Saly Portudal – On 28 and 29 May 2024, the country office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Senegal, in collaboration with the Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion (LMI) and Migration, Environment, Climate Change, and Risk Reduction (MECR) units of the Regional Office and the Senegalese Government, organized a workshop on the linkages between these two thematic areas. This training was an opportunity to better understand the nexus between both themes in Senegal and deepen IOM’s interventions in labour migration/environmental migration and climate change.

It was also related to Essentials of Migration Management 2.0, which is IOM’s flagship programme on migration management providing online resources and basic training to government officials and all stakeholders involved in migration.

This programme highlights the interaction between different thematic areas of migration management and builds a common understanding of migration with a whole-of-government approach. It draws on cooperation at national, regional and global levels. It also articulates the relevance of international frameworks, such as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in the day-to-day work of government officials.

To conduct such a workshop, it was necessary to identify, mobilise and involve key stakeholders, senior civil servants from various Senegalese ministries, including those of the Environment, Justice, Labour, the Interior, Foreign Affairs, the Economy, Vocational Training, Hydraulics and Agriculture. Mr Maxime Sicard, Programme Officer of the Africa Regional Migration Program (ARMP) at IOM, reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to working alongside the Government of Senegal and its partners to promote safe migration channels that respect human rights and dignity: “IOM remains committed to the State of Senegal as a technical partner on the issues of migration, labour mobility, climate change, environmental degradation and disasters. And we wish to contribute to the collaboration of all the stakeholders involved, to ensure the coherence of actions, as well as convincing and sustainable results.”

The workshop provided an opportunity for in-depth technical discussions on challenges and potential solutions for labour mobility management in the context of environmental degradation, climate change and disasters. Discussions focused on the need for reliable data, integration and training policies, and the importance of inter-state cooperation.

The workshop also provided a forum for developing effective and sustainable migration strategies, while strengthening coordination between the relevant ministries. Mr Ahmet Gueye, President of the Pikine Departmental Youth Council, said: “This workshop was of vital importance, as it involved stakeholders from various sectors, enabling migration-related issues to be taken into account in a holistic way.”

Mrs Awa Diop Sylla, from the Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition, added: “Today, the issue of migration is closely linked to climate change. The workshop highlighted the links between government institutions, which need to be taken into account in international negotiations.”

This training workshop is funded by the U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration through the Africa Regional Migration Program (ARMP).

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For more information, please contact: 

Salla MBAYE, OIM Sénégal, smbaye@iom.int