Zimbabwe: Govt develops National Migration Policy with support from IOM

Zimbabwe's government is currently working on the developmental process of its National Migration Policy with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Zimbabwe has a long history with cross border mobility and has also witnessed a significant brain drain in the past two decades. Highly-skilled and semi-skilled Zimbabweans emigrated to countries such as the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, South Africa and Botswana in search of greener pastures. The country has also witnessed increased internal and border migration resulting in an upsurge in irregular migration, human smuggling and mixed migration flows. This calls for a comprehensive migration policy to enable the Government of Zimbabwe to harness the development potential of migration, as it explores ways to mitigate any negative impacts.

The complex migration issues in Zimbabwe are handled by several ministries; limited coordination hampers migration and development issues. Two of the migration policies already in place, the National Diaspora Policy and the National Labour Policy, are not adequate for covering other critical migration issues such as security and climate-driven movements.

A policy drafting workshop was held in Mutare from 25 to 28 March 2019 to come up with a comprehensive policy framework that deals with migration and development. "The national migration policy will be the overarching policy document which will address all the issues pertaining to migrants, be they Zimbabweans or nationals of other countries," said Minister Cain Mathema, the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, in his keynote remarks, IOM noted.

Minister Mathema also highlighted the importance of the policy in unpacking the principles and guidelines set forth in the African Union Migration Policy Framework and Plan of Action. "This Migration Policy should assist us as the government to address the challenges of irregular migration, border governance, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, data collection and internal displacement in line with AU policy framework," he added.

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Mr Melusi Matshiya, pointed to the importance of evidence-based policies, adding that they are critical for government decisions.

Also Read: Zimbabwe to get 4 water treatment plants worth $237m in Harare from Sinohydro