Govt upgrading migration statistics

Herald Reporters

Zimbabwe is upgrading migration statistics and wants to recognise skills of migrants and protect them and yesterday launched the initiative to build the country’s national migration data platforms and the implementation of evidence based national migration strategies for socio-economic development.

Migration has become a global phenomenon in the age of the global village and affects all countries worldwide. 

The Government initiative is in sync with the fourth pillar of the national labour migration policy which seeks to strengthen labour migration data to enhance evidence-based programming for effective labour-migration governance. 

The project is supported by Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

In his key note address, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said migrants have been essential in the development of many modern states, shaped labour dynamics across countries, including Zimbabwe, and are a cornerstone for global economic development. 

“The Second Republic is taking migration issues seriously and this is explicitly demonstrated by the prioritisation of migration in the National Development Strategy 1.”

 The launch of the national labour migration policy by President Mnangagwa in 2019 marked a historic milestone in the systematic, inclusive and holistic approach to the implementation of the UN’s agenda on sustainable development goals on migration. 

The new policy is based on human rights, is gender sensitive and is constitutionally grounded. It is aimed at putting in place measures that mitigate the exigencies of migration so that their negative inputs are avoided,” he said.

 Migration statistics are key in developing and designing migration policies as these would ensure migration became safer and more orderly and presented opportunities to harness migration’s potential for socio-economic advancement. It also ensured the protection of migrants’ rights and their dignity and helped Zimbabwe identify policy interventions that are key in ensuring it achieved these objectives.

Minister Mavima noted that lack of progress in the mutual recognition of skills and educational qualifications discouraged the cross-border movement of labour in Africa and contributed to de-skilling. 

On the same occasion, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe said migration governance in terms of statistics remained a challenge.

“It is not that migration is incapable of generating statistical data but rather it is the collection, interpretation; sharing and eventual use of migration data that has had considerable challenges,” he said.

“This is basically because systems that are in place to harness migration data might either be incapacitated in terms of infrastructure, be handicapped technically, or falling short in terms of training of practitioners,” he said.

Government was fully committed to supporting the global compact initiatives on migration, with particular emphasis on the creation of safe and orderly migration through the crafting and use of a migration policy that is both regionally and continentally compliant and consistent with the relevant sustainable development goals.

United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon said people migrated to other countries in search of peace and security as well as economic benefits.

“In 2020 there were over 251 million international migrants worldwide, most of them have moved in search of economic opportunities, peace and security. Seventy-two percent of them are economic active. Zimbabwe is a source and a destination country for migrants,” he said.

United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon said people migrated to other countries in search of peace and security as well as economic benefits.

“In 2020 there were over 251 million international migrants worldwide, most of them have moved in search of economic opportunities, peace and security. Seventy-two percent of them are economic active. Zimbabwe is a source and a destination country for migrants,” he said.