The new head of the UN’s migration agency has expressed her concern over the rising number of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea, and warned that such tragedies should not be seen as normal or ‘inevitable’.
Amy Pope, who took office as the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday, said that migrants were “people first” who deserved dignity and respect, regardless of their legal status or reasons for leaving their countries of origin.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Ms. Pope said that she was alarmed by the recent shipwrecks that claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants, including one off the coast of Greece in June that was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years.
She spoke of strong evidence that many more shipwrecks might be “invisible”, meaning that unrecorded boats disappeared with no survivors, and that the real death toll was likely to be much higher than the official figures.
She stressed that migration is not a problem to be solved, rather a reality to be managed, and that it brings many benefits to both host and origin countries.
Citing a World Bank report, she said how migration was a “powerful force” for poverty reduction, and that many private sector companies were “desperate” for migrants to fill their labor market needs and fuel innovation.
However, she also acknowledged that migration posed challenges and risks, especially for the migrants themselves, who often faced exploitation, abuse, violence and discrimination along their journeys. She stresses that the IOM’s role is to support governments and partners to provide safe, orderly and regular pathways for migration, and to protect the rights and well-being of migrants and refugees.
She also promised that the IOM would work closely with other UN agencies, such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to address the root causes of forced displacement, such as conflict, persecution, climate change and lack of opportunities.
Stressing on the importance of enhancing search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, and ensuring accountability for those responsible for smuggling and trafficking migrants, she said that the IOM would continue to monitor the situation and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, as well as collect data and evidence on migrant deaths and disappearances.
Her priority as the new IOM chief is to listen to the voices of migrants and refugees, and to amplify their stories and perspectives, she adds. She further expressed her desire to challenge the stigma and prejudice that surround migration, and to cultivate a sense of understanding and kindness for those who venture into the unknown in pursuit of a brighter future.
“Especially as we are reaching the anniversary of Lampedusa, it’s an important moment to recognize and recall that ultimately this isn’t about a problem, this is about people,” she said, referring to the migrant shipwreck off the Italian coast on 3 October 2013 that killed more than 360 people.
“These are people first before we label them as migrants or asylum seekers or anything else, and valuing their human life, recognizing their dignity is key to everything we say and do.”
