Concept Note
The world is interlinked through migration, and being a transboundary issue, no single State can address migration alone. Therefore, migration governance is being prioritised across the globe. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development considers migration as a powerful driver of sustainable development for migrants and their communities. It is getting recognised that migration brings crucial benefits in various forms, including the generation of skills, strengthening of the labour force, financial investment and enhancing cultural diversity. As migration is a multi-dimensional reality, it cannot be addressed through a unitary approach. Therefore, there is a need for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to migration governance.
These global realities have given birth to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). GCM was adopted by the United Nations in December 2018. The global significance of GCM lies in its underlying comprehensive framework with cross-cutting and interdependent guiding principles including people-centric approach, international cooperation, national sovereignty, the rule of law and due process, sustainable development, human rights, gender-responsive, child-sensitive, whole-of-government approach and whole of-society approach.1 There are 23 objectives enshrined in GCM finalised after the consultation, stocktaking and negotiation phases covering six themes including human rights for all migrants; drivers of migration; international cooperation & governance of migration; irregular & regular pathways; smuggling, trafficking & contemporary slavery; and contribution of migrants and diaspora.
India has been playing a constructive role in ensuring the formulation and implementation of regional and global migration governance mechanisms. With 32 million NRIs and OCIs residing outside India2, India is a significant contributor to the global economy and is cognizant of its role as a key player in the global migration dynamics. India has been actively participating in the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) and Colombo Process (CP) since their inception to effectively strive towards multilateral cooperation.
India has supported the GCM process throughout its journey. Many Indian policy initiatives are already in alignment with the GCM objectives. Various initiatives of the Government of India, including Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), are ensuring the welfare of Indian emigrants working abroad. Additionally, pre-departure orientation training programs, migration mobility partnership agreements, specified skilled workers scheme, common agenda on migration and mobility are some of the proactive steps constantly being taken by India. Moreover, eMigrate website has been providing awareness, protection, regulation and promotion of simple and safe emigration envisioning ‘Saral, Surakshit Pravasan’. Such crucial initiatives align with multiple objectives of GCM to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration. However, there remains scope for doing more.
This year is a crucial year as the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) is scheduled to be held, as outlined in the GCM document, to be held every four years beginning from 2022. For follow-up and review of the progress of GCM, IMRF will serve as the primary intergovernmental global platform. Each edition of IMRF will result in an inter-governmentally agreed Progress Declaration.4It is an opportunity for India to share its migration-related best practices with the rest of the countries. Against such backdrop, the India Centre for Migration (ICM) is organising a virtual panel discussion titled “International Migration Review Forum 2022: GCM Implementation and Prospects for India” on 24 March 2022 from 1500 to 1630 hrs (IST) which will aim at discussing the following:
Objectives