Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 08, 2010 News
By Neil Marks in
Montego Bay, Jamaica
The migration of well-educated and trained nationals from Guyana and the Caribbean and other developing countries has been an ongoing phenomenon, and something Governments have been unable to control.
But now, former Jamaican Prime Minister Percival J Patterson is heading a Commission that will make specific recommendations to assist small states and less developed countries which have suffered excessive out-migration of expensively trained persons, and have yet to benefit significantly from return migration or diasporic investment.
The Ramphal Commission on Migration and Development in the Caribbean is the first initiative of the Ramphal Centre, an independent think tank launched in 2008 to mark the 80th birthday of Sir Shridath Ramphal, one of the most distinguished international sons of the Caribbean.
According to Patterson, in some places the brain drain of skilled people, such as nurses, teachers and scientists may damage development by depriving public services or key industries of the expensively trained human capital they need.
Surprisingly, Patterson named Barbados as one of the countries experiencing high levels of such out-migration.
The Commission will present a vision statement for migration policy within the Commonwealth for the next decade, which may also influence policy at the global level.
The perceptions of about migration are mixed and one of the tasks of this commission is to highlight the positive aspects of international migration, and these include the improvement of the lives and incomes of migrants moving from developing countries and the boost to development by remittances sent back to countries or origin.
At the same time, the Commission will look at the negative aspects such as the brain drain of skilled people from developing countries as well as the fact that illegal and undocumented migration can reduce a government’s ability to regulate its economy and manage public finances and services.
Patterson said that the Commonwealth is best placed to develop and implement practical and mutually beneficial policies which can in turn be recommended to the international community as a whole.
But before this can happen the Commonwealth has to deal with the obvious shortcomings in current government policies.
Patterson said that the Commission’s conviction is that policy makers do not have a clear understanding of what good migration would look like. Little is known about how best to promote return migration, encourage diaspora interaction or balance border security concerns with a need to attract migrants required by receiving countries’ economies.
And most importantly, Patterson said, there is a lack of political will to look beyond immediate short term impacts in destination countries, rather than migration’s effects on the countries of origin and the future impact of climate change.
The Commission has been tasked by the Ramphal Centre in London to develop practical policies in the important field of migration and development, initially for Commonwealth countries to take forward into action.
Patterson said that the Commission is concerned to steer this powerful movement of peoples to the benefit of developing countries and to diminish any disadvantages such migration and development may occasion for these less equipped nations.
The terms of reference for the Commission are specific: that migration policy is a mater for states but that conversely citizens have a right to migrate.
As such, he said that such principles may be designed to protect the rights of migrants and to promote ethical recruitment.
The Commission is mindful of the sensitivities surrounding migration and of the opportunities for Commonwealth leadership in terms of poverty reduction and development.
The management of migration to maximise the benefits and minimise the cost for development in countries of origin is a key task facing Commonwealth governments in countries of origin and countries of destination.
Patterson said that illegal and undocumented migration can reduce governments’ ability to regulate the economy and to manage public finances and public services. “The issue as we see it is that policy makers still do not have a clear understanding of precisely what good migration would look like.
There is a need for more research and analysis of migration and its impacts, particularly in the promotion of development,” Patterson stated.
Others on the Commission are George Vassilou, former President of Cyprus and currently a member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation; Farooq Sobhan, former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh; Professor Brenda Yeoh, of the Department of Geography at the University of Singapore; professor John Oucho, currently founder and chair of the African migration and development policy centre; Jill Iliffe, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth Nurses Federation; and Mr Will Day, chair of the Sustainable Development Commission.
The Commission has been tasked by the Ramphal Centre in London to develop practical policies in the important field of migration and development, initially for Commonwealth countries to take forward into action.
Sir Shridath served as Commonwealth Secretary General for 15 years (1976-1990), the only person who was awarded three terms of office by Commonwealth governments and this was in recognition of his exceptional service to the Commonwealth as he led the associations successful campaign to end racism in Southern Africa, which brought about the release of Nelson Mandela and the establishment of democracy in South Africa.
Besides, he pioneered the establishment of Commonwealth expert groups on climate change, the world’s debt crisis and the vulnerability of small states. It is in recognition of his distinguished service that the centre was established.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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