Category Archives: News

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Makungu Baloyi

News

Media Advisory Launch of SAMM Media Toolkit “Reporting on Labour Migration in the SADC Region” & “Labour Migration Media Competition in the SADC Region” Awards Ceremony

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Date: 20th June, 2024

Venue: TBC Cape Town, South Africa

Time: 09H00 – 15H00

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The Southern Africa Migration Management (SAMM) Project has the pleasure to invite you to be part of launching a Media Toolkit “Reporting on Labour Migration in the SADC Region”. The main objective of the media toolkit is to improve the quality of media coverage related to labour migration. The toolkit will also contribute to advocacy work among employer organizations, trade unions, civil society organizations, governments, and policymakers to improve the working and living conditions of migrant workers and to reduce labour exploitation practices.

At the same time, the SAMM project will be hosting the “Labour Migration Media Competition in the SADC Region” Awards Ceremony that will be taking place in Cape Town, South Africa on 20th June, 2024. The objective of the competition is to contribute to combat hate speech, discrimination and xenophobia against migrant workers and to support changing the negative perceptions and attitudes towards them and their families through evidence or fact-based journalism and broadcasting that contribute to eliminate public misconceptions. Indeed, this Media Competition hopes to promote media awareness towards a fair and balanced reportage that recognizes migrant workers’ contribution to the economic growth and development of countries of origin, transit and destination in the SADC region.

The Launch Event and Awards Ceremony includes participation of media personnel and communication professionals working in broadcast, print, electronic, digital, and social media who are from, or operate within, the 16 SADC Member States.

Attendance confirmations and media enquiries:

@samm-project@ilo.org /baloyi@ilo.org

Makungu Baloyi

SAMM Communications Officer

WhatsApp: +27 73 131 82| Tel: +27 81 868 5225

Makungu Baloyi

News

Launch of the Namibian Employers and Trade Union Labour Migration Network (NETUMN)

The Namibian Employers and Trade Union Labour Migration Network (NETUMN) is proud to announce its official launch following the successful establishment of the NETUMN network during the meeting held in Walvis Bay from September 19th to 21st, 2023. This significant milestone comes after intensive discussions and collaboration among 30 participants, including representatives from employers, government officials, and trade unions, with a gender-balanced composition of 11 females and 19 males.

NETUMN emerges as a crucial platform formed under the endorsement of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Southern African Migration Management (SAMM), dedicated to supporting the implementation of Namibia’s Labour Migration Policy both domestically and internationally.

The network’s core objective is to actively engage in labour migration issues at the national level and foster cooperation among member nations to enhance governance in this critical area. NETUMN will prioritize areas such as social protection, freedom of association, collective bargaining, employment advancement, and skill recognition, recognizing these as vital components for ensuring the rights and well-being of all workers, including migrant workers.

NETUMN has been entrusted with the fundamental responsibility of identifying precise domains for future collaboration between unions and employers concerning labour migration. These include advocating for a migrant system that safeguards and advances the rights of all workers, combatting hate speech, and addressing labour shortages through strategic recognition and planning.

We are thrilled to declare the official launch ofNETUMN and extend a warm appreciation to all stakeholders present. Your participation will be instrumental in fortifying the collaboration, advocacy, and implementation of Namibia’s labour migration policies that will enhance the capacity of NETUMN network members in various critical areas related to labour migration and migrant worker support to promote decent work and social protection for all migrant workers within our borders and abroad.

Makungu Baloyi

News

SAMM LABOUR MIGRTION MEDIA COMPETITION: ENTER NOW!!

The ILO and IOM under the banner of the SAMM Project is launching a Media Competition on Labour Migration in the Southern African region, funded by the European Union. The aim is to recognize exemplary journalists and media practitioners who have been, or are, contributing to the media landscape by covering any of the ten SAMM labour migration thematic areas^[1] in SADC Countries, while ensuring that hate speech, discrimination, racism and xenophobia are combated, and strengthening social cohesion and solidarity toward migrant workers and their families.

