WINDHOEK – President Hage Geingob has implored Africans to promote the readmission and reintegration of the diaspora back to Africa, saying that such efforts will ensure that people can return to their countries of origin with dignity and contribute to the development of the continent.
Geingob, speaking at the opening of the 2019 Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (Midsa) here on Friday, also called on African nations to create conditions that will keep their people on the continent and entice back those who have left.
“African continues battle with irregular migration and displacement of citizens due to conflicts and the search for better economic conditions,” said Geingob.
He also expressed concern that Africans lose their lives while crossing the Mediterranean Sea to seek refuge in Europe, adding that there is therefore a need to create conditions that will keep people in Africa.
Geingob called on the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Secretariat to help member states in the development of appropriate policies for smoother management of migration.
He further told the meeting that Namibia is working on drafting a national migration policy that will bring about greater clarity on matters of migration management once it is adopted.
Namibia ratified the Sadc Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons, and has exempted diplomatic and official passport holders of 53 African countries from visa requirements, he noted.
“Such a move will ease state-to-state engagements and bolster intra-Africa business and investment,” Geingob said.
Speaking at the same occasion the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Frans Kapofi, said migration is receiving a lot of attention not only regionally and continentally but also at international forums
This, he said, is due to the link between migration across the various country contexts and other significant economic, social, political and humanitarian issues.
“Without going into the root causes of migration, which are too numerous and complex to mention, these challenges have yielded some positive outcomes,” he said.
According to him, the first ministerial Midsa was borne out of the need to both address the proposed solutions to the prevailing social-economic conditions, increasingly high levels unemployment, rural development, poverty and lack of opportunity challenges Africa faces.
The Midsa meeting is taking place under the theme ‘Regional Migration Governance and Sustainable Development: Priorities for the Southern Africa Region’ and would discuss issues related to migration, refugees, asylum seekers, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.