MIGRATION POLICY PRACTICE Introduction: Outlook for Migration in the Global South in 2016 Solon Ardittis and Frank Laczko1
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EDITORIAL BOARD Joint Managing Editors: • Solon Ardittis (Eurasylum) • Frank Laczko (International Organization for Migration – IOM) MIGRATION Editorial Advisers: • Joanne van Selm (Eurasylum) • Karoline Popp (International Organization for Migration – IOM) POLICY Editorial Coordinator: • Valerie Hagger (International Organization for Migration – IOM) Editorial Assistants: • Mylene Buensuceso (International PRACTICE Organization for Migration – IOM) A Bimonthly Journal for and by Policymakers Worldwide • Anna Lyn Constantino (International Organization for Migration – IOM) ISSN 2223-5248 Vol. V, Number 5, December 2015–January 2016 Editorial Committee: • Aderanti Adepoju (Human Resources Development Centre, Lagos, Nigeria) • Richard Ares Baumgartner (European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the European Union – FRONTEX, Warsaw) • Peter Bosch (European Commission, Brussels) • Juan Carlos Calleros (Staff Office of the President of Mexico) • David Costello (Commissioner, Office of the Refugee Applications, from the Government of Ireland) • Howard Duncan (Metropolis, Ottawa, Canada) • Neli Esipova (Gallup World Poll, New York) • Araceli Azuara Ferreiro (Organization of American States – OAS, Afghanistan - refugees and migrants who have tragically lost their lives this year are remembered. © IOM 2015 Washington, D.C.) • Philippe Fargues (Migration Policy Centre – MPC, Florence) • Lukas Gehrke (International Centre SPECIAL OUTLOOK FOR MIGRATION IN THE for Migration Policy Development – ISSUE ICMPD, Vienna) GLOBAL SOUTH IN 2016 • Shahidul Haque (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s 2 Introduction: Outlook for Migration Republic of Bangladesh) in the Global South in 2016 • Michelle Leighton (International Solon Ardittis and Frank Laczko Labour Office – ILO, Geneva) • Pietro Mona (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, 4 Outlook on migration in Africa in 2016 Federal Department of Foreign Aderanti Adepoju Affairs, Berne) • William McClure (Australian 8 Outlook on migration in Asia in 2016 Department of Immigration and Manolo Abella Border Protection) • Jennifer McDonald (Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency, 12 Outlook on migration in the Caribbean in 2016 Ministry of National Security, Joanne van Selm Jamaica) • Sankar Ramasamy (Department of 17 Outlook on migration in the Gulf in 2016 Labour, New Zealand) Nasra M. Shah • Dilip Ratha (World Bank, Washington, D.C.) 22 Outlook on migration in Latin America in 2016 • Cécile Riallant (EC-UN Joint Migration William Mejía and Development Initiative, Brussels) • Nand Kishore Singh (Member of the CONTENTS Indian Parliament, New Delhi) 27 Publications • Simon Tonelli (Council of Europe, Strasbourg) 28 MPP Readers’ Survey • Adriana van Dooijeweert (Dutch Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs – ACVZ, The Hague) Published jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Eurasylum Ltd. • Maia Welbourne (Citizenship and Immigration Canada – CIC, Ottawa) • Klaus F. Zimmermann (Institute for the Study of Labor – IZA, Bonn) 12_16 Vol. V, Number 5, December 2015–January 2016 2 MIGRATION POLICY PRACTICE Introduction: Outlook for Migration in the Global South in 2016 Solon Ardittis and Frank Laczko1 elcome to the new issue of Migration Since 2015, the price of oil has fallen by Policy Practice, which focuses on expected 75 per cent. The fall in the price of oil and its likely Wmigration trends in the Global South. Much impact on migration trends is a common theme media and policy attention is currently focused on the mentioned by several authors. For most of Asia, the rise in migration flows to Europe. But how is migration fall in oil prices could be a huge gain and facilitate changing in the rest of the world? What are the recovery or spur faster growth within the region. expected key migration challenges for policymakers A major policy development in Asia in 2016 is the in developing countries in 2016? We asked some of beginning of the Asian Economic Community (AEC). the world´s leading experts on migration to try to look This will facilitate the full economic integration of 10 ahead and assess how migration and migration policy South-East Asian countries. This in turn may facilitate are likely to change in “their” regions in 2016. Each the mobility of migrant labour within the region. author was asked to consider three questions: However, migration from Asia to other regions may be badly affected by the fall in the price of oil. 1. What are the three most important migration policy challenges for 2016 in your region? As the Gulf region has become the largest destination area for Asian migrant workers, the