The Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA) has started today, bringing together civil society representatives on the eve of the 12th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). Over the course of a week, more than 1000 delegates from all world regions will deliberate on migration-related issues in a variety of forums. Among the topics being discussed are access to services for migrants, mixed migration flows, climate-related migration, labour migration and the criminalization of migrants. An overarching theme is the implementation and monitoring of the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. Here’s an overview of what’s happening in Quito: Continue reading
A new series of interdisciplinary working papers on Migration, Mobility, and Forced Displacement has been launched at the Maria Sibylla Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA). The institute is based at the University of Ghana. Earlier this year, I had the great opportunity to act as convener of the first Interdisciplinary Fellow Group (IFG) in Accra. Four months of exciting collaborative research have now resulted in the publication of our first batch of working papers They deal with 
The regional level of migration governance is gaining increasing scholarly attention – being situated at a meso-level between national and bilateral migration policies and the emerging global migration governance structure. The appearance and more widespread usage of the concept of ‘regional migration governance’ in recent years can be seen as an indicator that regions beyond the European Union (EU) have begun to engage with migration policy. A recently published edited volume acknowledges this trend and, besides the EU, shines light on Africa, Asia-Pacific and Central Asia as well as Europe, the Middle East and North and South America. I have contributed a chapter on ASEAN and compiled below several other publications on migration governance in the region: 
The application process for the 2019 Civil Society Days of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) has been opened. This year’s GFMD will take place 19-22 November in Quito, Ecuador under the theme “Sustainable approaches to human mobility: Upholding rights, strengthening state agency, and advancing development through partnerships and collective action”. Deadline for all applications is 26 August. Meanwhile, the host of the 2020 GFMD has been decided: The United Arab Emirates (UAE), representing the major destination region of the Gulf states. You can apply for the Civil Society Days here: 
More than half a year has passed since the Global Compact on safe, orderly and regular migration has been agreed upon at the end of 2018 in Morocco and New York. Talks about the implementation and monitoring of the compact and the role civil society can play in all of this are still ongoing. Here are some publications that take the reader along the road to and from Marrakesh: what processes led to the development of the compact, what was the role of the GFMD in particular and what invited and invented spaces could civil society use to bring the voices of migrants into these deliberations? At least some of these publications are open access already: 
Migrant and refugee youth voices must be heard and taken seriously: That was one of the central messages of the inaugural Youth Forum held in in Marrakech last December. The event was part of the “migration week” and took place between the GFMD and UN Conference on the Global Compact for Migration. So Young Chang participated in the Forum and thankfully agreed to share her observations in this blogpost: 
The Mayors Mechanism (MM) will become a process within the structure of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), starting with the Ecuador chairmanship and summit this year. This is a direct result of the 5th Mayoral Forum on Human Mobility, Migration and Development, held in the “migration week” in Marrakesh last November. I was able to participate in the event and conduct a follow-up interview with Dr. Colleen Thouez, Director of the Welcoming and Integrated Societies Division of the Open Society Foundations. For her, the new cooperation brings many mutual benefits: “Local governments’ input bolsters the position of the GFMD in the context of GCM implementation and follow-up as an all-inclusive venue for dialogue and as a platform to mobilize partners for implementation.”. Red the full interview here: 