BACKGROUND PAPER FOR THE UNESCO WORKSHOP ON MEASURING SOCIAL PUBLIC POLICIES: INCLUSIVENESS AND IMPACT

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1 BACKGROUND PAPER FOR THE UNESCO WORKSHOP ON MEASURING SOCIAL PUBLIC POLICIES: INCLUSIVENESS AND IMPACT Paris, March 2013 A. Migration and social inclusion: Shedding light on the integration of migrants in the South In recent years, South-South migration (consisting for the ACP Observatory as Migration between countries with less than a very-high development level according to the United Nations), has become increasingly important in international discussions on migration and development. Based on the United Nations definition of the South, in 2010 about 73 million international migrants born in the South were also residing in the South, which amounts to 34 per cent of the global migrant stock 1. Migration, and in particular South-South movements, remain a relatively new field of study in many countries and regions. Researchers and policymakers have only recently begun working on these issues outside of Asia and West Africa, and relevant capacities are still developing. The social integration of South-South migrants remains to be largely explored. The integration of migrants needs to be analysed from various perspectives, including the access to basic services and the protection of the rights of migrants. Various challenges hamper the procurement of reliable evidence on South-South migration. When data is collected, it is often not sufficiently shared between relevant government agencies, policymakers, researchers and academia both at national and regional levels. Existing evidence and case studies seem to indicate that South-South migrants may suffer from discrimination and limited protection of their rights but empirical information is required to promote adequate public policies. In all circumstances, the relation between research and policymaking should be strengthened. It is necessary for policymakers to recognize the important role and value of migration data for evidence-based decision making and policy development, rather than focusing on migration data in the traditional framework of security, control and fiscal planning. This shift would have implications in the discretionary power of decision makers on policies on migration, thus having a direct impact also in increasing transparency and democracy. The research and methodological documents prepared by the ACP Observatory provide useful opportunities to assess the social inclusion of South-South migrants as part of the migration and development nexus. 1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2012). Migrants by origin and destination: the role of South-South migration. Population Facts 2012/3. Accessed 11 February 2013,

2 B. The rights of migrants in the South The rights of migrants are a crucial element for social integration in the communities of destination. Migrants are protected by different instruments according to their status, from the general fundamental rights accorded to all individuals to movement related rights and rights accorded to specific groups, such as migrant workers, refugees and asylum-seekers and victims of smuggling and trafficking in persons. Conciliating development, migration and human rights of migrants is often seen as not an easy task. Research on Senegalese migrants in West Africa, in particular in The Gambia and Cote d Ivoire, has shown that protection of their rights often lacks effective implementation, also due to the fact that these migrants usually work in the informal sectors 2. Human rights are considered as an important issue for international organizations in West Africa, such as the Economic Conference of West African States (ECOWAS), the Union économique et monétaire d Afrique de l Ouest (UEMOA) and the African Conference of Social Planning. Nevertheless, evidence shows a distance between international instruments and national legislative frameworks. Policy recommendations included in the study highlight the need to harmonize national legislation with international agreements. In East Africa, the Protocol on the Common Market (PCM) signed by Member States of the East African Community includes provisions on the rights to establishment and residence that should be translated in national legislation 3. The signature and ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families can be an important step to ensure a greater recognition of the rights of migrants in the South as well as in the North. Innovative research on the involvement of Nigerian diasporas for the development of Nigeria suggests that South-South migrants expect more from the diplomatic services of their country in the protection of their rights 4. The involvement of countries of origin of migrants in the social inclusion of their nationals living in third countries may be explored as an innovative approach. Labour migration agreements between two countries may include provisions aimed at ensuring the protection of the rights of migrant workers. The protection of migrants rights has also been drawn out as a key policy recommendation in the study on Haitian diasporas residing in the Caribbean 5. Field research in different Caribbean countries showed that the rights of Haitian migrants are not enough protection. Detention and expulsion practices challenge basic human rights as stated in international instruments. As stated in the draft research report, the access to rights and services, including the possibility of obtaining staying and work visas, are essential for the social integration of Haitians in hosting countries 6. 2 Coulibaly, O.K., A. Dioh, A.A. Samb and S.M. Tall (Forthcoming). Protection et respect des droits des migrants sénégalais à l étranger. ACP Observatory on Migration. 3 Oucho, J.O., L. Oucho, A.O. Ong ayo (Forthcoming), The biggest fish in the sea? Dynamic Kenyan labour migration in the East African Community, ACP Observatory on Migration. 4 Olatuyi, A, Y. Awoyinka and A. Adeniyi (Forthcoming), Engaging Nigerian diasporas in the South in participating in and promoting development in Nigeria, ACP Observatory on Migration. 5 Marcelino, P. (Coord.) (Forthcoming), Engager les diasporas haïtiennes aux Caraïbes dans la participation et la promotion du développement en Haïti : Etude de cas sur les Bahamas, Cuba et la Dominique, ACP Observatory on Migration. 6 Idem.

