JIFORM Advocates Friendly, Deliberate Policies To Support 281M International Migrants

The President, Journalists International Forum for Migration (JIFORM), Dr. Ajibola Abayomi has called for support, friendly, deliberate policies and evidence based journalism laced with human face for the 280.6 million international migrants in view of the roles they play as economic developers.

The figure, he said, represents almost 4 per cent of the 7.8 billion world population.

This is just as he advocated for affirmative actions to tackle various migration menaces.

He said this at the just concluded maiden edition of the Journalists International Forum for Migration (JIFORM) Intercontinental Migration Summit in New York, United States.

The hybrid conference hosted by the Medgar Evers College (MEC), City University, New York City (CUNY) at Brooklyn with the theme: ‘Appraising Human Mobility: Prospects and Challenges of Labour Migration Post Pandemic Era’ was held between November 2-4.

The JIFORM President, who made the call via a   zoom meeting, said there was a need for affirmative actions to address the mirage of challenges associated with human mobility and migration governance.

He charged nations to show more commitments towards eradicating poverty, inequality and create more jobs for the needy to hinder human trafficking, slavery and ensure improved labour migration relations with strategies to also address concerns on climatic challenges posing threats to humanity.

“Global warming is worth giving serious attention. The anticipated climatic reactions projected by the world bank to affect over 216 million people globally by 2030 as an offshoot of emission and environmental hazards such as flooding and weather reaction should concern all of us.

“We must not pretend, the mass movement of migrants to be affected in North Africa, Asia, Europe, America and others would lead to unprecedented inflation and dislocation of the world economy order if steps are not taken to forestall it. The developed countries that are responsible for most of the consequences of global warming should fulfill the accumulated annual $100 billion overdue Green Climatic Funds pledge to the global south nations to mitigate the effect before it is too late,” he warned.

Also speaking, the Senior Vice President for Strategy at MEC, Kimberly Whitehead and the Dean of MEC, Dr. JoAnne Rolle, admonished nations and stakeholders to formulate strategies with clear road map to counter human trafficking luring women and children into slavery across the world.

On his part, Prof. Byron Price from the MEC raised concerns on millions of migrants in detention camps in America and other countries.

“An estimated 660,000 children – 150,000 last year alone have been separated from one parent or both by our nation’s heartless detain-and-deport immigration laws,” he said.

He cited a report by the National Council of La Raza and the Urban Institute, which stated that majority of these children are under the age of 10; many are infants, toddlers and preschoolers, adding that these children not only experience trauma now, but will likely suffer from this event for the rest of their lives.

“When children experience strong or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support, they are flooded with stress hormones which can disrupt the development of the brain and other systems, resulting in what researchers at Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child call toxic stress response,” he lamented.

The Former Secretary of Government and Minister of Immigration and Citizenship in Canada, Gerry Weiner, who was also at the summit, pushed for reappraisal of migration policies with friendly inputs as being done in his country.

He argued that provisions must be made for the less privileged to lessen agitation for revolution and migration unrest globally.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Apha Timbo, suggested that the West African nations must evolve capacity building for migrant workers training and preparation of migrants with soft and hard skills and a digitalized migration for tracking, monitoring and social protection.

In her submission, a member of the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee, Dr. Princess Ocansey, decried the unemployment ratio in Africa but averred that, “Well managed migration can provide several solutions ranging from temporary circular migration opportunities, to strategically positioned remittances to fix emerging forex issues and more.

Participants from Home for the Needy, Germany, Solomon Folorunsho and his counterparts sought supports for the over 5,000 victims of forced migration at the center in Benin City, Nigeria

They stressed the need to embrace peaceful resolution of conflicts to reduce the numbers of internally displaced persons across the continents especially in the north east Nigeria.

Contributors at the summit included   the Director of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD); Ms Philomena Gnanapragsam, a Tunisian-American Associate Professor of Economics at Denison University, Ohio, USA, Prof. Fadhel Kaboub and Texas Comptroller of Public Funds Accounts-Criminal Investigation, Ms. Vergil Ratliff.

Others were Female advocate of High Court of South Africa, Thuleleni Mbhansa, Ms. Phelisa Nkonmo from South Africa, the Metro Chief of Policy, Houston, Vera Bumpers.

The CEO, Lebema Media House Limited, USA, Ms Velaze Vinolia Mabele, the Head of Media Unit of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur- Rahman Balogun, Director of African Views, USA, Dr. Wale Idris Ajibade, Ms. Evelyn Cel Manavalla from Spain, Teresa Jabob from Home for the Needy Germany.

JIFORM is a migration journalists body founded in 2019 with over 300 journalists focusing on migration matters across the continents.

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