BELGIUM/FILE: African ministers join First Global Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels

Record ID: 452985

  • Title: BELGIUM/FILE: African ministers join First Global Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels
  • Date: 11th July 2007
  • Summary: UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON ARRIVING, SITTING DOWN PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES OF BAN BAN TALKING TO BELGIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS KAREL DE GUCHT
  • Embargoed: 26th July 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2ZB71H516P4YL1J6AILTCOYID
  • Story Text: African ministers and delegates joined colleagues from all over the world to share their experiences of immigration and try to find solutions to better benefit from the influx of thousands of potential employees.
    African delegates gathered in Brussels on Tuesday (July 10) for the first Global Forum on Migration and Development.
    The two-day forum will hear from officials from some 145 countries, who hope to produce ideas for non-binding initiatives and policy guidelines to better channel migration.
    For the African ministers present at the forum, only economic development in the countries of origin of migrants could help slow down the flow of those trying to make a better living abroad.
    ''This forum is very important, especially for Libya, because solutions need to be found as far as development is concerned in the countries of origin of migrants. Libya is also a country of transit for migrants, so we always want to give a great importance to those questions of immigration,'' Ali Saleh Elrishi, the Libyan minister of expatriation, immigration and refugees, said.
    Libya has been used as a country of transit for migrants from the African continent. Most of the migrants landing on Italian shores have started their journeys in Libya.
    The ministers also said they want to encourage their citizens living abroad to take a greater part in the development of their country of origin.
    ''In the first government of the Republic Democratic of Congo, we named a vice minister in charge of Congolese living abroad to show that migration should be a factor of development for our country and to involve our dispersed people in the reconstruction of our country. I think this forum can only be of great importance and that's why we are taking part in it,'' Colette Tshomba, the DRC vice minister in charge of Congolese living abroad, said.
    Immigration is also a hot topic for the small republic of Djibouti. Migrants represent more than fifteen percent of the inhabitants and come mainly from Ethiopia. Djibouti has recently seen a growing number of migrants from Somalia, who came to escape unrest.
    Hassan Omar Mohamed, the head of Djibouti delegation, says there are 100,000 illegal immigrants in Djibouti out of a total of 600,000.
    ''For immigration to slow down more or less, you will need development projects in the countries where migrants come from. Until you have that, we think there will be no other solution. Immigration is more a development problem than a political problem,'' Mohamed believed.
    Opening the Forum, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said more and more people will migrate in the foreseeable future and an increasing number of countries will be part of the migration system.
    Ban paid homage to the migrants and called for a better respect of their human rights.
    ''They clean our homes, harvest our crops, labour in our industry. They perform many of the most essential tasks that underguard our well-being. Yet, they work in sectors of the economy where they are vulnerable to exploitation, discrimination or worse. And we learn to make migration work for development and we must learn to protect the rights of migrants,'' Ban said.
    Whether his message will be heard in European capitals remains to be seen.
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