challenges. These repercussions and their overlap with
disasters, climate change, conflict and violence imperil the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals. The pandemic has also emphasized the vital role that
migration plays in our economies and societies and the need to better protect,
empower and promote the agency of migrants. To get the Goals back on track through
the recovery and beyond, attention must be paid to tacklin g the adverse drivers of
migration, reducing risks during migration and leveraging the contributions of
migrants and migration to implement the 2030 Agenda during the current decade of
action and delivery for sustainable development.
__________________
2
3
4
5
6
7
See, for example,
E/2021/58.
E/HLS/2021/1.
Ibid.
E/2021/58.
Ibid.
See, for example, International Labour Organization, “ILO monitor: COVID-19 and the world of
work – updated estimates and analysis”, 8th ed., 27 October 2021.
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19. It is noteworthy in this regard that 20 of the 42 voluntary national review reports
submitted by States at the high-level political forum held in 2021 referred to the
Compact, migrants or migration-related themes. Building on linkages between the
Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals and their review forums,
including as reflected in the ministerial declaration adopted at the 2021 high-level
political forum on sustainable development,
8
will be important for progressing the
implementation of the Compact, alongside efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
Strengthening linkages between the Compact, other fundamental instruments and
agendas applicable to migration and their review forums is also essential.
C.
Mitigating, adapting and building resilience to environmental drivers
20. States have underscored disasters, climate change and environmental
degradation as pervasive adverse drivers of migration. Catastrophic storms, flooding,
wildfires and droughts have devastated lives, livelihoods and human security. The
amplifying effects of rising sea levels, glacial retreat, desertification and biodiversity
decline augur an unsettling future. States have the power to reduce adversity and build
resilience through inclusive, rights-based mitigation, risk reduction and adaptation,
and multi-hazard, evidence-based approaches that recognize that crises, such as
pandemics and storms, may overlap and have compounding effects.
21. States are actively addressing those challenges. In 2019, Fiji established a trust
fund to support the planned relocation of communities affected by climate change.
The 2019–2024 strategy on drought-related disasters of the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) includes efforts to build resilience and promote
migration as an adaptation mechanism. Governments in the IGAD region, United
Nations agencies and other entities are also engaged in a project funded by the
migration multi-partner trust fund that seeks to address data and knowledge gaps,
build capacity and ensure that human mobility associated with disasters and climate
change is addressed through national and regional instruments on disaster risk
reduction, climate action and mobility. The multi-stakeholder Capacity for Disaster
Reduction Initiative integrates mobility considerations in the delivery of multisectoral
capacity development services for States. The Coordination Centre for the Prevention
of Natural Disasters in Central America used guidelines on disaster displacement as
a training tool to support their member countries. Some countries also incorporate
migrants and human mobility into their disaster risk reduction or preparedness
frameworks. In June 2021, the mayor-led Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and
Migration was launched to address the impacts of the climate crisis on migration in
cities and to accelerate global responses.
22. Climate change is a defining challenge of our times. It demands policy
coherence between the Compact and other applicable frameworks, including
implementation of the Warsaw International Mechanism recommendations on human
mobility. At the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as part of the Glasgow
Climate Pact, State parties urged greater efforts on mitigation and adaptation and
action and support to avert, minimize and address loss and damage, including
displacement.
9
Building on lessons, guidance and commitments, efforts must be
strengthened to address the implications of climate change for migration and to foster
people’s resilience to remain in place with dignity or move as a form of adaptation.
This is integral to the protection of the rights of children and futur e generations.
__________________
8
9
E/HLS/2021/1.
World Bank Group,
Recovery: COVID-19 Crisis Through a Migration Lens
(2021).
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D.
Ensuring fair and ethical recruitment and decent work for
migrant workers
23. The pandemic underscored the crucial contributions of migrant workers, who
account for most international migrants, and exploitative practices against th em,
highlighting the importance of protecting migrant workers and recognizing their skills.
As migrant essential workers in health care and food production and distribution
systems toiled to keep people safe and fed, often in unsafe and indecent conditions
with insufficient protections, others lost jobs, livelihoods or regular status. Migrant
workers faced wage theft, reduced salaries, discriminatory dismissals, withholding of
benefits, forced unpaid leave and protracted separation from their families.
24. As efforts are made to end the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitate a truly global
and equitable recovery that guarantees fair and ethical recruitment and decent work
and invests in solutions that facilitate the mutual recognition and development of
skills, qualifications and competencies will be crucial. Several examples demonstrate
that it is possible. Bhutan, for instance, took action to enable migrant workers to
extend their stays or change employers. Azerbaijan automatically extended the
temporary residence permits of migrant workers during the pandemic. Viet Nam
prohibited the charging of recruitment fees to migrant workers. Tunisia enhanced
monitoring and enforcement capacity related to recruitment agencies. A coalition of
stakeholders launched the “Justice for Wage Theft” campaign to address unjust
withholding of migrant wages by their employers. Research and other collective
efforts have contributed to enhancing the evidence base for the assessment of
Sustainable Development Goal indicator 10.7.1. In 2020, Germany established a
central advisory service to promote the recognition of foreign qualifications. In Sri
Lanka, the Government and employers created a skills passport, which allowed
returning nationals to demonstrate formally and informally acquired skills. States also
continued to ratify fundamental labour instruments.
E.
Addressing smuggling and human trafficking and promoting
access to justice
25. There are indications that migrant smugglers can rapidly adapt to curtailed and
altered opportunities for regular migration by evading restrictions, identifying
remote, riskier routes and increasing smuggling fees. Emerging research on specific
migratory routes suggests that COVID-19 related interventions may have increased
demand for smuggling services over the medium to long term. Smuggling, especially
in its aggravated forms, can pose significant threats to the lives and welfare of
migrants. It may involve gendered human rights violations and abuses, such as higher
instances of forced labour reported for men and higher exposure to sexual violence
and abuse reported for women. Altered dynamics stemming from the pandemic may
pose new dangers and risks of aggravated smuggling.
