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Impulses for a human rights-based migration policy: VENRO connects civil society organizations from Africa and Europe

In the new legislative period, there are opportunities to make national and international migration policy more humane and human rights-based. The coalition agreement of the German government announces a paradigm shift in migration and refugee policy. At the international level, the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in May is enabling political spaces to think more comprehensively about migration between Africa and Europe. The Review Forum in New York provides a global platform for state and non-state actors to share progress and challenges in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This was developed under the leadership of the United Nations General Assembly in 2017 and includes 23 goals to ensure safe and orderly migration. The pact is not legally binding, but is supported by a large part of the international community – including Germany – to improve the living conditions of migrants.

Since 2017, VENRO has been accompanying the process surrounding the adoption of the GCM and its implementation in Germany. With the project African-European Civil Society Migration Dialogue, VENRO aims to illustrate the diverse aspects of migration between Africa and Europe and to introduce practical examples into the political discourse. Through the exchange between civil society networks and organizations from both continents organized by VENRO, participating actors should be encouraged to contribute their expertise and to connect intercontinentally. The aim is to jointly develop humane and sustainable proposals for the management of migration between Africa and Europe. These should make a tangible contribution in shaping the AU-EU migration policy at the intercontinental level.

In addition to a side event during the review forum and various exchange formats, the project plans a podcast series with portraits of migrants and the development of a digital collaboration platform. VENRO is involved in the coordination process of this exchange to ensure that topics important to the European-African civil society are included and that a structured dialogue with political decision-makers in migration policy is strengthened.

The project ‘African-European Civil Society Migration Dialogue’ is funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.