Madam Administrator, Excellencies,

Distinguished Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to open this gathering of distinguished
diplomats, experts, and scholars assembled to examine legal and
policy perspectives on irregular migration -- that is, human
mobility that takes place outside the norms and procedures
established by States.     

IOM takes pride in co-organizing this event with our close
partner, the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), and I am grateful
to the staff of the CMS, and its Executive Director, Mr.
René Manenti, and Research Director, Mr. Joseph Chamie, for
the time spent working on this important event with IOM's Permanent
Observer to the United Nations, Mr. Luca Dall'Oglio and his
staff. 

I am particularly honoured and pleased that the UNDP
Administrator, H.E. Ms. Helen Clark, could be with us today to
deliver the keynote address. 

This audience will be familiar with the latest UNDP Human
Development Report (2009) Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and
Development -- an impressive volume that documents the role of
human mobility in the attainment of human development.

The Report's core message, and one shared by IOM's latest World
Migration Report, is that the vast majority of human mobility is
about humanity's unrelenting search for what the UN Charter
describes as "social progress and better standards of life in
larger freedom."

The renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith described
succinctly the inherent interrelation and tension between migration
and development, in his 1979 treatise entitled The Nature of Mass
Poverty: 

"Migration," he said, "is the oldest action against poverty. It
selects those who most want help. It is good for the country to
which they go; it helps break the equilibrium of poverty in the
country from which they come. What is the perversity in the human
soul that causes people to resist so obvious a good?"

I. Public Misperceptions about
Migrants

My remarks today are focused on irregular migration within the
larger context of global migration --- one of the most important,
yet contentious issues of our time.  

Few subjects elicit stronger reaction than does the subject of
migration --- on the floors of Parliaments to the streets of cities
--- in heated debates about the pros and cons of migration's impact
on national identities, security, employment, social benefits,
culture, and the very fabric of our
societies.    

A sampling of newspaper headlines on Monday of last week alone
documented migrants fleeing mob violence in Europe; migrants
threatened with registration or expulsion in Asia; the construction
of a barrier wall along a state border in the Middle East to thwart
irregular migration; and the deportation of thousands of irregular
migrants in the Americas.   

The plight of migrants, especially the undocumented, has never
been met with much compassion.  But today, this plight would
appear to attract even less sympathy as the economic crisis bites
deeper into industrialized societies, hardening public opinion
against migrants and migration.  

At a time when the positive contributions of migrants to society
are increasingly being called into question – and when many
Governments are adopting short-sighted attitudes towards migrants,
including criminalizing migrants, it is evident that migration is
one of the most deeply misunderstood issues of our time. 

All of this notwithstanding, we are entering into a new
millennium that is destined to be, in sheer numbers, the age of the
greatest human mobility in recorded history. 

This of course makes this conference and others like it, all the
more important to correct misperceptions about migration, and to
help us to heighten recognition of migration as an integral part of
the global economy – and a vital element in State efforts to
emerge from recession. 

Let me turn to my first point, which I have titled "Little known
facts about migration."

II. Little Known Facts about
Migration

A. Demographic and Labour Market
Dynamics

First of all, it's important to know that the decline of
populations in the world's industrialized countries --expected to
drop by nearly 25 percent by 2050 (according to UN estimates) --
will significantly increase the demand for migrant workers. This
includes European countries, Canada, the United States, Japan,
Korea, and China.

In all of these countries, migrant workers -- skilled and
unskilled -- will be needed in some cases for knowledge and
innovation, but in far greater numbers to do the jobs for which
there are simply not enough people in these countries -- caring for
children and the elderly, cleaning houses and offices, driving
buses and taxis, repairing vehicles, working in hotels,
restaurants, construction sites and farms, and so
on.  

In the same way that it is "often cheaper and mutually
beneficial for us to buy computers made in China or use call
centres in India," journalist Philippe Legrain argues that, "it
often makes sense for us to import services that have to be
delivered on the spot…from foreigners."

On the supply side, most of the world's expected population
growth will be concentrated in today's poorest and youngest
countries, which equates with surplus labour seeking out too few
employment opportunities at home.  Would-be workers will be
increasingly attracted to the labour markets of the aging and
population deficient developed countries of Europe, North America,
and Northeast Asia with negative birth-rates.

Jack Goldstone predicts in "The New Population Bomb" in the
latest edition of Foreign Affairs that, "Current levels of
immigration from developing to developed countries are paltry
compared to those that the forces of supply and demand might soon
create across the world."

B. Human Mobility Principally
South-South

A second little known fact is that about 80 percent of all human
mobility is South--South or between and among developing
countries.  Despite the public focus on the supply side of the
migration debate, most of the nearly 1 billion migrants on the move
-- an estimated 740 million people -- are internal migrants who
move within their own country, usually to an urban centre, or to a
close neighbouring state.   The demographic trends just
discussed will of course have an impact on migration patterns in
the future.  