3 C. Access to basic services and discrimination Social integration can also be measured by the degree of access of migrants to basic services in the countries of destination. It is important to evaluate the existence of discrimination practices in countries of the South and to differentiate them for a general malfunctioning of government services. Indeed, sometimes migrants have a limited access to health and education facilities not because of their migrant status but because these services are generally inadequate, even for local population. Research commissioned by the ACP Observatory on internal migration in Angola and carried out by Carlos Lopes, Cristina U. Rodrigues and Gabriela Simas shows that internal migrants are generally not discriminated in the access to health services 7. Nevertheless, health providers are not always prepared to interact with migrants, in particular with regards to language requirements. This limited preparation hampers the access of migrants to health services and ultimately affects the integration of internal migrants in hosting communities. In Trinidad and Tobago, the ACP Observatory commissioned a study on the situation of irregular migrants 8. The views of irregular migrants and local stakeholders gathered in the process of the study seem to indicate that migrants, even those in irregular situation, do not suffer from discrimination in accessing health services in Trinidad and Tobago, as long as medical care does not entail excessive fees. Initial findings of the study on the rights of Senegalese migrants show that the right to housing creates potential conflicts between Gambian house owners and Senegalese tenants in The Gambia. The access to justice is also often difficult for migrants. Foreigners remain outside the social security system with regards to pensions 9. Social rights have received an increased attention over the last years. Civil society organizations have highlighted the need to promote the portability of social benefits in order to guarantee the protection of the rights of migrants to access their resources. The social integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the South also calls for increased attention. Fifteen months after the earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, a survey commissioned by the ACP Observatory showed that displaced persons living in camps had a very limited access to most services and to the protection of their rights 10. The perceived situation with regards to security is also a key issue in camps of displaced people. Nevertheless, research also shows that while the situation of relocated people is better than the one in camps, relocated households also face different challenges in terms of accessing services. A recent ACP Observatory on Migration study in Nigeria shows that internal migration has a positive impact on the access to education 11. This process entails the remittances sent by migrants to their home communities and used for education purposes and the knowledge acquired by 7 Lopes, C., C.U. Rodrigues and G. Simas (Forthcoming), Migração interna, urbanização e saúde em Angola, ACP Observatory on Migration. 8 Waldropt-Bonair, L.A., J. Sherma Foster, G. Gray, S. Alfonso and T. Seales (Forthcoming), Irregular migration, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Trinidad and Tobago, ACP Observatory on Migration. 9 Coulibaly, O.K., A. Dioh, A.A. Samb and S.M. Tall (Forthcoming), Idem. 10 Courbage, Y., F. Fortunat, P. Guedj and T. Jaulin (Forthcoming). Quelles solutions après le séisme en Haïti? Une enquête auprès des déplacés internes (avril 2012), ACP Observatory on Migration. 11 Oyeniyi, B.A. (Forthcoming), Internal migration in Nigeria: A positive contribution to human development, ACP Observatory on Migration.

