International Organization for Migration

• This week, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, led Canada's delegation to the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
• Building on previous commitments, he presented and endorsed a number of pledges that advance solutions to the global refugee crisis.
• I am honoured to have served as a refugee advisor to the Canadian delegation at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum.
• I hope that commitments made at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum lead to more equitable, expedited responses for refugees."

• This was a record-breaking figure for an island of around 6,000 inhabitants.
• Migrants are kept separate from the local population and identified before being transferred to Sicily or other centres in Italy.
• According to InfoMigrants, more than 84,300 people arrived in Italy by sea between 1 January and 23 July, an increase of 144% on 2022.

Who is arriving at Lampedusa?

• On board the boats arriving in Lampedusa from Tunisia, there are refugees and migrants from various African countries.
• The majority are young men or unaccompanied minors, but there are also women, some of them pregnant, and children.
• It is likely that these numbers will increase again in the wake of recent catastrophic flooding in Libya.
• The socioeconomic situation in Tunisia has also worsened, with high inflation and a lack of jobs hitting residents hard.

The Commission’s 10 point plan

• The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a 10-point plan the day after her visit to Lampedusa.
• Other measures include increasing returns, prevention of departures through the establishment of anti-trafficking partnerships in countries of origin and transit, and taking action against traffickers.
• Two measures of note in the plan are those on implementing the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding and on exploring options for expanding naval missions in the Mediterranean.

The required response

• The short term priority for the EU needs to be supporting Italy so it can take in people who arrive and manage the situation better.
• The principle of mandatory solidarity which was agreed in June is fundamental to this, as it establishes a system for allocating asylum seekers among all EU member states.

• The discussion focused on Saudi Arabia's commitment to combating forced labor and the role of national policies, civil society, workers and employers, and international organizations.
• He also discussed the role of scientific research in measuring the impact of legislation and policies, and the role of international cooperation in combating forced labor.
• He indicated the Kingdom's plans to launch a national policy to eliminate forced labor practices.
• These measures include defining the rights and obligations of workers and determining the necessary legal procedures to enforce these rights and obligations.

• This donation will enable IOM to further support all those affected by the war in Ukraine and will directly support emergency relief operations in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
• I hope this gift will support people in need and hope this charity movement will continue to spread and inspire others to help.
• I'm praying for all those people affected by the war and hoping this donation will help in any way possible."
• They need our help, and thanks to contributions like this, IOM can continue to assist those severely impacted by the war."