Africa-Press – Ethiopia. IOM Deputy Chief of Mission in Ethiopia, Jian Zhao has lauded the Government of Ethiopia’s encouraging efforts to address irregular migration, human trafficking, and smuggling issues.
He made the remark at the opening of the 4th East and Horn of Africa Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration (RMFM) in Addis Ababa today.
Government representatives from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda are attending the forum.
Technical experts and policymakers will spend the initial four days working in the RMFM’s diverse Technical Working Group that will look at mapping skills gaps and labor shortages, bilateral labor agreements, harmonizing the sending of remittances, and expanding the financial inclusion of migrants.
Pertinent ministers of the member countries will consider ways of protecting the fundamental human, labor, economic, and social rights of migrant workers leaving the region and also migrating within, it was indicated.
The ministers will also seek to look at establishing consensus on regional common approaches and priorities, promoting social dialogue in the formulation and implementation of evidence-based, human rights-based, and gender-sensitive labor migration governance initiatives and frameworks, to foster greater labor mobility.
During the opening session of the meeting, IOM Deputy Chief of Mission in Ethiopia, Jian Zhao pointed out that the Government of Ethiopia’s encouraging efforts to address irregular migration, human trafficking, and smuggling issues.
According to him, the government is finalizing a national migration policy to address labor migration, human trafficking, and smuggling issues.
The government has also been working with countries concerned to make bilateral arrangements for labor migration, Jian said.
Thus, its efforts to prevent these challenges are encouraging and IOM will continue to work in collaboration with the government to enhance migration governance, he added.
Labor and Skills State Minister Asegid Getachew said the meeting is aimed at protecting the rights and interests of citizens who go for work from the region to various countries in the world.
To do so, procedures, strategy, and policy have been prepared for approval by the ministers, he said.
A document will be approved during the forum to help protect the rights of workers in places where member countries do not have labor attachés and they will discuss working in collaboration to prevent human trafficking.
Ethiopia is working to create over 3 million jobs a year in order to prevent illegal migration and work will be done to legally send citizens to work in various countries, he added.
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