Countries urged not to shut doors to migrants who might solve global crunch
MANILA, Philippines - By recognizing the positive contribution that migrants give to economic growth and recovery, an international organization on Wednesday said that countries must resist the urge to close doors to them in times of economic slowdown.
“Let’s not make a migrant crisis out of an economic crisis. Keeping sight of the fact that migrants are part of the solution for both countries of origin and destination can help in coming out of this crisis sooner rather than later," said International Organization for Migrants (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing in a statement on Wednesday.
He said that although the economic crisis is still unfolding and its full impact remains unclear, it would be counter-productive for governments in developed countries to close their doors to migrants.
“Many of them are still needed in jobs that citizens in industrialized countries are unable or unwilling to take," he said.
The group said that this “structural need for migrants" stems from the even greater labor shortages that countries will experience in the future due to falling birth rates and aging working populations, leaving twice as many people over 60 years of age than children.
In addition, he said that the continued ability of migrant workers to send money back home is crucial in fighting poverty in migrant origin countries, like the Philippines.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque has said that the deployment of Filipino workers for jobs in various destinations overseas remains robust despite the global economic crisis.
He said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) continues to process the departure of close to 3,000 overseas Filipino workers daily.
Remittances
Latest data from the central bank showed that total inflows from overseas Filipinos from January to October has hit $13.708 billion, 15.5 percent higher than the amount sent in the same period last year.
However, Swing warned that closing the door to migrants would negatively affect the influx of remittances to developing countries.
With such a trend, the World Bank estimated that remittances to developing countries in 2009 will be less than the estimated total of US$ 283 billion for 2008.
It added that prohibiting the entry or deployment of migrants to receiving countries is not enough to stop job seekers.
“Closing doors will undoubtedly encourage migrants to use the exploitative, abusive and often life-threatening back entrance into destination countries offered by human smugglers and traffickers," said Swing.
IOM also said in the statement that the economic crisis should not be used to exploit migrants through the lowering or non-payment of wages and different kinds of abuses to which undocumented migrants are “especially and routinely vulnerable."
Meanwhile, Swing said that the influx of foreign workers should be facilitated in a way that would not threaten local workers.
“Just as importantly, such a reaction risks contributing to greater social division and xenophobia towards migrants already in these countries by perpetuating the myth that migrants are job-takers," he said.
At the same time, the group said that migrant-sending countries have a greater responsibility of fully informing their citizens of the realities of both regular and irregular migration, effectively ensuring that migration becomes a “win-win" situation for all the people involved. - GMANews.TV
“Let’s not make a migrant crisis out of an economic crisis. Keeping sight of the fact that migrants are part of the solution for both countries of origin and destination can help in coming out of this crisis sooner rather than later," said International Organization for Migrants (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing in a statement on Wednesday.
He said that although the economic crisis is still unfolding and its full impact remains unclear, it would be counter-productive for governments in developed countries to close their doors to migrants.
“Many of them are still needed in jobs that citizens in industrialized countries are unable or unwilling to take," he said.
The group said that this “structural need for migrants" stems from the even greater labor shortages that countries will experience in the future due to falling birth rates and aging working populations, leaving twice as many people over 60 years of age than children.
In addition, he said that the continued ability of migrant workers to send money back home is crucial in fighting poverty in migrant origin countries, like the Philippines.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque has said that the deployment of Filipino workers for jobs in various destinations overseas remains robust despite the global economic crisis.
He said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) continues to process the departure of close to 3,000 overseas Filipino workers daily.
Remittances
Latest data from the central bank showed that total inflows from overseas Filipinos from January to October has hit $13.708 billion, 15.5 percent higher than the amount sent in the same period last year.
However, Swing warned that closing the door to migrants would negatively affect the influx of remittances to developing countries.
With such a trend, the World Bank estimated that remittances to developing countries in 2009 will be less than the estimated total of US$ 283 billion for 2008.
It added that prohibiting the entry or deployment of migrants to receiving countries is not enough to stop job seekers.
“Closing doors will undoubtedly encourage migrants to use the exploitative, abusive and often life-threatening back entrance into destination countries offered by human smugglers and traffickers," said Swing.
IOM also said in the statement that the economic crisis should not be used to exploit migrants through the lowering or non-payment of wages and different kinds of abuses to which undocumented migrants are “especially and routinely vulnerable."
Meanwhile, Swing said that the influx of foreign workers should be facilitated in a way that would not threaten local workers.
“Just as importantly, such a reaction risks contributing to greater social division and xenophobia towards migrants already in these countries by perpetuating the myth that migrants are job-takers," he said.
At the same time, the group said that migrant-sending countries have a greater responsibility of fully informing their citizens of the realities of both regular and irregular migration, effectively ensuring that migration becomes a “win-win" situation for all the people involved. - GMANews.TV
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