How to enter

Complete the online entry form (https://bit.ly/3G9kcKv ) and submit your piece in the following formats: written press, photo essay, multimedia, podcast, video or radio. A submission in any language is welcome. However, an English, French or Portuguese translation must be included. Students are allowed to submit a published or unpublished media piece.

Key dates

15 April 2024 (23:59, SAST): Deadline for submissions, via the online entry form .

End June 2024: Competition winners will be announced.

Awards

Two Types of Awards and Four Prizes

Professional Awards: 3 Prizes

Professional Awards: Journalists and Media Professionals;

Three prizes will be awarded to Journalist/Media Professionals on a published media piece on the topic of labour migration:

A cash prize of $1,200 USD – The Winner
A cash prize of 1000 USD -Runner Up
A cash prize of 800 USD – Second runner up

Student Award : 1 Prize

Student Awards; students who are currently enrolled in a journalism school
One prize will be awarded to a published or unpublished media piece.

A cash prize of $500 USD will be assigned to the winner

Makungu Baloyi

News

SAMM LABOUR MIGRATION MEDIA COMPETITION

The ILO and IOM under the banner of the SAMM Project is launching a Media Competition on Labour Migration in the Southern African region, funded by the European Union. The aim is to recognize exemplary journalists and media practitioners who have been, or are, contributing to the media landscape by covering any of the ten SAMM labour migration thematic areas[1] in SADC Countries, while ensuring that hate speech, discrimination, racism and xenophobia are combated, and strengthening social cohesion and solidarity toward migrant workers and their families.

How to enter

Key dates

15 March 2024 (23:59, SAST): Deadline for submissions, via the online entry form .

End April 2024: Competition winners will be announced.

Awards

Two Types of Awards and Four Prizes

Professional Awards: 3 Prizes

Professional Awards: Journalists and Media Professionals;
Three prizes will be awarded to Journalist/Media Professionals on a published media piece on the topic of labour migration:
A cash prize of $1,200 USD – The Winner
A cash prize of 1000 USD -Runner Up
A cash prize of 800 USD – Second runner up

Student Award : 1 Prize

Student Awards; students who are currently enrolled in a journalism school
One prize will be awarded to a published or unpublished media piece.
A cash prize of $500 USD will be assigned to the winner

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: https://bit.ly/4a4avL9

May312023NOCOMMENTS

Makungu Baloyi

News

SADC Diaspora Skills Unleashed: IOM Facilities Discussions

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with support from the European Union-funded project “Southern Africa Migration Management (SAMM)”, is holding a regional workshop on diaspora engagement and mapping toolkit in Windhoek, Namibia from May 30 to June 1, 2023. The workshop will enhance national technical and institutional mechanisms from the 15 SADC member States for effective diaspora engagement and mapping.

IOM’s Diaspora Mapping Toolkit offers practical guidance and tools for stakeholders involved in diaspora mapping and engagement for development. It promotes a bottom-up approach to building an effective and sustainable system, and provides specific methodological approaches and tools for Southern Africa.

“This workshop marks another milestone in our collective efforts to enhance diaspora engagement,” said Mr Ashraf El Nour, IOM Regional Director for Southern Africa, at the opening ceremony. “By sharing best practices, experiences, and expertise, we aim to build the capacity of SADC member states to effectively harness the potential of their diaspora communities”.

Despite the progress that has been made by the SADC Member States in the diaspora engagement, some gaps still exist in mapping their diaspora, leading to limited understanding of the spread, skills and profiles of the diaspora which focused on empowering the diaspora for regional development communities. This effort will use IOM’s diaspora mapping toolkit to help build institutional and technical capacity for effective mapping. The workshop complements the recommendations of the regional diaspora and investment forum held in Mauritius in 17–19 October 2022.

“Migration has been proved to be a fast path to reducing poverty not only for the diaspora but also for families left behind through remittances” said Ambassador Penda Naanda, Executive Director, Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation. “Therefore, the Governments of the SADC Member States need to facilitate the flow of remittances by reducing the cost of remitting money, he concludes”.

