Mr. Chairman, Madame Minister, Mr. President,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to be here in Helsinki for this seminar on
Migration and Communication.

I wish to thank our host country, Finland, and our co-organizer,
the International Press Service (IPS), for marking IOM’s 60th
anniversary with this important event.

Thanks also to all the distinguished speakers who have accepted
our joint invitation to contribute to our proceedings. The presence
of…

• The Hon. Heidi Hautala, Minister for International Development,
  Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs;
• His Excellency Nassir Abdulaziz Al?Nasser, President of the
  United Nations General Assembly; and
• Mr Federico Mayor, Chair of the Board of Directors of the
  International Press Service;

… demonstrates, that our partnership and the themes
selected for this year’s meeting attract substantial
attention.

Today we meet in a Nordic country – IOM’s presence
in this part of the world was first established right here in
Helsinki in 1994. The States in this region remain among the
staunchest supporters of our work, especially in areas of
resettlement and humanitarian assistance.

Wherever a humanitarian disaster occurs, our Nordic partners are
always among the first to respond.

We also value our cooperation with the International Press
Service: some of you may recall the meeting we jointly organized in
Venice in 2007, focusing on the role of communication in the
newly-formed Alliance of Civilizations.

Introduction

We live in an era of the greatest human mobility in recorded
history. There are more people on the move than ever before.

It's no wonder that migration has emerged as a key global issue
– no longer the sole concern of limited number of countries,
as it was claimed, rightly or wrongly, for most of the previous
century. Migration is at the heart of all government policy these
days.

I have come to describe the trends and dynamics -- or push and
pull factors – that propel human mobility as the Seven
Ds:

1. DEMOGRAPHY: pop. replacement rates in industrialized world; +
   birth rates in developing countries;
2. DEMAND: labour shortages in developed countries vs. labour
   surplus in developing countries;
3. DISTANCE shrinking technology and travel;
4. DISPARITY: Between North–South (economic and
   social);
5. DISASTERS: Natural, man-made, slow-onset;
6. DEGRADATION of land, climate, environment; and
7. THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION: that is affecting dramatically the
   information available on mobility.

Consider these statistics:

• There are today 1.9 billion people who have access to the
  internet; there were only 390 million in 2000;
• 247 billion emails are sent every day;
• Almost 1 billion people have Facebook accounts; and about
  ½ billion people use Twitter -- and both are growing.

Whether directly or indirectly, these communication networks all
play a part in the promotion of mobility. Migrants know where the
jobs are; they know the places to avoid; they communicate with
their family and friends with great ease.

And yet, even while human mobility is acknowledged as one of the
defining features of our contemporary world, it remains one of the
most misunderstood. The sub-title for this conference acknowledges
this clearly by calling for a rebalancing of information flows and
dialogue. In my remarks this morning, I should like to respond to
this invitation with 3 points:

1. first, by underlining the importance of developing an accurate
   view of the place of migration in our contemporary world;
2. second, by pointing to some common misperceptions about
   migration; and
3. third, by suggesting some lines of action that would contribute
   to better understanding and acceptance of migration.

I. Forming an accurate view of contemporary migration

There are few areas of policy subject to greater
misrepresentation in public discourse than international
migration.

Despite a growing body of theoretical and empirical research
relating to migration -- neither theory nor research has had much
impact on policy formulation.

Political discourse, media reports and public opinion on the
nature, purpose and socio-economic impact of migration tends be
negative.

This is seen in the recurrent, widespread anti-migrant sentiment
in many parts of the world. Harmful stereotypes, discrimination and
even xenophobia are re-appearing in societies of destination and
generating controversy on the value of multiculturalism
nowadays.

The overwhelmingly positive contributions to our societies and
economies by the majority of migrants are unfortunately at risk of
being forgotten.

Moreover, there is a fine line between a realistic and honest
debate about the challenges stemming from migration and the
politicized stereotyping and scapegoating that is taking place
around the world.

Part of the reason for such negative perceptions is that
migratory flows are more visible and more diverse than ever before,
generating questions about the changing compositions of our
societies, and managing greater cultural diversity.

Stigmatization is not limited to migrants abroad, however; it
also exists in countries of origin, fuelled by the idea that
migrants have “abandoned” their country or by the
unrealistic hopes and expectations of the migrants’ families
and communities of origin.

Misinformation and misperception can trigger a vicious cycle,
influencing government policy, which in turn reinforces negative
attitudes in mass media and the community at large.

Policies and political discourse can therefore play a major role
in shaping the image of migrants in host societies. One of the
biggest challenges in this regard is what and how governments
communicate about migrants and migration policy to the wider
public.

Informing and educating the public may be the single most
important policy tool in all societies grappling with migration,
since managing migration also involves managing how migrants are
perceived in society.

Allow me, in this connection, to address a few of the common
misperceptions about the nature of migration

II. Common migration myths have confused and impaired the
debate surrounding migration

1. Myth: Most migration is across international borders

Reality: By far the largest numbers of migrants move
within the borders of their own countries. According to the most
reliable estimates, there are some 214 international migrants
around the world today. There are at least three times as many
internal migrants; a majority of who have left rural areas for seek
a new life in the cities. In China alone, there are more than 200
million internal migrants – in other words, as many as the
total number of all "international migrants" worldwide.

2. Myth: Migration is overwhelmingly a flow of people from
developing countries and towards developed countries

Reality: Contemporary migratory movements reflect the
complex patterns of social and economic globalization; they flow in
all directions and affect all countries in one way or another
(perhaps with North Korea as the lone exception confirming the
rule).

