The preparation of the Draft Policy was co-funded by the European Union (EU) through the project, “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa”.
Tom Vens, Head of the European Delegation to Sierra Leone, said Europe needs to act in partnership on the root causes of migration: poverty, climate change, lack of domestic spaces, violation of human rights, and opportunity for life.
‘While ethnic and political conflicts have led to the displacement of significant proportion of the world’s population, many people migrate for socio-economic reasons, such as work, family reunification and education’, Vens said.
According to the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mathew Teambo, the International labour ligration is a major global issue affecting almost all countries in the world and there is enough evidence to suggest that intentional migration flows are on the increase in recent years.
He said, although migration is associated with a number of challenges, there is increasing evidence that if properly managed, international migration will reduce poverty and contributes to overall economic development in both sending and receiving areas.
Teambo said after the successful validation process, the Draft National Labour Migration policy will now be taken to Cabinet for ratification, to be followed by its implementation.
The ministry of Labour and Social Security partnered with major organizations like the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), International Labour Organization (ILO), and International Organization for Migration.