10
Meanwhile, humanitarian
assistance to migrants in distress is too often criminalized as smuggling. Migrants
also represent a significant share of detected victims of trafficking in most regions.
Poverty and economic marginalization, heightened since the pandemic, are among the
key risk factors of trafficking in persons, including for children and young people.
__________________
10
See, for example, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “COVID-19 and the Smuggling of
Migrants: A Call for Safeguarding the Rights of Smuggled Migrants Facing Increased Risks and
Vulnerabilities” (Vienna, 2021) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
Abused and
Neglected: A Gender Perspective on Aggravated Migrant Smuggling Offences and Response
(2021).
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The COVID-19 context has complicated access and the provision of support to
victims of trafficking.
11
26. In 2020, States launched the Mechanism for the Review of the Implementation
of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the
Protocols thereto, two of which concern trafficking in persons and the smuggling of
migrants. In the 2020–2021 period, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against
Trafficking in Persons developed policy guidance on trafficking for the purposes of
forced labour, the non-punishment of victims of trafficking, preventing trafficking
through sustainable procurement and trafficking for the purpose of organ removal.
Armenia established programmes and Argentina establishe d specialized agencies to
assist and support victims of trafficking. Panama created a temporary humanitarian
protection permit for victims of trafficking.
27. Strengthening evidence on the evolving demand for and the characteristics of
smuggling and the incidence of trafficking is necessary for targeted policies and
protection interventions, including the bolstering of criminal justice responses.
Domestic legislation must recognize circumstances that endanger the lives or safety
of smuggled migrants, or that amount to inhuman and degrading treatment, as
aggravations. Despite the severity of abuses, few cases take aggravations into account
when prosecuting alleged smugglers and other criminals. States must eradicate
impunity and ensure that all responses and referrals are child- and gender-sensitive in
order to promote victim-centred protection and assistance.
F.
Advancing non-custodial alternatives to immigration detention
and steps towards ending child immigration detention
28. Policies, practices and conditions associated with immigration detention,
including arbitrary deprivation of liberty, overcrowding an d poor access to services,
profoundly affect physical and mental health, well-being and child development.
They undermine access to fair immigration processes and violate human rights. The
pandemic exposed and amplified the risks inherent in immigration de tention, where
physical distancing is nearly impossible, hygiene and protective equipment are
inadequate, human resources are stretched and misinformation is common.
29. The pandemic prompted States to adopt non-custodial alternatives. Some States
closed immigration detention facilities, suspended detention practices and released
migrants into non-custodial alternatives with access to health-care and other services;
some also enabled migrants to remain in regular status by extending visas. Others took
steps to improve conditions by implementing COVID-19 risk mitigation measures.
Some States implemented policy changes to phase out immigration detention and scale
up non-custodial alternatives. In June 2021, Belgium created a government department
to implement and promote alternatives to detention. In 2020, Mexico harmonized
legislation to prohibit child immigration detention. Thailand adopted a monitoring and
evaluation framework as part of its efforts to end child immigration detention.
30. Alongside encouraging steps, worrying trends have been observed. Some States
responded to the pandemic by detaining more migrants for longer periods, using
public health concerns to justify detention or unlawful deportation. Many States faced
practical challenges in ensuring rights-based alternatives to detention, particularly in
guaranteeing adequate living conditions and access to services for released migrants.
__________________
11
See, for example, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
Global Report on Trafficking in
Persons 2020
(United Nations publication, 2020) and United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime,
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Trafficking in Persons and Responses to the
Challenges
(2021).
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31. A strong evidence base on the effectiveness of alternatives exists as a result of
the dedicated efforts of government officials spearheading changes, health experts
researching impacts, case managers assisting migrants and migrants in non -custodial
alternatives. The pandemic allowed some countries to demonstrate how to govern
migration humanely and effectively without resorting to detention. States can learn
from those lessons and make liberty the norm by ending child immigration detention
and investing in non-custodial alternatives to ensure that detention is a measure of
last resort only.
G.
Improving consular assistance and protection capacity to support
all migrants
32. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the centrality of timely consular services
for safeguarding migrants’ rights throughout the migration cycle. The pandemic
exacerbated demands for consular services, putting capacities to the test as migrants
were deported, found themselves stranded, lost jobs and regular status, struggled to
recoup entitlements or contracted COVID-19. Regional reviews highlighted challenges
for delivering support to migrants, including in terms of coordination between consular
and diplomatic networks and limited resources and presence.
33. During the pandemic, several States made use of remote systems and digital
solutions and collaborated with stakeholders to accommodate demand for consular
assistance. Argentina strengthened consular support through its one -stop virtual
mechanism and collaborated with diaspora communities to provide food and housing.
In the Declaration on the Rights of Children in the Context of Migration of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of 2019, States agreed to
coordinate consular services.
34. Experience demonstrates the importance of strengthening consular protection,
assistance and cooperation to safeguard the rights and interests of migrants at all
times. Effective consular services for migrants, including those in irregular status, can
be extended by establishing new consulates, increasing trained staff, using digital
solutions, enhancing bilateral and multilateral agreements or involving stakeholders.
As countries revamp their consular systems, safeguarding privacy and protecting
personal data remain vital.
H.
Harnessing migrant contributions
35. Knowledge is extensive on how migrants and diasporas enrich societies through
human, socioeconomic and cultural capacities and contribute in their countries of
origin and destination to sustainable development outcomes for their families and
communities. The pandemic reinforced this understanding as migrants and diaspora
communities used their competencies to address challenges. The Pakistani diaspora
health initiative developed a digital platform for diaspora health professionals to
provide online consultations and training. Diaspora organizations also translated
guidance materials and supported outreach and information campaigns.
