As policies focus on managing the COVID-19 crisis, we need to have perspective and think about the world after the coronavirus, especially the future of mobility between continents. Unexpected information to this effect came from Germany. This is a recommendation of the Federal Advisory Council for Migration in Germany. This council recommends to the German government to set up temporary work visas accessible to the African migrant workers in particular the women with just the payment of a bank guarantee at the level of the German embassy in their country of origin. This recommendation aims to prevent migrants from paying their money to traffickers and to allow them for traveling through legal channels.
For more than ten years, we have not ceased to remind in our dialogues with politicians both in Africa and in Europe, the need to move towards the creation of new channels of mobility that preserve the dignity of migrants. As much to have small victories as no victory at all. The emergence of this recommendation, at a time when countries are closing, may give hope for other migratory prospects in the world. We are convinced that this recommendation will save the lives of thousands of African migrants from the dangers of illegal migration. More than ever, we must challenge politicians in the North as in the South for a just migration for all and a dignified mobility. For the full German version of the report click HERE.
Brief English summary of the report:
The SVR 2020 Annual Report analyses migration movements within Africa and from Africa to Europe and Germany, shedding light on the causes of migration from Africa and considering the consequences migration can have for African countries of origin. Based on this analysis, the report identifies migration policy options for Germany and the EU, discussing potential ways of managing migration for work and education, preventing irregular migration and improving protection for refugees. The report also reviews current return policies and discusses how local diaspora organisations could be better supported. Read a Deutsche Welle’s article on the report HERE