Senior government officials, diplomats and representatives from
NGOs, media, private sector and IOM officials gathered on two
consecutive days (January 15 and 16) to discuss migration issues
and how they impact economic development.

Two Town Hall meetings were organized and moderated by Ikram
Sehgal, renowned political analyst and business leader and member
of the IOM Director General’s Business Advisory Board (BAB).
The meetings were held in association with the Karachi Council on
Foreign Relations, Economic Affairs and Law and IOM.

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, State Minister for
Finance Omar Ayub Khan and Federal Interior Secretary Syed Kamal
Shah were the chief guests in Islamabad while Sindh Chief Secretary
Fazlur Rehman, former Chief Justice Saleemuz Zamaan Siddiqui and
former interior minister Moeen-ud-Din Haider spoke as chief guests
at the seminar in Karachi.

The meetings presented a unique opportunity to bring together
diverse stakeholders under the overall theme of "humane and orderly
migration benefits migrants and society".

The debate was lively at both meetings with much of the focus
being on labour migration and how to make it more efficient and how
to better protect the rights of migrant workers.

"It is evident that migration is a complex subject, but remains
a positive force for development and social progress. Well informed
choices by governments, migrants, host communities, businesses,
NGOs and other civil society partners can help realize the positive
potential of migration," said Jill Helke, Executive Officer to IOM
Director General Office in Geneva.

Discussions at the meetings advocated strengthening of
cooperation among all the stakeholders to develop policies that
promote migrants’ rights, promote the dignity and value of
migrants and eliminate discrimination.

The participants of the seminar were also informed about IOM and
some of the challenges it faces.

"A pool of available funding remains a major challenge, like the
one faced in Lebanon crisis. IOM assisted in the evacuation of some
13,000 migrants, a majority from South Asian states. There is a
need for readily available funds to enable IOM to respond swiftly
the next time if such a crisis occurs," said Anne-Marie
Buschman-Petit, Geneva-based Special Advisor to IOM Director
General.

The audience was also briefed on irregular migration, human
trafficking and other abuses.

"There is a need for states to combat the trafficking of
migrants in both countries of origin and destination, in the
latter, for example, through ensuring informal work sectors are
brought within the protection of labour laws," said Richard
Danziger, Head of Counter-Trafficking Department, IOM Geneva.

Different dimensions of trafficking and other forms of
exploitation such as domestic servitude and bonded labour were
discussed and participants were urged to encourage different
partners to consider human trafficking and migrant smuggling not
only as a human rights and security issue but also as a development
issue.

Participants were also briefed on the IOM Mission to Pakistan
and its regional role in West and Central Asia.

"Apart from regular programmes like assistance to government to
formulate migration management laws, resettlement of refugees in a
third country, pre-departure cultural orientations and assisted
voluntary returns, IOM has also strived hard to provide urgent
assistance and save lives of earthquake-affected people in
Pakistan’s northern region," said Hassan Abdel Moneim
Mostafa, IOM Regional Representative based in Islamabad.

"IOM has 25 years experience of operational excellence and
partnership in Pakistan, and I assure you that we intend to stay in
the country for many years to come to help the government in
planning, devising and implementing policies for the better
management of migration," the regional representative
concluded.

For more information, please contact:

Saleem Rehmat

IOM Islamabad

Tel. +92.300.8565967

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