36. The pandemic offers lessons on how to improve conditions fo r migrants and the
diaspora to contribute to societies. In creating enabling environments, many States
have established diaspora engagement policies to facilitate the contributions of the
diaspora in countries of origin or destination, while some States re ference migration,
migrants or diaspora communities in their development plans. In 2020, following
extensive consultation with migrants and diaspora communities, the Republic of
Moldova rolled out the “Diaspora Succeeds at Home” programme, which offers gra nts
to local governments and aims to make emigration work for local development. A
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number of European States support the MEETAfrica initiative, which encourages
members of the African diaspora in France and Germany to create businesses in their
countries of origin. Other States, however, have acknowledged the lack of supportive
policies for the diaspora.
I.
Promoting faster, cheaper remittances and fostering financial inclusion
37. Despite the pandemic, remittances remained resilient, defying predictions and
confirming that migrants endeavour to send money to their families even when in
severe hardship. More than 800 million people living in over 125 countries are reliant
on migrants sending money home.
12
In 2020, officially recorded remittances to low-
and middle-income countries amounted to $549 billion, which is only 1.7 per cent
below the total for 2019, while remittance flows to such countries are projected to
reach $589 billion in 2021.
13
38. Initiatives were launched to support the continued flow of remittances in the
light of the pandemic. The multi-stakeholder Remittance Community Task Force
advised Governments and the remittance industry, including through its “Blueprint
for Action” report on how to spur the recovery and resilience of remittance transfers
in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and a policy brief on the impact of
COVID-19 on family remittances that was published by the Network. Thirty -three
countries joined a call to action initiated by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland and Switzerland on remittances in crisis. Many countries declared
remittances to be essential services and eased regulations. To facilitate greater
digitalization, remittance senders were offered incentives and remittance transaction
fees were abolished or waived. The Group of 20 Global Partnership for Financial
Inclusion improved reporting and monitoring on remittance transfer costs, the
digitalization of remittance services and the impact of crises on remittances within
the context of their national remittance plans. In several African countries, national
networks were established to enable relevant public, private and development
partners to address challenges in national remittance markets in the context of the
pandemic and develop joint road maps. Kenya launched its first online survey on
Kenyan diaspora remittances in order to advance the role of remittances in supporting
livelihoods and economic development.
39. Preliminary information shows that migrants increased their use of regulated
and digital channels, reducing transfer costs in several remittance corridors.
14
Digital
channels depend on sound infrastructure and on digital and financial inclusion, which
are unevenly developed across countries and in urban and rural settings. Women
struggle disproportionately to gain access to finances and mobile -enabled data, even
though they rely more on remittances than men do.
40. The pandemic has offered lessons on how to improve the remittance market,
including by expanding the use of digital channels, promoting innovation,
competition and transparency, reducing transaction costs and increasing digital and
financial inclusion. Measures to reduce remittance transfer fees and i ncrease the
productive use of remittances should be informed by sound data collection on the
transfer and use of remittances and by diaspora engagement. While digitalization can
__________________
12
13
14
United Nations Network on Migration, “International Day of Family Remittances: the global
pandemic highlights the crucial role of remittances for migrant families”, 16 June 2020.
Available at
https://migrationnetwork.un.org/statements/international-day-family-remittances-
global-pandemic-highlights-crucial-role-remittances.
World Bank Group,
Recovery: COVID-19 Crisis Through a Migration Lens
(2021).
International Fund for Agricultural Development and Wo rld Bank, “Resilience in the market for
international remittances during the COVID-19 crisis” (2021).
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support the continuity of remittance flows in crisis situations, regulated cas h-based
remittance services must be maintained to address challenges in the provision of
digital remittance-related services. When supported by coherent policies and
priorities and complemented by private sector and civil society initiatives, such shifts
can help to achieve relevant Sustainable Development Goal targets, in particular
target 10.c, including for women and rural dwellers.
J.
Promoting social protection and the portability of entitlements
41. When the pandemic triggered job losses, forced people into unpaid leave,
decreased savings and prompted returns, the importance of ensuring the right to
inclusive, accessible social protection and the effective portability of benefits and
entitlements became even more apparent.
42. States adopted agreements to address those issues. Belarus and the Republic of
Moldova signed a social security agreement in 2019 to facilitate the portability of
pension entitlements for returning nationals. The same year, the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam endorsed a road map for
implementing a ministerial declaration on the portability of social security for migrant
workers. In 2020, Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers and
social partners adopted a set of guidelines on the portability of social security
benefits. The resolution concerning the second recurrent discussion on social
protection adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 109th session
included recommendations on the portability of social protection for migrant workers.
43. Despite notable practices, exclusion, barriers to eligibility, unimplemented
frameworks and limited cross-border cooperation continue to affect the coverage and
portability of social security benefits and other entitlements. Concerted efforts to
promote bilateral or multilateral partnerships, implement existing frameworks and
develop new agreements are needed to enable migrant workers of all skill levels an d
their families to enjoy their right to social protection and other entitlements and benefits.
K.
Collecting and utilizing accurate and disaggregated data as a basis
for evidence-based policies
44. During the regional reviews, many States raised the salience of reliable and
disaggregated data for implementing the commitments of the Compact through
evidence-based policies and actions. The pandemic complicated efforts to collect
migration data, including from the round of censuses carried out in 2020. For instance,
many census operations were postponed as person-to-person contact was not possible
during enumeration. Still, some initiatives to improve migration statistics, including
their timeliness, coverage, disaggregation and comparability, continued .
45. In 2021, the Statistical Commission endorsed a conceptual framework and
definitions for the revision of its recommendations on statistics on international
migration. The framework emphasizes data needs for national policymaking, captures
new migration patterns and data sources and will underpin statistical capacity -
building. In 2020 and 2021, the United Nations launched various projects in Africa,
Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean aimed at strengthening
national capacity to collect and compile migration data and enhance understanding of
their use and limitations for policy formulation, implementation and monitoring of
applicable Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda.
