01 Nov 2023

There is need for African leaders and technocrats to create awareness on the vast opportunities that can be brought by orderly migration, says Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi.

Addressing the 8th Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFOM 8) conference at the Royal Aria Convention Centre in Tlokweng November 1, Ms Mokgethi said the aim was to achieve the aspirations of Africa Agenda 2063.

Held under the theme: “Bolstering free movement and trade nexus in African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), optimising benefits of labour migration for development,” Ms Mokgethi said an orderly and regulated migration would unlock trade opportunities.

Ms Mokgethi added that an orderly migration would unleash unprecedented and sustainable economic growth, noting that Africans had a history of moving from one area to the other for various reasons.

She said intra African migration rose from 13.3 million to 25.4 million between 2008 and 2017, and that the cause for such massive movement ranged from economic reasons to the need for security.

She added that the UN journal of international trade and economic development noted that there was a link between migration and trade.

Ms Mokgethi also said the theme of the conference was aligned to the AfCFTA which was a flagship project of the AU Agenda.

She said the agenda was creating a single African market for goods and services facilitated by the free movement of persons, capital and investment to deepen economic integration.

She also said Africa was the largest free trade area comprising of 55 countries and that the continent had a large population of about 1.3 billion occupying around 30 million square kilometres. She said Africa also had great demographic opportunities for sustainable development.

She said not much had been achieved to mainstream the fourth AfCFTA pillar of the free movement of persons, migration and labour migration.

For his part, the Director of the AU Continental Operational Centre in Khartoum, Advocate Maemo Machethe, said the vision of the free movement of people and goods would not be possible without taking note of the role of the youth.

Mr Machethe said the conference was testament to member states’ desire to foster prosperity and continuity towards Africa Agenda 2063.

He said the envisaged African mobility dream could unlock the continents’ transformation as enshrined in its agenda, and that the full potential of AfCFTA could only be realised if all addressed human mobility.

“Human movement across borders is not only a human right, but holds enormous potential for economic growth,” he said, adding that facilitating mobility could bridge the skills gaps in the African labour force and boost household income.

Mr Machethe said it was important to enhance labour movement policies and to create a conducive environment for labour migration. He urged policymakers to break physical and regulatory barriers.

The Director General of Immigration and Emigration in Rwanda, Assistant Commissioner of Police Lynder Nkuranga, said the conference would offer delegates an opportunity to deliberate on benefits of free movement.

She said her country eased restrictions on VISA requirements and that it worked out well with no threats.

As the outgoing chairperson of PAFOM she handed the baton to Ms Mokgethi as the incoming chairperson. She said her country was committed to supporting Botswana in her role as the new chair. ENDS