IOM, the United Nation Development Funds (UNDP), and the African Union Commission (AUC), have set up a diaspora framework program to use diaspora-related resources for national, regional, and continental development. Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Member States are increasingly interested in engaging with their diaspora communities to develop the region and make productive use of remittance income.

May252023NOCOMMENTS

Makungu Baloyi

News

3rd Political Steering Committee Meeting

The 3rd Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting for the project took place in Lusaka, Zambia on the 25th of May 2023. The PSC convenes annually to discuss the progress made in the implementation of project activities, highlights the challenges encountered by the UN implementing agencies and come up with mitigating strategies to ensure smooth collaboration between the RECs and other stakeholders.

COMESA served as the chair and host of the 3rd PSC. As one of the key partners (RECs) in the project, COMESA led the discussions of the PSC which serves as the governing body of the project to, one, provide strategic leadership, two, hold general policy discussions, and overall

guidance on how to move forward in ensuring the mandate of the SAMM project is achieved .

In the deliberations of the PSC, achievements and progress made in delivering the objectives of the project were highlighted by several part- ners and implementing agencies.

“As workers, we bear witness to the work the South African Migration Management Project has advanced.”

—M. KANDUKUTU

Southern African Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC)

▲ Political Steering Committee Members

The European union also applauded the UN agencies together with its partner RECs for the stellar work done in 2022, emphasising the need to accelerate efforts in delivering as one to improve migration management in the region.

“Migration partnerships is an important pillar of the EU external action. The SAMM Project contributes to this objective by facilitating legal labour migration and by protecting the rights of migrant workers, refugees and victims of trafficking. As the EU, we are pleased to see it moving forward.”

—CLÉMENT BOUTILLIER,

Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Botswana and SADC

May052023NOCOMMENTS

Makungu Baloyi

News

Capacity Development Workshop on Addressing the Protection of Vulnerable Individuals in Mixed Migration Flows

Across the world, dangerous trends on mixed migration are observed. These include increasingly high numbers of migrants who go missing or die along mixed migration routes, ongoing commodification of refugees and migrants, and rising violent pushbacks and expulsions at borders. Despite these challenges, refugees and migrants are continuing their journeys and often taking great risks. It is therefore essential that policymakers develop better migration policies, based on solid evidence and analysis. With the right policy, legislation and practices in place, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries can achieve fair and effective migration governance fostering a positive impact of international migration in the economic growth and development of countries of origin, transit, and destination.

The workshop focused on the understanding and appreciation of the concepts of mixed Migration flows and equipping participants with the skills for the Identification, Protection and Referral of vulnerable individual in Mixed Migration Flows.

The aim was to increase the understanding of the concept of mixed and irregular migration and acquisition of skills and knowledge to identify vulnerable individuals in mixed migration flows, including but not limited to refugees and asylum seekers, rejected asylum seekers, victims of trafficking, presumed trafficked persons, person at risk of being trafficked, unaccompanied or separated children, stranded migrants, stateless migrants, and other vulnerable migrants, who require referral to appropriate services, in co-ordination with relevant governmental and non-governmental actors and development of a model framework to facilitate effective referrals of vulnerable migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to other service providers for protection.

Apr262023NOCOMMENTS

Makungu Baloyi

News

Capacity Building Training Workshop on Migration Data Management

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) hosted Capacity Development Workshop on migration data management from 24th April
– 26th April 2023 in Seychelles. The purpose of this workshop was to contribute to enhancing the capacities of statistical and migration officials to improve migration data management systems in accordance with international and regional instruments within the broader context of the Objective 1 of the GCM and SDGs and the specific context of the Southern Africa Migration Management (SAMM) project.

The EU-funded SAMM project recognizes the need to strengthen regional and national capacities for data collection, production of reliable migration statistics, and coordinated information-sharing mechanisms in order to improve the availability of and harmonization of migration data in the region.