46. Efforts were made to strengthen the capacity of regional cooperation
mechanisms, such as ASEAN and SADC, to collect labour migration data. In 2020, a
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cross-sectoral global coalition launched the International Data Alliance for Children
on the Move to mitigate data gaps and use statistics to protect the rights of migrant
children. Two data centres were established in Africa: the African Centre for the Study
and Research on Migration in Mali and the African Migration Observatory in
Morocco. In 2021, the African Union and partners launched the African Migration
Data Network to promote continental exchange and initiatives on migration data.
47. Data gaps persist. A recent global survey suggests that, in general, statistical
capacity is relatively stronger in areas such as labour and long-term migration,
followed by return migration, whereas gaps exist in the areas of irregular migration
and citizens living abroad.
15
Data collection and analysis gaps also exist in thematic
areas such as migration and health, and age and gender. Other challenges highlighted
during the regional reviews and the International Forum on Migration Statistics held
in 2020 concerned outdated, incompatible or inadequate sources and systems for data
collection, disaggregation and centralization, as well as limited digital capacity. In
order to overcome existing gaps and to address COVID -19-related challenges, work
towards the establishment of a global programme on migration data must continue,
as called for in the Compact. All efforts related to data collection and sharing must
uphold the right to privacy.
III. Looking ahead to the International Migration Review Forum
48. As approaches to international migration are recalibrated, drawing insights from
the pandemic, actions must be accelerated where systemic gaps persist, inequities
have widened and cooperation and partnerships are essential for tackling existing and
emerging challenges. The present section elaborates on the progress, practices and
recommendations discussed above and highlights further policy priorities for
consideration by the Forum.
A.
Promoting inclusive societies and including migrants in COVID-19
response and recovery
49. The pandemic underscored systemic challenges to the safety, dignity, human
rights and well-being of migrants stemming from the failure to fully include them in
society and eliminate discrimination. By contrast, there have been hopeful signs, with
States revising policies and practices to better protect migrants, both in the context of
the COVID-19 pandemic and more generally.
50. Migrants struggled to gain access to basic services, such as health care, despite
being disproportionately exposed to COVID-19 as a result of their living conditions and
employment in essential jobs or other sectors where opportunities for teleworking or
social distancing are limited or non-existent. Barriers to access to basic services included
discriminatory laws and policies, inconsistent practice, inaccessible information,
exclusion based on legal status, lack of documentation, fears of health repercussions,
fears of immigration enforcement when gaining access to services, and digital divides.
Such barriers often operated in concert or were amplified by greater demands on the
limited capacity of institutions and actors to provide those basic services,
misinformation and stigma, and lockdowns and other pandemic-related interventions.
16
51. COVID-19 vaccination policies and programmes also reflected varying degrees of
inclusivity. In a review conducted between February and March 2021 of 104 national
__________________
15
16
See
E/CN.3/2021/11.
See, for example, World Health Organization,
Refugees and Migrants in Times of COVID-19:
Mapping Trends of Public Health and Migration Policies and Practices
(Geneva, 2021).
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deployment vaccination plans submitted to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access
(COVAX) Facility, it was found that only 28 per cent of those plans included migrants
and that even fewer (17 per cent) explicitly included migrants in irregular situations.
17
52. Even when inclusive frameworks exist at the national or subnational levels, they
do not always lead to migrants having access to them in practice. In the urban and
rural localities in which migrants reside, sometimes on their margins, local
implementation efforts remain essential.
53. In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many States strengthened access to
health-care services for migrants. Some States adopted or revised frameworks and
provided access to COVID-19 testing, vaccination or treatment, sometimes free of
charge. Some adopted flexible policies to enable migrants to remain in a regular status
and have access to health-care and other services. Many States and local authorities
launched awareness-raising initiatives and translated COVID-19-related information
into multiple languages to mitigate health risks and improve health -care accessibility.
As of September 2021, preliminary data indicated that, in practice, 132 of 177
countries were providing access to vaccinations for migrants in regular status.
18
54. States also facilitated access to other basic services. In the context of the
COVID-19 pandemic, Egypt exempted migrant children from the prerequisite of a
valid residency permit for enrolling in the 2020/21 academic year. The city of Milan,
Italy, adopted a 2020–2022 strategic plan to improve access to good-quality
education, other services and social inclusion for all Milanese children, including
migrants, and established a multifaceted service centre for unaccom panied migrant
children in 2019.
55. In addition, migrants were inconsistently covered by pandemic -related
socioeconomic support and recovery measures, despite losing jobs and income and
struggling to meet basic needs. In 2019, Uzbekistan established a social support
system for Uzbek migrant workers residing abroad. Ecuador adopted a comprehensive
plan for the care and protection of Venezuelan nationals during 2020–2021 to enhance
their access to services and socioeconomic inclusion. Ireland provided access to
social welfare services for workers from outside the European Union or the European
Economic Area who had lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Saint Kitts and
Nevis included migrants in socioeconomic support and recovery measures. In
La Unión, El Salvador, local authorities and migrants developed a socioeconomic
response plan to address the effects of the pandemic on households with migrant
family members. Tajikistan broadened its humanitarian cash transfer programme
vulnerability list to include the children and families of migran t workers.
56. Policies or programmes on basic services, social protection or recovery are far
too often limited to migrants with a regular status. Even when migrants in irregular
situations are included, they continue to face practical hurdles, owing to f ears of arrest,
detention and deportation, inaccessible information, lack of requisite documents or the
inconsistent implementation of those policies or programmes. Some States and
stakeholders sought to mitigate such barriers. In 2020, the Maldivian Red Crescent
established a migrant support centre that engaged migrant volunteers, issued migrants
with beneficiary cards and agreed with local authorities not to share information on
immigration status. Many national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies provid ed
relief, cash and translation assistance, as well as medical, psychosocial and other
services, to migrants, regardless of their migration status. The provision of life -saving
humanitarian assistance to migrants should never be criminalized.
