Government officials, migration experts, academics and civil
society representatives are meeting today in Mexico City for a
two-day workshop to discuss migration, labour mobility, human
rights and gender.

The event, organized by IOM and Mexico's Ministry of Foreign
Relations, and comprising four panel discussions, is in preparation
for the upcoming Global Forum on Migration and Development to held
in Manila in October.

Juan Artola, IOM's Chief of Mission in Mexico says that input
from a wide range of participants is vital to better understand and
manage migration. "International migration is a complex phenomenon
in which multiple forces and factors of a social, economic,
cultural, historic, demographic, technological and psychological
nature come together," he observes.

"A holistic and long-term approach is needed to fully understand
the implications of increases in migratory flows over the past
decade and their impact on countries of origin, transit and
destination," he adds.

The Globalization, Labour Mobility and Temporary Migration panel
will focus on migration challenges linked to income disparities and
demographic conditions, along with demand for skilled and unskilled
workers in the developed world and in developing economies.

The Feminization of Migration panel will discuss the
implications of recent trends suggesting that female migrants now
constitute nearly half of all migrants worldwide and are
increasingly migrating as independent wage earners and heads of
households. 

The Migration Policies: Sovereignty and Human Rights panel will
address the dynamics of population mobility, including policies
implemented by many States designed to regulate the entry and stay
of foreigners in their territories. 

A fourth panel – Migration Policies and Development
– will look at ways to promote closer linkages between
migration policies and development and improved cooperation between
researchers and public policy makers.

For more information, please contact:

Juan Artola

IOM Mexico

E-mail: "mailto:jartola@iom.int">jartola@iom.int