Protection of migrants on the move and in transit

The Togo-based civil society organisation, ‘Visions Solidaires’ has recently published their report: "Situational Analysis - Smuggling of Togolese migrant workers and people trafficking in the Middle East and Central Africa". By providing an important contribution to present evidence of the exploitation and vulnerability of African migrant workers moving in a South-South and trans-regional context, it also connects its detailed findings to the substantive work undertaken by the Migration and Development (MADE) Civil Society Network, and more specifically to its Open Working Group on Labour Migration and Recruitment. MADE, guided by the 5 year 8 point Plan of Action, has advocated for ethical recruitment standards and safe labour migration on a global and inter-regional level to protect and empower migrant workers at every stage of the labour cycle.

From 20 to 30 October 2016, MADE Africa coordinator Caritas Senegal organized a joint observation mission to one of the migrant centers run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Agadez, Niger. Working in partnership with other organizations, the mission’s aim was to monitor the implementation of one of the post-Valetta projects funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and more specifically to observe to what extent the rights of migrants and their freedom of movement are respected in accordance with the Protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Terre Des Hommes, the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit and the Bangladesh Civil Society Coordination Committee jointly organized a national consultation on youth in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 25th of July. Despite the security concern, a large participation from a diverse section of the society has made the event an engaging and thought-provoking platform for the diverse attendees and policy makers who joined the consultation.