Nairobi – Technical and political representatives of governments implementing the Africa Regional Migration Program (ARMP) in the East and Horn of Africa convened (28-29/9) in Nairobi, Kenya where they underscored the need for country, regional and continental synergies on migration governance. 

There was also representation from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the African Union Commission (AUC), the U.S. State Department Bureau for Population Refugees and Migration, and other key stakeholders. 

Government representatives from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and the United Republic of Tanzania, working in data and statistics, migration management, migrant protection, law enforcement, and crisis management explored ways to further strengthen the management of cross-border migration in the region.   

The East and Horn of Africa region is home to some of the world’s most mixed migration flows. In recent years, mixed migration flows, or the movement of people with different motivations and using diverse channels, have increased significantly in the Horn of Africa region. In response to this, the ARMP’s Regional Technical Meeting (RTM), has become an important platform bringing policymakers to discuss migration management.

“The Forum provides Member States with the opportunity to openly discuss issues, collectively identify strategies and mutually agree on a unified approach for harnessing opportunities and managing challenges to promote safe and orderly labour migration,” said Ruth Mailu, who spoke on behalf the Acting Director General for National Employment Authority of Kenya.

Labour migration, migrant protection, integrated border management, environment and climate change, and migration data were some of the issues highlighted, with experts underlining that mixed migration is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive and coordinated response.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the ARMP in promoting the management of mixed migration in the region, addressing migrant vulnerabilities to identify areas for building synergies with regional and continental frameworks in the next three-year project cycle that starts in October 2022. 

Abdi Hersi, Senior Regional Policy and Liaison Officer at IOM Regional Office in for East and Horn of Africa said IOM “will continue to work together towards the aim of well-managed human migration and development.” 

“In this next phase we will further enhance efforts of coordination on migration policy and programming and capacitate government stakeholders in anticipating, better preparing for and responding to migration flows relating to emergencies and crisis in the region.”

Elizabeth Bailey, Regional Refugee Coordinator, U.S. Embassy Nairobi said, “Around the world and within our own borders, the U.S. seeks migration policies that are grounded in human rights, human dignity, transparency, and state sovereignty.  We are also committed to partnering with civil society, governments, the private sector, and international institutions like the United Nations, because this is a challenge that no one of us can solve alone.”

The Africa Regional Migration Program (ARMP), funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration is supporting 24 countries in Africa, across the four sub-regions, to improve migration governance to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration while reducing vulnerabilities along key migration routes.

For more information, contact Eric Mazango at IOM Ethiopia, Email: emazango@iom.int