Be more rational while dealing with int'l migration: Bangladesh

Bangladesh has said all need to be more rational and less emotional while dealing with international migration recognising that cross-border forced displacement caused by violence, extremism and ultra-nationalism compounds the task ahead of all.

the borders to stop the flow of immigrants is not the solution or safeguard to uphold countries sovereign authority," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs M ShahriarAlam.

He was delivering opening remarks at the ‘Regional Consultation of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM)’ in a city hotel on Saturday.

The State Minister said all should also be aware of issues such as climate change, identity politics, national populist measures, and rapid technological progress all of which will impact the world of work.

He mentioned that since August 2017, around 1.1 million Rohingya from Northern Rakhine State of Myanmar sought refuge in Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh Government, besides bilateral engagement with Myanmar to solve the problem, despite her resource scarcity has engaged its fullest strength to cope with the humanitarian needs at the ground," the State Minister said.

For Bangladesh, he said, adoption of GCM is not an end in itself, rather, beginning of a new responsibility.

"I am happy that the UN Secretary General has appointed the distinguished Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh and Spain as co-facilitators to the intergovernmental consultations and negotiations to determine the modalities and organizational aspects of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF)," Shahriar said.

He hoped that the co-facilitators would be able to come up with concrete way outs for the implementation of 23 objectives outlined in the GCM.

Bangladesh reaffirmed the crucial and continuing role the civil society and business community has to play in the implementation of the Compact.

"We have always believed in and practiced partnership and consulted with all stakeholders to find solutions to problems and issues," he said.

State Minister for Expatriate’s Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmad and Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations Agustín Santos Maraver, among others, spoke.

Source: unb