• The ‘Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration’ is the first, intergovernmental agreement that covers all dimensions of global migration.
• It is a legally non-binding pact aims to promote efforts to strengthen regular migration pathways and protect the human rights of migrants.
• Its objectives and commitments provide states and international agencies a means to coordinate migration policies and ensure that migration works for all.
• 164 nations adopted the pact in December 2018 at UN Conference to manage the global migration crisis.
• The global migrant population constitutes 4 per cent of the world’s population.

Rationale behind the pact:

• Increasing persecutions: The conflicts in West Asia, Africa and South America, and the extreme violence associated with them have forced people to leave their homes and seek a haven in foreign countries.
• Climate Change Refugees: climate change effects also contributed to the growing number of migrants and refugees. Example: Sudan, Libya
• According to the United Nations, approximately 258 million migrants around the world are living outside their country of birth.
• Around 68 million out of these are in the “forcibly displaced”
• Since 2000, the number of global migrants has grown by 49 per cent, from 2.8 to 3.4 per cent of the global population.
• The UN data also shows that, since then, more than 60,000 migrants have lost their lives while on the move.

The global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration was a recommendation of New York Declaration in September 2016 adopted for recognizing the need for enhanced international cooperation and a comprehensive approach to the issue of migrants.

Yes, the global compact has the potential solve the migrant crisis facing the world currently

• The Global Compact aims to minimize the global resentments against migration.
  • The significant case against migration has been the perceived negative economic impact on host countries. However, migrants spend 85 per cent of their earnings in their host communities.
  • Migrants across the globe sent approximately USD 600 billion in remittances in 2017, which is three times higher than the global Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).
  • In this way, migrants contribute to the development of both the country of origin and host states.
• The Compact also states that it is rooted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The Compact has two guiding principles that articulate the need for ‘gender-responsive’ and ‘child-sensitive’ migration policies.
  • It puts the rights of migrant women and children at its heart by mainstreaming a gender perspective.
  • Among the 258 million migrants around the world, more than 50 per cent are women and girls.
  • Moreover, women constitute 74 per cent of international migrant domestic workers.
• The Compact aims to enhance global cooperation to reduce migration-related deaths, and in combating smuggling and trafficking, all of which are priorities for any government.
• The Compact proposes building a Platform on Disaster Displacement” and developing an ‘Agenda for the Protection of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change’ to address the issue.
  • The Global Compact recognizes climate change as a driver for migration and lays out a framework for dealing with it.
  • According to the World Bank, around 143 million people, especially in the developing world, could be forced to relocate within their countries by 2050.
  • Another study shows that about 2 billion people may become climate change refugees by 2100.

However, the global compact faces many challenges

• Many see the non-binding nature of the Global Compact as a challenge and the most significant limitation.
• The non-participation of some important countries including the United States, Australia and Hungary, raises questions about the future of the pact.
• The most significant challenges before the Compact lie in its implementation against the rise of populism and anti-immigrant sentiments across the globe.
• Countries view the adoption of the Compact as an instance of surrender of sovereignty.
• Addressing the gap between reality and perception about migration and migrants will be a great challenge before the Compact in the coming years.
• The Compact does not talk about who will coordinate, monitor and fund its implementation. Since member states are responsible for implementation, they will have to do much more than mere reviews and occasional follow up in order to achieve the goals of the Compact.

Conclusion:

        The developing world hosts more than half of the global migrant population putting undue pressure on the limited resources. The need of the hour is enhanced international cooperation and a comprehensive approach to the issue of migrants. Protection of the ‘safety, dignity human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migratory status’ should be at the core of such agreements.