__________________
17
18
World Health Organization, “COVID-19 immunization in refugees and migrants: principles and
key considerations”, interim guidance (31 August 2021).
See International Organization for Migration, “Migrant inclusion in COVID -19 vaccination
campaigns”, updated on 10 September 2021.
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57. Efforts to reform policies, practices and discourse must confront xenophobia
and disinformation on migration and migrants and dismantle structural, systemic and
institutional forms of discrimination. Myths, misperceptions and discrimination
against migrants persist. Narratives that falsely associate migrants with criminal
activities or play to anti-immigrant anxieties should never be used to justify policies
and practices. During the pandemic, migrants faced hate speech, racial slurs, stigma
and violence, as well as discriminatory policies and programmes that impaired their
well-being.
58. Various States and stakeholders have sought to tackle those issues. In 2019,
Colombia adopted legislation to outlaw the use of xenophobic narratives about
Venezuelan migrant and refugee communities. Also in 2019, Chad established a
network of journalists to strengthen media coverage and counter misinformation
through evidence-based migration narratives. The “It Takes a Community” campaign,
co-chaired by Canada, Ecuador and the Mayors Mechanism of the Global Forum on
Migration and Development, convenes national and local Governments, businesses,
civil society and international organizations to promote balanced, evidence -based
narratives on migration that show that migrants help to cr eate productive, safe and
welcoming communities.
59. Shifts towards greater inclusion of migrants observed in the context of the
pandemic and beyond demonstrate that progress can be made. Such actions align with
the vision and guiding principles of the Compact and recognize the interconnectedness
of human beings. The benefits can resonate across societies. Those lessons must be
heeded and the opportunity must be seized to catalyse change and work towards the
elimination of inequities for migrants and their children and families.
B.
Promoting safe and regular migration
60. The COVID-19 pandemic has eroded well-established channels of entry for
migrants worldwide, bringing entire immigration systems to a standstill with
attendant delays and lags in their re-establishment, even though demand for migrant
workers remains strong and adverse and complex drivers of migration persist. As
Governments recalibrate migration governance systems (paying attention to the
intensifying impacts of climate change, growing demands for migrant labour across
skill levels, and the knowledge and competencies of returning migrants), rights-based
regular pathways, sustainable reintegration and predictability are vital for realizing
the Compact’s promise and target 10.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals
(Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migratio n and mobility of people,
including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration
policies). States have shown how to do this, including by adopting flexible policies
to prevent migrants from falling into irregular status, regularizing t he status of
migrants in irregular situations and facilitating pathways for entry and stay, including
for family reunification or work.
61. Fulfilling the commitment to expanding and diversifying pathways for safe,
orderly and regular migration is critical for preventing and addressing vulnerabilities
throughout the migration journey. While options to enter and stay, including to work,
reunite with family members or regularize status, have never been available
unconditionally, the resumption of cross-border movements for vaccinated people
while many countries struggle to inoculate a fraction of their population foreshadows
widening inequities. Providing migrants at different skill levels and in different
situations of vulnerability with opportunities for en try and stay reduces the need to
move, live or work in unsafe or irregular conditions.
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62. In the context of the pandemic, Costa Rica regularized the status of migrant
workers in irregular status who were affected by the pandemic, enabling them to
obtain a job in the agricultural sector. The Republic of Korea extended certain
employment contracts and visas. In 2020, Portugal granted temporary residence status
to more than 350,000 migrants, providing them with access to health care, social
support and other rights at the same level as citizens. Thailand granted visa extensions
to about 1 million migrant workers from Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic and Myanmar, and other migrants were granted automatic visa extensions.
In 2021, the United Kingdom launched a programme allowing international students
with graduate degrees to apply for jobs at any skill level. In 2020, Chile approved an
immigration law to strengthen children’s rights in the context of migration, which
includes a special visa for children and permits children to enter the territory without
travel documentation and prohibits immigration sanctions against children.
63. In 2021, Colombia adopted a temporary protection regime for Venezuelan
nationals wishing to remain in Colombia. The protection visa is valid for 10 years and
includes an identification document that facilitates access to rights and services. The
Netherlands temporarily extended the period for victims of trafficking to report abuse
to the police. In 2020, the Plurinational State of Bolivia adopted a policy to regularize
migrants with irregular status, including Venezuelan children. In 2019, Algeria
adopted a framework to allow migrants at border crossings to obtain a “regularization
visa” in humanitarian situations.
64. The Compact also explicitly addresses regular migration pathways for people
affected by environmental drivers, and a number of States and stakeholders are taking
initial steps to make such pathways a reality. In 2020, the Intergovernmental Authority
on Development adopted a protocol on the free movement of persons that includes
provisions allowing persons affected by disasters to enter and stay in other countries
in the region. In the Pacific region, States, United Nations agencies, the Pacific
Islands Forum Secretariat and other actors support a human rights-based regional
approach to human mobility associated with climate change, including by facilitating
labour migration. In 2021, the United States of America recommended the creation of
a legal pathway for humanitarian protection for people facing serious threats to their
lives because of climate change.
65. Ensuring that any return and readmission are safe and dignified and in accordance
with obligations under international law and that reintegration into home communities
is sustainable is of prominent concern, including in the context of the pandemic.
COVID-19, border closures and other restrictions have made the return, readmission
and reintegration of migrants more complex. In some cases, States have fo rcibly
returned migrants with insufficient regard for health risks or due process and procedural
safeguards, including children’s best interests. Mobility and other restrictions and
capacity limitations constrained the return of migrants who wished to retu rn.