Developing countries are commonly seen as a source rather than
as a destination of migrants. However, existing figures highlight
the importance of intra-regional movement: in 2010, "there were
almost as many migrants from developing countries living in other
developing countries (73 million) as migrants from developing
countries living in developed countries (74 million)" (UNGA,
2010).

Human mobility within sub-regions and continents has always been
important, but seldom recognized as such. Over 80 per cent of
South-South migration is estimated to take place between
neighboring countries (Ratha and Shaw, 2007).

3. Myth: The number of international migrants is spinning out of
control

Reality: The number of international migrants has grown
steadily since the end of the Second World War. But is important to
get our facts right. There were some 75 million international
migrants in 1965. Today, some 45 years later, there are around 215
million international migrants. However this increase must be kept
in perspective. In percentage terms, the global international
migrant population has stayed consistently at around 3% of the
total global population.

Global population mobility has certainly increased considerably.
There is much more internal migration. We do move around a great
deal more than before, as tourists (there were nearly one billion
visitor movements in 2010), as business people, as students.

Let me now turn to some common errors about the impact of
migration on social and economic life

4. Myth: Migration places a burden on the economy of countries
of destination.

There has been a great deal of recent research focussing on the
question of whether migration is a cost or a benefit to the
economy, and while there are, unsurprisingly, differences of view,
there is an increasingly solid base of evidence supporting the view
that migrants make significant and positive contributions to the
economies of their countries of destination.

• In the United States, native-born Americans gain an estimated
  USD 37 billion a year from immigrants' participation in the US
  economy, according to the President's Council of Economic
  Advisers.
• A UK Home Office study has estimated that the foreign born
  population contributes 10% more in government revenues than it
  receives in government expenditure.

5. Myth: Migration is a drain on the resources of countries of
origin.

Reality: Migration is the original and oldest poverty
reduction strategy known to humankind. It is a time proven strategy
for individual -- and in many cases community -- poverty
alleviation and development.

Migration and the remittances it generates often comprise the
determining factor in whether there will be food on the table,
medicines for health care, and education for boys and girls.

Officially recorded remittance flows to developing countries in
2010 stood at $325 billion in 2010 and expected to reach $ 404
billion by 2013. (World Bank 23 May 2011) That’s twice the
amount of foreign aid and equal to all foreign direct
investment.

While remittances are, of course, private funds and cannot and
should not substitute for Official Development Assistance, money
sent home is an important source of poverty alleviation, currency
stabilization, and can help unlock human potential.

Likewise, ensuring migrants' rights is essential in the fight
against poverty in today's inter-connected and mobile world.
Through the trade and investment networks they establish, and the
skills and innovative ideas they transfer back to their home
countries, migrants provide a critical complement to the human
capital already present in the LDCs.

III. The way forward? We must all do more to
“de-mythologize” migrants and migration.

It will be fairly apparent from this brief round up of popular
myths that migration is often the catch-all issue that masks the
fears and uncertainties beneath the public’s concerns –
be they unemployment, housing or social cohesion (in countries of
destination) or loss/waste of human capital and economic dependency
(in countries of origin). What can be done to dispel migration
myths and build a balanced a comprehensive discourse on
international migration? Here are some points worth keeping in
mind:

• It is high time we stopped discussing whether there ought, or
  there ought not to be migration: It is simply an integral part of
  the social and economic fabric of the world we have constructed
  over the last several decades. A better informed debate will begin
  with an intelligent consideration of the place that migration might
  realistically occupy in demographic, social and economic
  planning.
• While migration is undoubtedly of political interest, it should
  not be addressed solely as a political issue. There is indeed a
  case and a need to discuss migration impacts but this should be
  done in an open and balanced way. A lack of readily available
  information for the public is often the cause of continuing
  misunderstanding. The dissemination of information addressing the
  concerns and clearly explaining the rights of citizens and
  non-citizens would help dispel doubt and confusion.
• Many of the negative perceptions surrounding migration have
  their origins in partisan interpretations, rather than in fact. In
  most immigration debates fear resonates more viscerally than hope,
  so that negative rhetoric has an advantage. However even when such
  messages predominate, alternative positive messages can blunt their
  impact.
• The media have a significant influence over public discourse,
  thereby impinging on all stakeholders and especially policymakers
  and politicians. There is no doubt that much of the reporting is
  well informed and professional, something that cannot always be
  said about the political debates on the subject of the movement of
  people across borders. However, there is a real need to
  de-mythologize the discourse. Balanced media reporting calls for
  the avoidance of single-issue headlines, or blanket labelling
  (victims? criminals? heroes?) of particular groups. Useful work
  could be done towards the development of guidelines for fair and
  accurate reporting on migration. There is also a need for capacity
  building efforts – for instance through training efforts or
  the development of instructional materials – to enable media
  specialists to acquire mastery of the many and complex aspects of
  migration policy and migratory behaviour.
• Finally, migrants are too often viewed as passive agents in the
  migration debate in both their countries of origin and their
  countries of destination. One significant way of reducing the level
  of misperception about migration is to modify the role ascribed to
  migrants in public discussions so that they are not just the
  subjects of debate but active participants in the debate. This can
  be done in many ways – for instance by creating more space
  for media expression alongside mainstream media or making use of
  new social media technologies to encourage migrants to portray more
  accurate images of who they are or what they do.

Conclusion

In conclusion let me summarize my main points:

• One, migration is an unavoidable feature of our contemporary
  world. Large-scale migration is inevitable, necessary and
  desirable.
• Two, the debate surrounding migration is often ill-informed and
  confused.
• Three, as responsible citizens on this plant, we all --
  governments, civil society, international organizations and the
  media --- need to do our best to dispel migration myths by engaging
  in an open and honest conversation about what migration is, who
  migrants are, and what policy orientations will produce the best
  outcomes for all stakeholders.