Migration and the movement of persons within Africa and outside the continent forms a large part of Africa’s history. Migration in Africa dates back to centuries. Cross-border migrations happen daily across the various entry points within-country due to globalisation. In the past decades, migration has increased, driven primarily by the youth. In recent times, trade, educational opportunity, marriage have accelerated migration.
Migration directly connects to other challenges, hence cannot be considered a standalone issue. It has a direct implication on the geopolitical landscape in Africa, making migration an urgent concern for policymakers, including the African Union and civil society organisations (CSOs) within the continent.
In recognition of the economic, socio-cultural, and political impacts on Africa, the African Union established several frameworks within the last fifteen years to facilitate better migration governance within the continent and outside its borders. Key among these is the revised Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) adopted in 2018.
Notwithstanding its adoption in 2018, the African Union (AU) revised the MPFA to provide integrated and comprehensive policy guidelines to AU member states and Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The implementation of the revised framework is in its fifth year, but the rollout remains insufficient.
In addressing the bottleneck, the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), an advisory organ of African Union member states, recognises the role of CSOs in handling forced displacement and other migration issues, hence, partners with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to organise a series of online symposia between 3 June 2021 - 15 July 2021.
The online event comes under the theme: The Migration Policy Framework for Africa: Uncovering the role of Civil Society in Migration Governance. The overall goal of this programme is to engage the civil society sector in creating awareness, bridging the gaps within the implementation of the MPFA.
The African Union recognises the role of the civil society sector. Hence, calls for collaborative efforts to unlock opportunities between the African Union Commission (AUC) and CSOs, to strengthen joint resolution on migration development.
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