Connectivity and Migration

At the beginning of 2020, at the proposal of Canada, the GFMD Steering Group endorsed the creation of a Hoc working Group on Public Narratives on Migration.

On the occasion of International Migrants’ Day, as part of a global call to Stand Up for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Office launched in 2017 a series of animated videos to amplify the voices of migrants, the communities that welcome them and the conversations they have along the way. 

Together with the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration, ICMPD (under the MIEUX initiative) deployed this social marketing tool in attempting to influence the behaviour of different segments of the population (young people, students, women, would-be migrants, etc.) in relation to a campaign on trafficking and illegal recruitment. Social marketing campaigns are designed to influence the target group’s actions and adopt a new behaviour or change a current behaviour which affects the target group in a negative way.

Good communication can be a powerful tool in support of migrant integration. The “Communicating on Migrant Integration” website of the OECD Network of Communication Officers on Migration (NETCOM) makes available articles and good practice examples on the topic.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, launched the MigrantApp (MigApp) in 2017, the first pilot of an IOM global initiative to provide information to facilitate regular, safe, and orderly migration using mobile devices.

Social innovation initiatives have been launched in many countries to find solutions to local challenges involving migrants, refugees and host communities in social entrepreneurship ventures.

Numerous programs empower young people to identify challenges in their communities and to create entrepreneurial solutions to address these barriers. Through a combination of training, mentorship and in some cases seed funding, youth learn transferable skills to become social innovators and entrepreneurs.

Some examples of these programs (see links below) are:

The IOM's 'I am a migrant' campaign is a platform to promote diversity and inclusion of migrants in society. It’s specifically designed to support volunteer groups, local authorities, companies, associations, groups, indeed, anyone of goodwill who is concerned about the hostile public discourse against migrants.

Visa for Music, a musical event held in Rabat, is the first professional platform gathering and federating artists of the music industry in Morocco, the Middle East, and Africa. The event provides a space for interprofessional music in Morocco for the countries of the South. Visa for Music Association works on the economy of arts, artistic mobility, and narratives on accepting others.

Africa Art Lines Association is a fund that allows artists and cultural operators carrying artistic projects between Morocco and other African countries to benefit from grants for their travel expenses, thus promoting labor mobility and cultural awareness. Africa Art Lines accepts artists and cultural professionals living and working within the continent and holding projects related to Morocco.

Migrants as Messengers is a peer-to-peer messaging campaign by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) where returning migrants share with their communities and families the dangers, trauma, and abuse that many experienced while attempting irregular migration.  From smartphones to social media platforms and social networks, returning migrants from Senegal, Guinea, and Nigeria share their stories to generate awareness and provide advice and information on misconceptions about living abroad.