Excellencies, it’s an honor to be invited to take part in the JHA discussions today. I wish to make 3 points:

First, migration is not a problem to be solved, but a global human reality to be managed. We are living in an era of:

• unprecedented human mobility;
• unprecedented forced migration;
• unprecedented simultaneous complex humanitarian emergencies; and
• unprecedented anti-migrant sentiment.

Migration today is therefore inevitable – given demography, disasters, digital revolution and a range of other driving forces. Significant attention is necessary if skills are to be available, jobs to be filled and economies to flourish. Migration is also highly desirable if well managed. As of today for the first time we can report than more than 150.000 migrants have landed on the northern shores of the Mediterranean. At the same time nearly 2000 migrants have lost their lives while attempting to cross over. We wish to pay tribute to those men and women form the Hellenic, Turkish, Maltese and Italian Coast Guards who continue to make heroic efforts to save lives. I pay tribute also to the EU Commission and Council for making life saving their highest priority.

Second, the current situation requires a comprehensive long term response based on humanitarian principles and a sense of shared responsibility – with the primary objectives of saving lives.

We welcome EU plans therefore to relocate 40.000 persons in need of protection over 2 years and the resettlement of 20.000 other displaced persons. The EU Agenda on Migration is thus a good first step on a much longer journey.

We also welcome the EU counter smuggling plan, particularly the intention to take a stronger stance against those who employ irregular migrants. Increased Frontex funding and operations Triton and Poseidon are additionally welcome. We are concerned however at the use of military force against smugglers as being a) risky for migrants; b) of doubtful effectiveness; and c) not able to address the demand side or the issue of migrants trapped in smugglers detention centres where they are abused.

The majority of irregular migrants do not arrive by dangerous boat crossing but enter with a visa, overstay and are absorbed by the informal economy. Since the year 2000 EUR 11 billion were paid by migrants to smugglers and EUR 16 billion were spent by your governments on deportations: that makes up EUR 27 billion spent wastefully.

Smuggling is not the cause of irregular migration, it is the consequence of desperation, brought on by abject poverty and protracted conflict from West Africa to Asia with no end in sight. Complicating this are the lack of access to legal migration channels and fair recruitment systems. Labour migration schemes, temporary protection status, family reunification, seasonal work permits and multiple entries for circular migration need to be promoted along with policies of family reunification, returns, resettlement and public information programmes.

Third, IOM’s immediate objectives in contributing to counter-smuggling efforts are:

1. Helping migrants in distress; 
2. Setting up Migrant Resource Response Mechanisms, starting with Niger and Libya by increasing IOM’s  operational and technical presence there with emphasis on working with Mayors;
3. Prompting dialogue through the EU-Africa Summit in Valletta and other ongoing dialogue processes and information campaigns in the EU and in countries of origin.
4. Building the capacity of law enforcement institutions and policymakers to address people smuggling by focusing on decriminalizing migrants and disrupting criminal activities.
5. Promoting dialogue: in 2016 IOM will host an international conference on smuggling and we hope to show the world that our joint responses in 2015 have contributed to saving lives, combating smuggling and improving the wellbeing of migrants and host communities.   

In conclusion, I would like to highlight three challenges:

1. Change the narrative on migration
2. Managing diversity – shifting from a view centered on identity to one focused on values
3. Balancing migration policies – we need policies conjugating the seeming conundrum of (a) national sovereignty versus individual freedom and (b) national security versus human security.

Thank you.