66. Some States suspended forced returns altogether, while others supported the
repatriation of their nationals. Mongolia thus facilitated the return of Mongolian nationals
stranded abroad and provided reintegration assistance through vocational traini ng
courses, access to job placements and basic services. In 2020, the Philippines provided
transportation assistance and a mobile help desk to support its returning nationals.
67. Some migrants who returned have faced reintegration challenges from
overburdened and underequipped health systems, contracting labour markets and
discrimination and stigma. Returning migrants have also struggled to gain access to
decent work opportunities and reintegration support.
68. Some States have supported reintegration and recognized the opportunity to
leverage the skills and knowledge acquired by their returning nationals. In 2020, Viet
Nam launched a “one-stop” office to strengthen capacity to support returning migrant
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women, including through the provision of economic support for reintegration. Nepal
provides a minimum of 100 days of employment per year to unemployed people,
including migrants returning from abroad and those who lost their jobs because of the
pandemic. In 2020, Honduras, United Nations agencies and stakeholders provided
specific reintegration services for returned girls and boys.
69. Clear rules and procedures are equally crucial for re-establishing predictable
pathways for admission, stay and work, for return and readmission and for
safeguarding rights, including at borders. The pandemic led to the introduction of
extraordinary levels of travel and route restrictions, as well as massive delays in visa
processing. New COVID-19 waves and variants and shifting conditions for
admission, stay and work, as well as discriminatory travel bans in a world of vaccine
inequity, continue to disrupt and complicate international migration.
70. Requirements introduced during the pandemic are being consolidated in
modified immigration and border procedures that include, to a greater extent, health
considerations. Disparities in getting access to regular pathways may be heightened
if evolving public health requirements serve as a foundation for increasingly
restrictive policies. Ensuring that any adjustments to immigration and border
management procedures, including digitalization and the use of new technologies,
continue to uphold rights and non-discriminatory opportunities for safe and regular
migration remains vital, so that the most vulnerable do not face the toughest b arriers.
71. Migrants face risks and may be subject to harm throughout the migration
journey, owing in part to a lack of proof of legal identity, insufficient access to
information and lack of predictability in migration procedures. Fulfilling the
commitments on proof of legal identity, accurate and timely information and
predictability is essential for facilitating regular migration and reducing
vulnerabilities in the migration process, as it empowers migrants to gain access to
services and enjoy their rights.
72. The commitment to providing proof of legal identity received relatively limited
attention during regional reviews, despite its foundational role in fulfilling many other
commitments, including access to regular pathways and a safe and dignified return,
and its importance for advancing Sustainable Development Goal target 16.9 (By 2030,
provide legal identity for all, including birth registration). With regular pathways out
of reach, migrants who lack proof of legal identity may resort to irregular channels,
frustrating the Compact’s vision and target 10.7 of the 2030 Agenda and entrenching
existing inequalities. Well-functioning civil registration systems, including with the
capacity to register births and issue documents abroad through consular networks, are
crucial for safe, orderly and regular migration. In countries such as Colombia and
Ecuador, efforts to provide proof of legal identity for migrants have received
considerable support.
73. Promoting regular migration and sustainable reintegration requires a
multifaceted approach, embodying many of the commitments that States have ma de
in the Compact. Accelerating actions in those areas must be an essential aspect of
inclusive recovery.
C.
Preventing loss of life and other tragedies during migration
74. States and stakeholders must reduce vulnerabilities that undermine the human
rights and well-being of migrants and their families, including tragedies that stem from
irregular migration and responses to it. Migrants continue to die, disappear or suffer
along perilous routes that traverse hostile environments on land and at sea, at borders
and in countries of destination. While actual figures are likely to be higher, between
January 2019 and 24 November 2021, more than 8,436 migrant deaths were recorded
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globally, while a further 5,534 migrants went missing and are presumed dead.
19
The
images of a deceased child migrant washing up on a shore or the burial mound of a
young person in the freezing forested buffer zone between two countries do not convey
the reality for migrants, who continue to die or suffer during their migration journeys.
The profound consequences for families span psychosocial, economic, legal and
administrative challenges. More must be done to put a stop to such preventable tragedies.
75. It is concerning that the loss of migrant lives received relatively limited attention
in the regional reviews. Indeed, since the adoption of the Compact, the commitment
to saving lives and establishing coordinated international efforts on missing migrants
has yet to be translated into meaningful action. The Proyecto Frontera along the
Central American migration route is one initiative in which State authorities and civil
society organizations cooperate to search and identify missing migrants. Efforts to
identify shipwreck victims in Tunisia also serve as an example of State and
stakeholder efforts.
76. Rescue at sea is a basic humanitarian imperative. The absence of clear, safe and
predictable disembarkation mechanisms for rescued people continues to pose
avoidable risks to life in some parts of the world. A global community of practitioners
has developed guidance documents to assist States and other stakeholders in the
implementation of objective 8 of the Compact (Save lives and establish coordinated
international efforts on missing migrants), including regarding the creation of
transnational search mechanisms.
77. Efforts must be extended to preventing deaths and suffering through systemic
and policy changes that address the risks inherent to migration framewor ks. Practices
that exploit people’s situations of vulnerability for political, economic or other ends,
precipitating avertible humanitarian consequences and human rights violations, must
be eliminated.
78. The human rights and humane treatment of migrants must remain at the centre
of all actions. The experience of migrants and their families can provide invaluable
insights for translating stated commitments into effective action. All actors must
engage together in dialogue and analysis and inculcate cooper ation and partnerships
to act in solidarity with and for all people, as part of the collective work to realize the
benefits of migration for all.
IV. United Nations system institutional arrangements in
support of the Compact
79. The United Nations Network on Migration coordinates system-wide support for
States in the implementation of, follow-up to and review of the Compact at the
national, regional and global levels. It offers a platform for stakeholders to engage in
dialogue and the development of tools and guidance in support of the implementation
of the Compact.