C. Migrants' Economic
Contributions

A third little known fact is the considerable economic
contribution of migrants to the global economy and human
development.   In terms of macro-economic growth, the
World Bank estimates that if those countries with declining
populations allowed their workforce to grow by only 3 percent by
letting in an extra 14 million migrant workers from 2001-2025, the
world would be $356 billion a year better off -- with the majority
of these funds flowing to developing
countries.   

That figure is marginally larger than the conservative estimate
of migrants' combined annual remittances through official channels
of some $300 billion, which constitutes a combined GDP larger than
many developed countries (or about the size of Switzerland, host to
IOM headquarters). 

This money that goes back to families and communities in
countries of origin amounts to two times that of Official
Development Aid (ODA) and nearly two-thirds that of total Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) in developing countries. 

Among the cases for more open migration is the argument,
therefore, that freer migration is one of the most effective ways
of assisting people in poor, developing countries. 

In sum, if the forces pushing migrants to leave their countries
are almost certain to continue -- and indeed are likely to increase
with climate change; and the forces pulling them towards
industrialized countries are expected to grow – then it's
clearly in everyone's interest to adopt migration policies that
ensure humane and orderly human mobility.  

Failure to facilitate human mobility through safe, regulated
channels sends the wrong message to the developing world and to
many migrants, who often turn to human traffickers and risk
perilous journeys – often crammed into the holds of
unseaworthy vessels, or concealed in containers.

D. Migrants' Rights 

A fourth fact is that all migrants, including irregular
migrants, have rights.  These include the right to human
dignity, physical integrity, as well as safety and freedom from
racism and discrimination. They also share with us all the right
not to be exploited.

Today, virtually all States acknowledge that human rights are
the sine quo non for safe, secure and dignified migration. 
And yet, there is much to be done to incorporate human rights into
national and international migration policies, legislation and
programming. 

III. "High Road," "Low Road" Migration
Scenarios

This brings me to third and final part of my remarks -- "high
road and low road scenarios" that are available to Governments to
manage the migration process.

The "low road scenario" is one of status quo based on
stereotypes, fear, and short-term political expediency.  
Characteristics include:

• A univariate migration policy i.e. highly restricting and
  limiting immigration;
• Absence of a comprehensive legal framework;
• A single ministry or agency in charge of migration;
• No regular institutionalized dialogue on migration with
  neighbouring countries; and
• Little or no effort to inform the public about the benefits of
  migration.  

The "high road scenario," on the other hand, calls for a
comprehensive, rights-based approach to migration
management: 

• First, Governments on the "high road" pursue all available
  options to manage the migration cycle through innovative policy
  options and laws that facilitate the entire range of labour
  migration options, including integration in the host country, even
  if only on a temporary basis, in order to meet labour market
  demands.   
• Second, is a ‘whole-of-government approach" to migration,
  one which makes maximum use of inter-Ministerial collaboration to
  produce well-balanced, comprehensive policies that address all
  aspects of the migration cycle, including border control, migrants'
  human rights, including health, and regular dialogue between
  countries of origin and destination. 

  No single ministry can manage migration effectively in
  isolation.  Each has its own mandate, and it will take a
  number of relevant ministries to manage migration
  responsibly. 

  Governments also need to involve other interested parties
  – communities and businesses, for example, to contribute to
  sustainability and success, a "whole of society approach" to
  migration, so to speak.

• Third, under the "high road" scenario, Governments participate
  actively in one of the existing 15 Regional Consultative Processes
  (RCPs) on migration; these cover the world and they work
  effectively bringing together destination, origin and transit
  countries regularly. 

  At the global level, States will find it in their national
  interest to support the Global Forum on Migration and Development
  (GFMD), chaired this year by Mexico, and to encourage the efforts
  of the Global Migration Group (GMG) – an alliance of 14 UN
  Agencies and IOM – currently chaired by UNDP.

• Finally, the ‘high road scenario' calls for serious
  efforts on the part of Governments to do more to inform, educate
  and work with communities to abolish stereotypes, minimize
  discrimination and xenophobia and promote the economic and social
  contributions of migrants to the global economy and human
  development. 

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, let me summarise my main points:

One: migration is here to stay. The question confronting
Governments is how to manage the migration process in a legal,
regulated and responsible manner --- in the best interests of
countries, communities and people, including migrants
themselves.

Two: Human mobility is not just a matter of human rights and
international solidarity; it's in States' self-interest to work
towards more open migration policies.   

Three, a "high road scenario" to migration management best
serves national interests as well as those of migrants: one that
addresses all options available to meet increasing labour migration
demands; protects migrants' human rights; promotes regular dialogue
between countries of origin and destination; and highlights the
economic and social contribution of migrants to our societies.