4 migrants themselves. By contributing to increased access to education, internal migration has positive effects on social inclusion of migrants and their communities of origin. D. From social inclusion to human development: measuring the impact of South-South migration on development The social integration of migrants in hosting communities is a key factor to ensure the migration and development nexus. Indeed, migrants well integrated are more capable on contributing to the development of their countries of origin, through material and immaterial remittances, as well as to their communities/countries of destination. In this sense, assessing the social integration of migrants is crucial to promoting the relation between migration and development. In an effort to improve the evaluation of this nexus, the ACP Observatory has produced a series of Indicators of the impact of migration on development and vice versa 12. These indicators are divided in the following categories: economics and assets, demography, education, health, gender, wider social impacts, governance and rights, environment and other transfers. The indicators provide the instruments to benchmark the impact of migration on development. Despite not being the main focus of the document, the social integration of migrants is a key factor of the indicators. Furthermore, migration can also facilitate the access of households who stayed in the country of origin to basic services. For instance, the opportunity to migrate and remittances can increase the capacity or the motivation of households to invest in education and/or health. The relation between social inclusion and migration is a cornerstone of the promotion of human development through migration. The protection of rights is a key dimension of the indicators: in particular the indicators state that migration can lead to a better or worse protection and fulfillment of human rights, such as access to work, education, health care, civil and political rights. Discrimination and violence may occur against immigrants. Human rights violations can also be a strong driver of migration 13. Finally, the ACP Observatory has also published a Migration research guide which includes a series of methodologies to assess the impact of migration on development 14. Examples of good research practices are also highlighted on different aspects of South-South migration. E. Building bridges between researchers and policymakers As stated in the concept note of the UNESCO-MOST workshop, building efficient bridges between research, policy and action is a key process to ensure the development and the implementation of evidence-based policies. The ACP Observatory experience, including consultative mechanisms with Government agencies, research institutions and civil society organizations, has confirmed the need for close cooperation between researchers and policymakers. This process is particularly relevant for 12 Melde, Susanne, Indicators of the impact of migration on human development and vice versa, ACP Observatory on Migration, 2012, 13 Idem. 14 Anich, R., B. El Mouaatamid and S. Melde, Migration research guide: South-South migration and development, ACP Observatory on Migration, 2011,

5 South-South migration, where migration data remains particularly scarce and the linkages between researchers and policymakers are tenuous. In the framework on its action, the ACP Observatory has launched the establishment of National Consultative Committees in its pilot countries, composed by representatives of government agencies, research institutions and civil society organizations. These NCCs have selected the research priorities for the ACP Observatory studies and have been involved in the presentation of the initial findings. The implication of the policymakers since the early stages of the research process is an important factor to develop the ownership of the findings and facilitate their translation in adequate policies. In the framework of the preparation of the United Nations High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, the ACP Observatory will organize a Conference on South-South migration and development in ACP countries (Brussels, date to be determined). This conference will create an opportunity to present the findings of the research studies and migration data assessments carried out by the ACP Observatory. Discussions will be organized around different thematic panels, focused on the impact of migration on development, the role of diasporas, internal migration, labour migration and return migration, cross-cutting issues, such as migrants rights and the relations between migration and the environment, and the role of migration data. This event will create momentum to promote discussions on South-South migration at the ACP level. The conclusions of the event will be fed into the preparation of the High-level Dialogue. The Conference should also serve to promote the benefits of working towards the mainstreaming of South-South migration in development. The research published by the ACP Observatory should provide the evidence required to showcase the potential positive impact of migration on development in more aspects than remittances. The ACP Observatory on Migration publishes all of its research and assessment findings as well as the outcomes of its activities free of charge on its website: The website also includes a compendium of research on migration and development with more than studies and other resources on the migration and development nexus.