The Journalists International Forum for Migration (JIFORM), on Wednesday advised World leaders to review migration policies and harness its various opportunities for developmental goals.
The President, JIFORM, Dr Ajibola Abayomi made the call during the maiden edition of the forum’s Intercontinental Migration Summit, held virtually on zoom.
The summit was held at Mergers Evers College (MEC) City University, New York in the U. S.
The summit with theme: “Prospects and challenges of labor migration post COVID-19 era, kicked against irregular migration in it’s entirety.
Abayomi said that the theme was carefully chosen to highlight the importance and the need for a review of migration policies in several regions of the world.
This, he said was especially to the advantage of the migrants that were economic developers.
Abayomi said that the summit which would round off on Thursday, in partnership with the College, was committed to promoting academic and migration robust policy inputs on safe, orderly, and regular migration.
This, he said were among nations and individuals across the globe regarding human development and quality information as contained by the United Nations.
The JIFORM president urged leaders from the various regions of the world, to tap from the prospects of migration saying that migration had prospects.
According to him, It is a serious issue and it is clear that all the nations of the world whether developing, developed and third world countries benefit from it.
“The 2020 report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), estimated that there were about 281 Millions international migrants in the world in 2020, which equates to 3.6 per cent of the global population.
“With the huge number of migrants, there is need to evolve a better system to manage them to avoid a disastrous situation.
“They are central to economic growth, “he emphasized.
Speaking, Dr Princess Ocansey, Member, African Union Labor Migration Advisory Committee, said migration could achieve developmental goals if harnessed accordingly.
Ocansey said that migration was a key to unlock unemployment issues all over the world adding that migration was Gods plan to turn economy to good.
She lauded JIFORM for organizing the summit saying that the organization was a voice in the wilderness lifting the banner against irregular migration.
Participants were drawn from Nigeria, Canada, Germany and Sierra Leone.