The visiting International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Director General, Amy Pope, said that countries should establish more safe and regular pathways for migration, as this is beneficial for both migrants and their countries of origin and destination.
Pope, who is on a three-day working visit to Zimbabwe, made these remarks while addressing guests at a government-hosted cocktail event at the Rainbow Hotel on Monday. She said:
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We also can do it by creating more safe and regular pathways for people to migrate, because we know when people migrate, when they migrate safely, when they migrate with dignity when they’re paid a fair wage when their labour rights are protected wherever they work, it is not just a win for that person. It’s a win for the country she comes from here in Zimbabwe.
It’s a win for the country that she goes to. So when we talk about migration, we talk not just about protecting the world’s most vulnerable. Sure, that’s what we do as well.
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Pope said she had fruitful discussions on strategizing a wide range of issues, including facilitating the movement of people to create more opportunities for them wherever they might be. She said:
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We also spoke about the impact of climate change, which we know is going to displace more and more people moving forward.
You may not realize it, but last year, more people were newly displaced because of climate change, not because of conflict. Now, the good news is that it means we can take action now.
We can take action to build resilience in the people of Zimbabwe, who today rely heavily on rainfall agriculture, and work with them to build the skills for the future, work with them to develop new ways of farming or new ways of building livelihoods.
We’re gonna do that with our partners within the UN family, but we also talked about how to harness the power, the catalyzing power, the sustainable development that is inherent when people move.
</blockquote>
Pope’s discussions with government officials included Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe (represented by his deputy Chido Sanyatwe), among others.
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The IOM Director General, Amy Pope, visited Zimbabwe and urged the country to create safer routes for migration. She said this would benefit both migrants and the countries they come from and go to. Pope discussed the importance of creating opportunities and building resilience for people affected by climate change. She also talked about the positive impact of migration on sustainable development. She met with government officials to strategize on these issues. By creating safe migration routes, countries can help people move safely and with dignity, leading to wins for everyone involved.

IOM Chief Urges Zimbabwe To Create Safer Migration Routes

Young Zimbabweans are leaving the country in large numbers since the disputed 23 August Harmonised Elections, a new report has shown.
Most of the emigrants are destined for South Africa, Botswana, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States and Canada.
The majority of those who are leaving the country were said to be frustrated by diminishing economic opportunities.
According to a recent report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Canadian, US and UK embassies have been busy processing visas for Zimbabweans intending to leave the country.
The report says 55% of people leaving the country were from Matabeleland South and 14% from Harare. The report says:
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Seventy per cent of migrants indicated that South Africa was their final intended destination.
Of the migrants going to South Africa, 37% were looking for livelihood opportunities, 19% were looking for employment and 15% were travelling for family reunification.
Twenty-six per cent of those travelling to South Africa were females aged between 26–35 years.
Of the surveyed migrants, 10% indicated that Botswana was their final intended destination.
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The IOM report said 48% of those leaving for Botswana were looking for employment, while 16% were travelling to conduct commercial activities.
The report also said 12% were looking for livelihood opportunities, while 28% of those travelling to Botswana were males aged between 26 and 35 years. It added:
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Of those looking for employment, 34% were planning to stay for a period between six months and 12 months, whilst 8% indicated that they were planning to stay in Botswana for more than a year.
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Responding to questions from the <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/theindependent/local-news/article/200018316/zim-youths-flee-in-droves">Zimbabwe Independent,</a> Respect Gono, director-general at the Department of Immigration said Zimbabweans leaving the country were refusing to fill in departure forms.
As a result, records at the Department of Immigration did not show an increase in migration. She said:
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Zimbabwean nationals leaving the country have resisted filling out departure forms hence making it difficult for the department to collect such statistics.
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Gono also said officers at various ports had not reported any significant increase in the number of youths leaving the country after the elections.
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