20
80. From the outset, the Principals of the Network’s Executive Committee agreed
on core priorities for the implementation of the Compact at the national, regional and
global levels, including delivering on its call for establishing a capacity-building
__________________
19
20
See
https://missingmigrants.iom.int/.
Missing Migrants Project data reflect documented incidents
involving a death or disappearance during migration both on land and at sea; however, it
excludes deaths that occur in immigration detention facilities or after deportation to a migrant’s
homeland, as well as deaths more loosely connected with migrants’ irregular status, such as those
resulting from labour exploitation.
All guidance and tools referenced in the present section are available on the Network’s website at
https://migrationnetwork.un.org/.
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mechanism with a connection hub, a start-up fund and a global knowledge platform.
The Network established thematic priorities in relation to which the United Nations
system could support the implementation of specific objectives of the Compact, while
also adapting to the challenges of the pandemic. Those include multi -stakeholder
work streams, such as on climate change and migration and on the inclusion of
migrants in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Biannual meetings of the
Principals continue to direct the Network’s activities.
81. The Network collaborates closely with the Development Coordination Office of
the United Nations and the resident coordinator system and, more broadly, lever ages
the recent reforms of the United Nations development system for greater impact. The
Network has developed guidance and training for United Nations country teams on
how to support the implementation of the Compact, including through the integration
of migration into the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation
Framework and elaborating on the role of the Compact in achieving the 2030 Agenda.
Training was piloted in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Morocco,
Thailand and Ukraine and is being adjusted to incorporate lessons learned.
82. The Network developed guidance for Governments and stakeholders to
implement the Compact. The guidance suggests a six-step process for implementing
the Compact objectives and guiding principles, while recognizing the need for a
context-driven, flexible approach. The guidance also highlights the importance of
developing national action plans, based on inclusive consultations, aligned with
international law and national development plans.
83. To mainstream the Compact in national planning and implementation, including
within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, more than 50 country networks were
established and integrated into over one third of the United Nations country teams
across the globe. The country networks align with the repositioning of the United
Nations development system and provide coordinated support from the United
Nations system on migration. In Bangladesh, the Network supported the Government
in responding to the impact of COVID-19 on Bangladeshi migrants, convened
workshops to solicit inputs for the national action plan on Compact implementation
and produced evidence to support interventions. Country networks advised
Governments on their voluntary reviews of the Compact and organiz ed consultations
with civil society. In addition, six regional networks were established to strengthen
regional and subregional cooperation and supported the regional reviews.
84. As a component of the capacity-building mechanism, the Network established
the migration multi-partner trust fund in 2019, the first United Nations inter-agency
pooled funding instrument in the field of migration.
21
Aligned with the 2030 Agenda,
the programmatic scope of the trust fund embraces the 360-degree approach of the
Compact, clustering all 23 objectives under five thematic areas. The steering
committee of the fund includes countries of origin, destination and transit, donors,
stakeholders and Network entities. It is chaired by the Director-General of IOM as
the Network Coordinator, who ensures that the fund is governed in an inclusive and
transparent manner. Programmes supported by the fund are designed and
implemented by Governments and stakeholders, including civil society, migrants and
communities. A results-based framework tracks the alignment of programmes with
the Compact’s guiding principles through a set of indicators.
85. As at the end of November 2021, 12 joint programmes that involved countries
from different regions and brought together 12 participating United Nations
organizations had been funded. The programmes focus on governance of labour
migration, migration data, families remaining in countries of origin, trafficking in
__________________
21
See
https://migrationnetwork.un.org/mptf.
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persons, border management and social cohesion, managing health risks, migration
in the context of disasters and climate change, recruitment and reintegration, and
capacity-building for local governments to strengthen socioeconomic integration.
86. From the 113 concept notes submitted, the steering committee has identified 34
joint programmes, 10 of which are ready for implementation. The large number of
concept notes indicates a strong demand from States. As of November 2021,
$30 million had been contributed by 12 donors, although strong funding momentum
stalled during 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
87. The Migration Network Hub, launched in March 2021, is a virtual, interactive
“meeting space” where Governments, stakeholders and experts can gain access to,
request and share migration-related information and services. It hosts up-to-date,
peer-reviewed and curated research, evidence and analyses on all aspects of
migration, including Network knowledge products. The interface is organized along
the objectives and guiding principles of the Compact, as well as by geographical
scope. It includes more than 1,000 resources, in several United Nations languages,
which have been reviewed by a regionally balanced peer-review mechanism. The hub
also provides online discussion spaces, a repository of practices and a database of
over 1,150 registered experts. Additional funding is needed to ensure sustainability
and create a more user-friendly interface.
88. Thematic working groups, leveraging United Nations and multi-stakeholder
expertise and capacity, developed products to support the realization of specific
objectives of the Compact and issued common Network positions. For instance, the
Network issued a policy brief on COVID-19 and immigration detention and knowledge
products on alternatives to immigration detention and organized peer-learning
exchanges with States; a guidance note on regular pathways for admission and stay for
migrants in situations of vulnerability; guidance to support States in negotiating,
designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating rights-based bilateral labour
migration agreements; a position paper and related tools on ensuring a safe an d dignified
return and sustainable reintegration, which includes common principles to guide
coordinated action; and a policy brief on enhancing access to services for migrants in
the context of COVID-19 preparedness, prevention, and response and beyond.
89. As elaborated in section II, the Network supported the organization of regional
reviews of the implementation of the Compact for the member States of the regional
commissions of the United Nations. Similarly, the Network, through its regional
networks, facilitated stakeholder consultations and participation in the regional reviews.
90. Efforts were undertaken to broaden stakeholder inclusion and leverage their
expertise. Stakeholders co-led or participated in working groups. The Network
coordinated online webinars and listening sessions on mobility in the time of
COVID-19 and quarterly consultations, which engaged stakeholders across the world,
including grass-roots organizations and young people. Selected regional and country
networks created structured opportunities for stakeholder engagement.
