APMM Reflections on the 14th GFMD Summit

By Rey Asis, Program Coordinator on Advocacy and Campaigns (APMM)

1. The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants participated in the 14th Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Geneva, Switzerland on January 23-25, 2024 with the assistance of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC). We were a part of a three-person delegation under WACC: Rey Asis representing APMM, Etaf Roudan of Community Media Network (Jordan), and Lorenzo Vargas of WACC.

2. We also participated in the Civil Society GFMD Preparatory Meeting on January 22, 2024. It is the third of 3 preparatory meetings for CSOs participating in the 14th GFMD Summit with the first 2 held online. The opening plenary of 8 speakers focused on the issues confronting migrants and refugees and the rest of the sessions focused on shrinking space, particularly in the GFMD.

3. The 14th GFMD Summit was comprised of open plenary sessions, roundtables, a platform for partnership sessions, and sessions that were open only for heads of delegations (States). Several side events were also organized – by governments, the business sector, and CSOs.

a. The roundtables were focused on the 6 thematic priorities of the 14th Summit: (1) culture, narratives, and migration, (2) impact of climate change on human mobility, (3) rights and migration, (4) labor migration, (5) diasporas, and (6) multi-level governance of migration. A panel of speakers from governments, the private sector, and civil society would speak before a breakout workshop would happen per round table where participants per literally round table would answer a prepared set of questions and share to the facilitator.

4. While little information is provided on the presence of governments at the summit, some CSOs have noted a delegation from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, and UAE, among others.

5. Civil society participating in the 14th Summit highlighted shrinking space in terms of limiting the number of CSOs to 120 (compared to more than 200 in previous Summits), visa challenges faced by approved CSO participants, and the initial blocking of CSO participation in certain sections of the Summit programme. During the actual programme though, CSOs were eventually allowed to enter the session venues.

6. Reflections on the 14th GFMD Summit

a. The GFMD remains to be a platform that highlights the “potential” of migration as a tool for development. Governments and businesses are the main target of the GFMD and delve into the significance of financing for development, and particularly the importance of private sector involvement in migration.

i. IOM highlighted in the session on climate mobility the importance of financing the management of migration and seeing migration as an adaptation mechanism to the climate crisis.

b. As issues of grassroots migrants and refugees are discussed, much emphasis is given to policy amendments, strengthening the private sector role, and improving safe, regular, and orderly migration pathways. Forced labor migration is tackled in the context of ensuring buffers for brain drain as an impact for example but not acknowledging and strategically addressing its root causes.

c. Narratives and culture of migration is a big thematic priority as observed in the Summit. Negative narratives on migration and migrants are perceived as problematic and counter-productive. On one side event, there is a point stating that migration is seen as a security concern by States and not as a development tool. There is a serious lack of a human rights-based approach to migration and the importance of migrants and refugees speaking for themselves in these spaces.

i. The fact of the 14th Summit with the French presidency being held in Switzerland and not in France is very telling of the problematic nature of the GFMD. Since last year, France has introduced several amendments to its immigration policies restricting entry of migrants and refugees, limiting access of those already in the country to services, and even disallowing one colony from becoming French citizens (Mayotte).

d. Presence and participation of grassroots migrants and refugees are almost absent. By grassroots, we mean those who are still or currently a member of the community, involved in addressing the problems confronting their respective sector, and are calling, mobilizing, and working for change not only for themselves but for many from the ground up. They are usually organized or are part of organizations, unions, or associations and work in cooperation with other groups, migrant or not.

i. A few CSOs participating in the Summit have called their participation in GFMD a pilgrimage, revealing that they have been there since the 1st Summit in 2007.

ii. As number of CSOs decreases, very little progress can be observed in terms of allowing grassroots migrant groups to participate and even be part of the Summit panels.

e. Meaningful participation of migrants in the GFMD is yet to be realized:

i. Immediately, we can enumerate challenges to meaningful participation of CSOs – i) limited number of CSOs allowed to join; ii) visa problems; iii) lack of financial support for CSO participation; iv) limit to non-entry of participating CSOs in certain Summit program sections.

ii. There is a need and ongoing advocacy to make the migration discourse migrant-focused. Grassroots migrants need to be at the front and center of the conversation of migration, with them sitting equally with other stakeholders, discussing the problems confronting their sector, and identifying what is problematic in the migration management discourse, and finding solutions that are human rights-based, sustainable and with strong accountability among all sectors, especially States and the private sector.

iii. With this frame in mind, the many aspects – such as 1) building capacity (including awareness) among grassroots migrant on the GFMD and even the GCM process and its relevance to their struggles; 2) addressing challenges concerning time (e.g. time zone difference, work time); 3) language; 4) digital divide; and 5) provision of technical and financial resources for their actual engagement – can be adequately and effectively addressed.

f. Migrant organizations continue to arouse, organize, and mobilize their fellow migrants and launch campaigns. Many engage in GCM advocacy. CSOs we work with continue to engage in GCM and champion migrants and refugee rights. Meaningful participation of migrants remains a strong advocacy. The spaces remain important to draw attention to migrants’ issues, highlight our analysis, and build cooperation with CSOs and sympathetic parliamentarians.

i. Advocacies should be based on the campaigns migrants lead and coordinated with flashpoints.

ii. Inside-outside strategy is key as advocates engaging in the process can help amplify the actions and mobilizations led by migrant groups outside.

g. Engagement in the GFMD should benefit the migrants. It is the movement of migrants that serves as the base, key, and direction of our engagement whether it is in the GFMD or any other advocacy space.