ICMC has been struck quite positively by a number of interventions these past days of the IOM Council meeting.  On Monday, the delegation of Germany referred to IOM's work in return and integration, mentioning that they now look for IOM to increase its focus on aspcts of migration itself, and especially of integration and labour migration.  On Tuesday, South Africa observed that countries that have managed international migration well have "reaped immense benefits."  Several presentations made the point that responses to irregular migration and mixed flows should take place within a comprehensive plan of migration management.

Here is the question: Can IOM organise a process of research and dialogue on the role of regularisation as a solution in the range of migration management?  Even in difficult economic times—and perhaps especially in the effort to fix labour, economic and socal structures that have not worked well—isn't it time to take a serious, calm and considered look at the practical value of regularisation in its full range: from temporary regularisations to more long term and permanent regularising processes—not just for the higher skilled, but also for others structurally demanded by labour markets?

To read the full statement, please see the pdf file below.

Call for a new look at regularisation (389.57 KB)