FIRST REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON MIGRANTS
CAUGHT IN COUNTRIES IN CRISIS HELD IN MANILA
On 23-24 March 2015, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), on behalf of the Philippine government, hosted a regional consultation for South, South-East and East Asian countries under the global ‘Migrants in Countries in Crisis’ (MICIC) initiative. The meeting provided an opportunity for governments to exchange views and identify best practices on how to assist migrants in countries in crisis. As Ambassador Guy Ledoux of the EU Delegation to the Philippines explained in his opening remarks, ‘we know that many countries, notably the Philippines but also others in Asia, already have good systems in place to protect their nationals abroad, and we want to learn from these experiences’.
The meeting was organized in collaboration with the United States State Department and the European Commission, with funding from the EU’s Global Public Goods and Challenges programme. This is the first of the six MICIC-focused regional consultations envisioned with EU funding.
When conflict or disasters hit, international migrants present in the crisis-stricken country are often among the affected population. For a variety of factors, migrants can be especially vulnerable during crises. In some cases, migrants may be trapped, unable to leave the crisis area, in others they may be unwilling to leave or unable to access humanitarian assistance, while in others they may seek refuge across borders in adjacent countries. For example, the civil war in Libya in 2011 saw thousands of migrants from Asian countries in need of humanitarian aid and repatriation assistance.
In order to improve responses to the impact of acute crises on migrants, the US and the Philippines launched a global initiative in 2014 on Migrants in Countries in Crisis, in collaboration with the European Commission, Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Ethiopia. Aside from the CFO, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Foreign Affairs represent the Philippine government in the MICIC initiative.
The initiative is working to develop a set of non-binding voluntary guidelines and best practices that will be used by governments, international organizations, civil society and private sector actors. According to Imelda Nicolas, Secretary of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, the mantra of the initiative is ‘to save lives, increase protection, decrease vulnerabilities and improve responses’.
The meeting was attended by over 100 persons, including government officials of 16 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. It was organized with the support of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
For inquiry regarding this press release, please call the Office of CFO Secretary Imelda Nicolas at (632) 552-4701 to 06 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information on the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) log in at our website www.cfo.gov.ph END