fall in the price of oil 2. How are migration flows likely to evolve in 2016? could seriously reduce the demand for migrants from 3. What are likely to be the key migration policy Asia. There are over 16 million migrant workers from debates? Asia working in the Gulf countries. Migrants account for approximately half of the population of the Gulf In the case of Africa, much of the policy attention is countries. Despite efforts by governments in the region currently focused on the flows of irregular migrants to reduce their dependence on migrant workers, the from Africa to Europe. Africans constituted about number of non-nationals has grown significantly over 14 per cent of arrivals in Europe in 2015. Although these the last two decades. One of the reasons why the Gulf flows are relatively modest in size – approximately countries wish to reduce migration is because of rising 150,000 persons, from a population in Africa of over a unemployment among their own nationals. In recent billion persons – the increase in migration from Africa years, the unemployment rate among Saudi women to Europe attracted huge media attention. Numerous has risen to 35 per cent. articles portrayed Africa as a continent plagued by poverty and conflict, often giving the impression that On the other side of the world, migration patterns most people would wish to migrate if they could. Little are also likely to change in 2016. Thawing relations mention is made in the media of the growing middle between Cuba and the United States has led to an class and increase in economic growth in many increase in the number of Cubans seeking to enter Africa countries. In response to the increased flows the United States. As many of these migrants make of migrants from Africa, the European Union has their way to the United States via Central America, created the Emergency Trust Fund, with a budget of problems arose when Nicaragua tried to seal its EUR 1.8 billion to address “the root causes of irregular borders, leaving many migrants stranded in Costa migration and displacement in Africa”. The 1.8 billion Rica. The United States is the main destination for budget may seem high, but it is small compared with migrants in the Caribbean region. The recent upturn in the USD 60 billion remittances sent by migrants to the US economy has led to an increase in the number Africa last year. of persons from the Caribbean seeking to move to the United States. For example, a record number of visa applications to the United States were made 1 Solon Ardittis is Managing Director of Eurasylum Ltd. Frank by Jamaicans in 2015. However, there are growing Laczko is Head of the Global Migration Data Analysis Centre concerns in Jamaica about the high cost of applying (GMDAC) at the International Organization for Migration for such visas and the loss of income to Jamaica when (IOM) in Berlin. They are the co-editors of Migration Policy Practice. applications are rejected. Recent migration trends Vol. V, Number 5, December 2015–January 2016 MIGRATION POLICY PRACTICE 3 in the Caribbean highlight that migration is a global destination for migrants, with more than 100,000 new phenomenon. Although the numbers are small, several immigrants expected in 2016. Most of these migrants Caribbean islands have seen a significant increase in will come from other countries in South America, the number of asylum claims from Syrians over the highlighting the growing importance of South–South last year and this trend is expected to continue. migration. The final article in this issue focuses on the regional We thank all the contributors to this issue of Migration outlook for migration in 2016 in Latin America. Here Policy Practice and invite readers to spare a couple of the major challenges are similar to those in 2015 – the protection of the rights of migrants, the lack of minutes to participate in a survey which aims to help coherence between migration and other policies, us identify our readers’ profiles, the institutions they and the need to improve cooperation and dialogue represent and their primary interests in our journal. between States. Within South America, it is likely Should you wish to participate in this survey, please that Chile will become an increasingly important click here.n Vol. V, Number 5, December 2015–January 2016 4 MIGRATION POLICY PRACTICE Outlook on migration in Africa in 2016 Aderanti Adepoju1 Migration Policy Practice: Based on policy and legal of and fight against irregular migration, migrant developments in Africa in 2015, what are the three smuggling and trafficking in human beings; and most important migration policy challenges for 2016, (v) return, readmission and reintegration. including labour migration, forced migration and asylum, and migration and development? The African Union (AU) has raised the discourse on migration to the height of its