Kigali - Government Ministers and senior representatives from six countries forming the East African Community (EAC)- the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo on observer status have called for the establishment of a Regional Consultative Process on Migration (RCP) for the EAC region. 
The calls were made during a three-day (14-16 Feb) conference co-organized by EAC Secretariat and the International Organization for Migration to establish a consultative process on migration which concluded in Kigali, Rwanda. The conference adopted a report recommending enhancement of the Concept Paper for the Establishment of the RCP and the draft Operational Modalities and Terms of Reference and submission to Partner States for inputs by March 2022.
The conference enabled EAC Partner States to have an informal, discrete, non-binding dialogue on migration issues and governance in the region for the first time. 

The RCP once established will help States engage in migration discussions, appreciating that migrants and increased mobility in East Africa can contribute to national development, by reducing poverty and lowering the unemployment rate among the youth, and other benefits. 

There are an estimated 195 million people, including nearly 5 million international migrants, over 2.8 million refugees and asylum seekers, and nearly 2.4 million IDPs in the region, with all countries being nations of origin, destination and transit for migrants, the displaced, and other groups on the move.  

With an increase in the number of labour migrants from the region to destinations like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), increased climate induced forced displacement and migration, conflict driven migration, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mobility, an RCP on migration for the region is timely. The hope is that the RCP dialogue process can respond to migration challenges in the region and maximize the development opportunities migration can bring.
The EAC region would not be the first Regional Economic Community in Africa to enhance its approach to migration governance through an RCP. The Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA), the Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA), the Migration Dialogue for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Region (IGAD-RCP), the Migration Dialogue from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Member States (MIDCOM) and others are operational.

It is hoped that the establishment of a RCP for the EAC region will lead to policy makers addressing migration in a wholistic manner, creating intergovernmental networks to consult on migration governance to promote migration and development. 
That it will lead to the enhancement and the protection of migrants' rights, improved labor migration, migration and health, migration, and security (counter smuggling, human trafficking and other cross-border crimes); and migration and environment, and finally supporting the 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact for Migration.

“The RCP will give the Community an opportunity to have a multi-sectoral dialogue beyond labour and immigration sectors which are currently the existing platforms but do not address other migration related aspects such as migration health, migration and environment, as well as migrant development,” said Christophe Bazivamo, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors.

“Let me take this opportunity to reiterate IOM’s commitment to continue support EAC processes on migration through technical advice, capacity building, research, building synergies and networking,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa.
The conference was organized by the EAC Secretariat and IOM. The meeting was attended by the Partner States’ Ministers in charge EAC Affairs; Interior / Home Affairs; Labour and Directorates of Immigration from EAC Partner States, the EAC Secretariat, IOM, and representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile, IOM and EAC have signed today a strengthened Memorandum of Understanding with to enhance the already existing areas of strategic cooperation between the two organizatons. 

For more information, please contact: Yvonne Ndege, Regional Communications and Spokesperson East and Horn of Africa on yndege@iom.int / Phone:  +254797735977