The Global Compact on Migration from a development perspective – views from a Meeting of Experts

This week, the fourth round of negotiations for the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) is taking place in New York. These negotiations will lead up to the intergovernmental conference to be held in December 2018 in Morocco. As a contribution to this process of negotiations, in mid-2017, KNOMAD organized an invitation-only Experts Meeting. The background papers prepared by the experts are now available on the KNOMAD website. These papers cover the most pressing challenges and potential benefits of migration from a development perspective:  

• Low-skilled migration and recruitment costs (Manolo I. Abella)
• Irregular migration and regular pathways (Norbert Cyrus)
• Smuggling and trafficking of migrants (Andreas Schloenhard)
• Return Migration and reintegration (Anne Koch; Steffen Angenendt)
• Integration of migrants in host countries (Anna Triandafyllidou)
• Remittances, mobilization of diaspora resources, innovation and entrepreneurship (Wim Naudé)
• Vulnerable migrants (Alex Aleinikoff); and
• Migration due to climate change and natural disasters (Richard Black)

The papers examined existing conventions, guidelines, practices, and databases; and identified gaps. They also addressed questions regarding operational architecture: Which actors must be strengthened to take responsibility for safe, orderly, regular, and responsible migration and mobility—and at which levels (global, regional, national, or subnational)? What kind of administrative structure is needed (linked to the question of leadership and lead organization)? What kind of technical capacity building might be needed to achieve safe, orderly, and regular migration and mobility? How can/should institutions and activities be financed? How should commitments under the GCM be monitored? Finally, these notes attempt to explore any overlap between the GCM and the Global Compact on Refugees in the context of mixed flows of refugees and migrants.

As migration is intrinsically linked to development, we hope that these papers will contribute to include a development perspective into the GCM. Several of the issues addressed by these notes are particularly relevant for the fourth round of negotiations, which will focus amongst others on natural disasters, climate change and migration; integration and contributions of irregular migrants; and effective and efficient cooperation on return.