Despite many countries struggling with what they see as an influx of foreign refugees pressuring social order, the United Nations is apparently promoting ways to further increase cross-border migration.
In a potentially contentious post issued on Friday on social media, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) claimed: “No one can deny the benefits migration brings to societies,” and put forward five ways states might boost what it describes as safe migration.
Its recommendations include opening family reunification to migrants at all skill levels. A second proposition is to establish government programmes for labour migration. The reunification aspect is controversial in many European nations, where the arrival of thousands of low-skilled migrants has fuelled growing public resentment, enabling several political parties opposing such migration to build increased national support.
However, given the labour shortages in some countries, not all are against the acceptance of migrants.
Along with its latest pronunciations, the UN-agency follows up with a third idea that might also trigger negative reactions, suggesting nations give residency or work permits to “irregular migrants” – widely regarded as ‘Eurospeak’ for “illegal migrants” – in their countries. It comes along with a recommendation that countries introduce visas for migrants with specific skills and the granting of more humanitarian visas for people in especially difficult situations.
The apparently pro-migration campaign follows the election of Amy Pope as the new head of the IOM, supported by the US government. The European Union had put its weight behind alternative candidate, Antonio Vitorino, IOM Director General.
Pope, having served under former US President Barack Obama as senior director on trans-border security from 2013 to 2015, and then deputy homeland security advisor from 2015 to 2017, became current US President Joe Biden’s senior advisor on migration after he took office in 2021.
No one can deny the benefits migration brings to societies.
Here are 5️⃣ ways States can increase safe migration. pic.twitter.com/5gO3ePeHzu
— IOM – UN Migration 🇺🇳 (@UNmigration) May 26, 2023