The workshop contributed directly into the SAMM projects aim of strengthening the technical capacity of the National Statistical Officials and other relevant stakeholders. This was achieved by giving the participants the sufficient level of understanding and empowerment to begin and further capture, store and manage harmonized cross-border data on mixed migration flows in Seychelles.

As a direct consequence of the workshop the participating authorities engaged and agreed to support the development of a mechanism and
standardized procedures to collect and process migration-relevant data as well as the analysis and dissemination of such data.

Apr172023NOCOMMENTS

Makungu Baloyi

News

Enhancing the National Committee on Human Trafficking Secretariat

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for Southern Africa (UNODC ROSAF) in collabo- ration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and the INTERPOL Regional Bureau for Southern Africa convened a training on trafficking in persons (TIP), smuggling of migrants (SOM) and border management from 17 to 21 April 2023, in Lusaka, Zambia.

The lack of skills and capacity in the detection, identification, investigation, and referral of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants’ cases amongst law enforcement officers, especially front-line officers, remains a significant gap in the trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants response across the Southern Africa Development Community Region and Zambia is no exception. To close this gap, UNODC ROSAF, under the Southern African Migration Management Project (SAMM) framework, enhanced the capacity of law enforcement officers to address trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Zambia.

The objectives of the training workshop included understanding the international and national legislative provisions on human trafficking and smuggling of migrants; identifying TIP cases; effectively distinguishing TIP and SOM cases; referring victims of trafficking to appropriate institutions for assistance; and improving border management detection and border security.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mr Auxensio Daka, Commissioner of Police for Administration, said the training on detecting, investigating and referral of TIP and SOM cases as well as border management skills, came at a crucial time as Zambia was experiencing an escalation in trans-national organized crime, especially trafficking in persons along border towns. “Zambia has been seeing an alarming upsurge of undocumented immigrants entering the country illegally, mostly in transit to other countries across the region, and some of these are smuggled migrants as well as victims of trafficking in persons”.

One of the key outcomes of the training work- shop was a discussion and agreement on the investigation techniques required to solve a suspected trafficking in persons’ case, currently under investigation by one of the law enforcement officers in attendance. Participants also took part in a practical exercise at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka as part of the border management segment of the training. Twenty-five participants attended — 14 female and 11 male.

At the end of the training, participants could describe and apply the elements of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants as set out in international and domestic legal frame- works to local trafficking in persons’ cases. The participants could also distinguish between trafficking in persons cases and smuggling of migrants and learned how to apply victim centered approaches when responding to these cases.

Apr122023NOCOMMENTS

Makungu Baloyi

News

Ending Trafficking: No One Left Behind

UNODC, in collaboration with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, handed over basic food items to shelters assisting victims of trafficking in persons on 12 April 2023. The handover forms part of the support provided to shelters in Gauteng and Mpumalanga within the Southern African Migration Project (SAMM) project framework. The donated items will benefit victims of trafficking in persons and shelter personnel.

Protection and assistance to places of shelter for victims of trafficking in persons across the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), including South Africa, remains hugely underfunded. The majority of shelters across SADC are run by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and receive limited public funds. Within this context, in-kind and financial support channeled towards places of shelter remains vital. This support bridges the resource gap evident across places of shelter.

Speaking during the official handover ceremony, Ms. Mary Mmushi, shelter representative, said trafficking in persons victims are often for- gotten and left behind in shelters with limited funding resources. “This donation will make a huge difference, and victims will not go to bed on an empty stomach”.

The food items will benefit over 250 victims of trafficking in persons across shelters in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces. The handover of the basic food items was undertaken in line with the theme of the 2023 World Day against Trafficking in Persons campaign – “Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind”.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of dis turbing developments and trends in trafficking in persons identified by UNODC. It further calls on governments, law enforcement, public ser- vices, and civil society to assess and enhance their efforts to strengthen prevention, identify and support victims, and end impunity.

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Category Archives: News

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