91. The Network supported States during the negotiations of the 2021 ministerial
declaration of the high-level political forum on sustainable development. The
Network also supported the Commission on Crime Prevent ion and Criminal Justice
of the Economic and Social Council and the Global Forum on Remittances,
Investment and Development. Ahead of the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of
the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, th e
Network issued a statement on migration scenarios in a changing climate, working
collaboratively with migration and climate change stakeholders.
92. Looking ahead, now that it has established itself through its workplans,
increased presence at the regional and national levels and efforts to strengthen
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collaboration, engagement and linkages, the Network has the potential to expand
support for States and stakeholders in a more sustained manner. Increasingly, it issues
timely statements and positions, speaking with one voice on critical aspects of
migration and migrant rights.
V. Conclusion and recommendations
93. States and stakeholders are encouraged to pledge concrete actions for the
implementation of the Compact, where possible in advance of the first International
Migration Review Forum. This will be critical in ensuring tangible progress in
moving forward with this cooperative framework for the benefit of all.
94. The progress declaration will provide an opportunity for States to reaffirm th eir
commitment to the implementation of the Compact and to develop actionable
recommendations that address systemic, emerging and unanticipated challenges in
migration governance.
95. The human rights of migrants and the prosperity and well-being of communities
should be at the centre of all that is done. This includes meaningfully engaging
migrants and host communities, including children and young people, in decisions
that concern them. Today’s world is more interdependent than ever and faces
intractable and unpredictable challenges, which are undermining the social contract
upon which collective peace and progress depend. More stable, equitable and just
societies cannot be built and such challenges cannot be overcome if the participation,
contributions or well-being of some are ignored. In particular, narratives that depict
migrants solely in terms of the perceived benefits that they bring, as a burden or,
worse, as a threat, deny them dignity and agency. They also expose them to
discrimination and danger and are contrary to the overwhelming evidence that
migration contributes to shared prosperity.
96. The present report shows how Governments can put in place laws, policies and
practices consistent with the commitments and guiding principles of the Compact and
how they can lead by example, demonstrating our common humanity. We have shown
that we can do better, and we must.
97. Throughout the present report, recommendations are provided on how to ensure
safe, orderly and regular migration and fulfil the pro mise of the Compact, in
accordance with its vision and guiding principles. Additional actionable
recommendations are elaborated upon below, recognizing that cooperation and
partnerships remain essential for their achievement.
A.
Promoting inclusive societies and including migrants in COVID-19
response and recovery
98. States and stakeholders are urged to ensure that all migrants are granted and
enabled to gain access to essential health services and continuity of care, including
COVID-19 vaccinations, testing and treatment, regardless of migration status, and in
line with the principles of universal health coverage.
99. States are urged to ensure that migrants and returning migrants are included in
development, social protection, and socioeconomic response and recovery
frameworks, drawing on lessons learned from the pandemic.
100. States are urged to establish mechanisms to separate immigration enforcement
activities from service provision, including access to basic services.
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B.
Promoting safe and regular migration
101. States are urged to cooperate through State-led and other regional, subregional
and cross-regional processes and platforms to expand and diversify rights -based
pathways for regular migration. Such efforts should be grounded in labour market
realities and decent work; promote pathways for migrants affected by disasters,
climate change and environmental degradation and other migrants in vulnerable
situations; and facilitate family reunification and regularization f or migrants in
irregular situations.
102. States are urged to comply with the obligation of non-refoulement at borders
and to stop forced returns in situations where the health, safety, dignity and human
rights of migrants and communities of origin and transit cannot be safeguarded. At all
times, States are urged to uphold the best interests of children.
103. States are urged to cooperate with other States and local governments, including
through their consular and diplomatic missions, to uphold the right to proof of legal
identity for all migrants, regardless of status, by ensuring that all children are
registered at birth and by providing identification documents to prove legal identity
and facilitate access to services, participation and protection of r ights.
C.
Preventing loss of life and other tragedies during migration
104. States are urged to develop clear, safe and predictable disembarkation
mechanisms for rescued people, whereby coastal States take equal responsibility in
providing a place of safety, in accordance with international law, joined in solidarity
by other States, in lieu of ad hoc approaches that undermine human rights, including
the right to life.
105. States are urged to comply with their international obligations at borders an d
along migratory routes and to safeguard human rights, counteracting the erosion of
humane and rights-based border management systems and deterrence-based
approaches.
106. States are urged to stop obstructing humanitarian efforts aimed at providing life -
saving assistance and criminalizing those who provide such humanitarian assistance,
including by ensuring that criminal liability for migrant smuggling is in accordance
with international law.
107. States are urged to assess the consequences of restrictive, deterrence-based
migration-related laws, policies and practices and to revise those, as necessary, to
mitigate potential negative consequences.
D.
Building capacity
108. States are encouraged to meet the migration multi-partner trust fund
capitalization target of $70 million by the time of the International Migration Review
Forum in 2022, and to use it to reflect on thematic priorities and provide guidance on
the strategic direction of the trust fund, to cement its relevance and potential and to
sustain support.
109. States are encouraged to integrate migration as a core, cross-cutting issue in
sustainable development and other applicable frameworks, including by developing
ambitious national plans to implement the Compact, to strengthen its implemen tation,
follow-up and review.
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110. States are encouraged to consider how to develop benchmarks and mechanisms
to measure progress on, and monitor the implementation of, the commitments in the
Compact, taking account of existing mechanisms, such as the Sus tainable
Development Goal indicator framework, where relevant.
111. States, the United Nations system and stakeholders are encouraged to use the
Migration Network Hub systematically to promote the cross-fertilization and
exchange of ideas and disseminate information and good practices, including as they
relate to priority issues, in order to fulfil the commitments made by States in the
Compact.
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