Mixed migratory flows--immigration.(LEGISLATION AND POLICY)(Excerpt)(Conference notes)

[The following is an excerpt from remarks to the Plenary Session: Regional Conference on Refugee Protection and International Migration in West Africa Dakar, Senegal, November 13, 2008.]

It is an honor for me to speak to you today as a representative of the United States Government, one of the co-sponsors of this conference. Last year, President Wade spoke of the important role of migrants: "L'emigration est une donnee permanente darts l'histoire des peoples et les migrants contribuent aussi bien a la prosperite de leur pays d'origine qu'a celle de leur pays d'accueil."

Since time immemorial, people have left their countries in search of a better life for themselves and their families. They leave for many reasons, including the desire for economic improvement and family reunification and to escape war, civil conflict, and environmental degradation. According to the United Nations (U.N.), there are more than 190 million migrants in the world today, constituting approximately 3 percent of the world's population. One does not have to search far in the news to find tragic examples of instances in which vulnerable migrants or refugees have died or been put in grave danger because of their attempts to leave their home countries. The subject of mixed migration flows deserves the attention of the international community. The United States (U.S.) is committed to the idea that mixed migration flows must be addressed in a collaborative and effective manner. We have learned through our own experience that partnerships must be nurtured amongst and within states and include international organizations and civil society.

What is fascinating to me about migration is its protean quality: sometimes migration is forced and sometimes it is voluntary. In fact, as Ambassador Swing noted, the International Labour Organization (ILO) (U.N.) has found that irregular migration accounts for a mere 10-15 percent of all migration. Sometimes it occupies an uneasy zone between the two. Millions of migrants are documented, many are not. In some countries documentation entitles migrants to generous benefits, in other places it does not.

This conference is an important one, and the issue is not new. In fact, my government has been supporting joint International Organization on Migration--United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (IOM-UNHCR) activities on mixed migratory flows in the Caribbean for over five years. We have seen first hand cooperation on intra-regional returns of trafficking victims as well as multi- lateral efforts amongst governments, UNHCR, and IOM to address the protection needs of asylum seekers.

I believe that there is a unique opportunity--created through this conference--for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries to develop genuine partnerships permitting better treatment of migrants. If the partnership evolves, which I hope it will, it can improve the lives of those migrants living abroad and make migration policies more humane and better enforced. I have seen a regional cooperation occur in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The U.S. believes the most practical way to advance effective, humane migration policies is to support regional migration dialogues. Regional dialogues promote open, informal discussion and information exchange on shared migration concerns. In these fora, member states identify areas for cooperation and develop migration strategies that are humane and stress orderly, authorized movements of individuals. The congenial, informal nature of these regional approaches allows governments to discuss migration issues of common interest, build consensus, and undertake joint initiatives to improve migration management and the situation of migrants in their regions.