Tdh Consultation on Youth on the Move in Dhaka ahead of GFMD

YOUTH ON THE MOVE - Assuring Protection, Rights and Representation

Terre Des Hommes and the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) in partnership with Bangladesh Civil Society Coordination Committee (BCCCC) jointly organized a national consultation on youth in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 25 July 2016. 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.

The meeting focused on international migration and youth perspectives in Bangladesh ahead of the 9th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), scheduled to be held in Dhaka in December and put forward some major challenges and recommendations.

A total of 24 participants (whereof 13 women) attended the consultation from 19 national and international organizations including grassroots organizations, a youth club, Bangladeshi students from Oxford and Dhaka University, migration activists from BRAC migration programme, Solidarity Center, HELVETAS, Terre Des Hommes in Dhaka, Swiss Development Cooperation, Ain O Shalish Kendro, BOMSA, OKUP, RMMRU, Bangladesh civil society coordination committee for the 9th GFMD, Ministry of Expatriates Welfare, and Journalists.

Highlights of the consultation

• This consultation is first of its kind in Bangladesh where Migration and Youth have been linked and set a platform to discuss the burning issues around migration with particular focus on the youth
• Participants states that Youth migration from Bangladesh are the most successful one given the skills and potentials the carry out while moving abroad
• More than 80% of the female migration from Bangladesh belongs to youth category
• Almost everyone rejects the idea of securitization of youth migration, which becomes a new trend in Bangladesh
• Participants observed that despite huge potential, for many reasons youth in particular and the needs and expectations has been overlooked for long years
• Participants consider the 9th GFMD an important platform to establish a functional migration regime highlighting the plights, challenges, and opportunities of youth migration from the country 

Find more information on the website of Terre Des Hommes' campaign Destination Unknown.