The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, has called for a definitive and durable solution for the thousands of migrant workers who risk their lives in a search of a decent future.
“Stopgap measures to halt the flows of migrants only scratch the surface of the problem. We need to go deeper into the root causes that force people to put their lives in danger in order to find work and security in foreign lands,” said Ryder. “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that these are people who need our help now.”
The overcrowded boat that capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday likely resulting in many casualties is just the latest tragic incident that highlights the need for effective and urgent action, not just in this part of the world but in other migration corridors as well.
A durable solution to this on-going crisis must include several elements:
* more and better jobs must be created in countries of origin;
* greater consideration must be given to the establishment of regular migration channels that meet real labour market needs and facilitate family reunion; and
* human trafficking and migrant smuggling must be eradicated through improved oversight of how migrants are recruited.
“We need, now more than ever, the engagement and participation of business and labour leaders in designing national responses that stimulate growth and create jobs while preserving social and labour protection,” said Ryder. “We also need to expand dialogue on how to ensure migration systems can be fair and respectful of human rights, and this can only come with cooperation between the affected regions.”
He referred to the forthcoming Valletta conference (11-12 November 2015) that will bring together European Union and African Union leaders as an opportunity to design a collaborative response that can ensure migration is a choice and not a necessity.
“I, therefore, call on governments, including ministries of labour, employers’ organizations and trade unions to go beyond superficial measures and work effectively together on durable solutions to this chronic crisis,” concluded Ryder.