By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) has condemned in strong terms, the pronounced discrimination against blacks to access same opportunity for survival like their white counterparts abroad.
It therefore, called on world leaders and the United Nations to ensure a stoppage of the inhuman act forthwith.
The group specifically called on world leaders to end the undue occupational war in Ukraine leading to millions of people now classified as victims of forced migration.
President of the group, Dr Abayomi Ajibola made the call while presenting a paper titled, ” Exploring The Benefits of Migration To Retool The Global Economy” at 1st Friday’s Economic Development Edition in Toronto Canada.
JIFORM is a global media movement founded in 2019 in Nigeria and presently comprising over 300 journalists covering migration matters across the continents.
According to Ajibola, for prosperity to continue across the globe, nations must imbibe the culture of tolerance, empathy and open door policies to welcome migrants for development to be sustained.
Specifically, he insisted that the United Nations must be firm and rise to the defense of the millions of Africans and citizens of the third world nation constantly being harassed in Europe, North and South Americans and elsewhere under the guise of labeling them as irregular migrants.
” All of us, both the black and the white are now living with the reality of the famous quote of Martin Lutter King since August 1963:”I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
” The global economic development has transcended colour or race rather it is a show of intellect and initiatives. Therefore we all have a duty irrespective of our field to contribute our own quota to the world a better place for all.
” For the JIFORM, the best way to reap the economic benefits of migration is when it is done through a regular channel that will ultimately lead to a prosperous end as against irregular migration that usually ends in sorrow. ” The United Nations must be firm and rise to the defense of the millions of Africans and citizens of the third world nation constantly being harassed in Europe, North and South Americans and elsewhere under the guise of labeling them as irregular migrants.
” The massacre of the defenseless migrants at the border of Morocco and Spain this year, as well as the continuous inhuman treatment of migrants around the Mediterranean Sea calls for serious investigation and concerns.
” All barriers furthering racism, discrimination and separatist tendencies must be discouraged. All of us are one people, one creation with potential to add value to global development”, the JIFORM President asserted.
Speaking on the economic benefits of migration, Ajibola described migration as a serious business from which many developed countries especially Canada, US, Britain and other developing nations have benefitted from.
According to him, ” In 2019, alone a total of USD 714 billion in international remittances were transferred globally by migrants and Diaspora back to origin countries as reported by the World Bank.
” The current global estimate is that there were around 281 million international migrants in the world in 2020, which equates to 3.6 per cent of the global population. Overall, the estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades. These people are economy developers such that if well managed remain a veritable asset any day.
” To further underscore the import role of migration in the economy, officially recorded remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are expected to increase by 4.2 percent this year (2021) to reach $630 billion. This follows an almost record recovery of 8.6 percent in 2021, according to the World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief.
” In 2021, remittance inflows saw strong gains in Latin America and the Caribbean (25.3 percent), Sub-Saharan Africa (14.1 percent), Europe and Central Asia (7.8 percent), the Middle East and North Africa (7.6 percent), and South Asia (6.9 percent). Remittances to East Asia and the Pacific fell by 3.3 percent; although excluding China, remittances grew 2.5 percent. Excluding China, it is an indisputable fact that remittance flows have been the largest source of external finance for LMICs since 2015.
” The top five recipient countries for remittances in 2021 were India, Mexico (replacing China), China, the Philippines, and Egypt. Among economies where remittance inflows stand at very high shares of GDP are Lebanon (54 percent), Tonga (44 percent), Tajikistan (34 percent), Kyrgyz Republic (33 percent), and Samoa (32 percent).
“Beyond migration and its relevant data, for prosperity to continue across the globe, nations must imbibe the culture of tolerance, empathy and open door policies to welcome migrants for development to be sustained”, stressed.
