A new report from the World Bank (WB) points out that populations around the world are aging at an unprecedented rate, with the result that many countries are increasingly relying on migration to realize their future growth potential. term, according to a press release published Tuesday on the WB website.
Entitled « World Development Report 2023: Migrants, Refugees and Societies », this document suggests that better migration policies can contribute to greater prosperity in all countries.
Rich countries as well as a growing number of middle-income countries, which have traditionally been among the main sources of migrants, are facing declining demographics, which is intensifying global competition for workers and talent.
At the same time, most low-income countries are expected to experience rapid population growth, which will force them to create more jobs for young people.
For the Senior Managing Director of the World Bank, Axel van Trotsenburg, « migration can be a powerful engine of prosperity and development », knowing that « when managed correctly, it benefits everyone, in the societies of origin and destination ».
Not only do current approaches fail to maximize the potential development benefits of migration, but they also cause great suffering to people who migrate in conditions of distress.
The report highlights the urgency of better managing migration. The goal of policy makers should be to strengthen the match between migrant skills and demand in destination societies, while protecting refugees and reducing the need for distress migration.
The document offers a framework to help develop migration and asylum policies. “It indicates when such policies can be developed unilaterally by countries of destination, when they are most appropriate for them to be developed plurilaterally by countries of destination, transit and origin, and when they must be seen as a multilateral responsibility,” says Indermit Gill, senior vice president for development economics and chief economist of the WB Group.
Countries of origin should make labor migration an explicit part of their development strategy, while countries of destination should encourage the reception of migrants when the skills they bring are in high demand. , facilitate their integration into society and tackle the social repercussions of migration that raise concerns among their citizens.
International cooperation is essential to make migration a real driver of development. Bilateral cooperation can strengthen the match between the skills of migrants and the needs of destination societies. Multilateral actions are needed to share the costs of hosting refugees and to tackle distress migration, the statement concludes.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1148 of 26/04/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
