A joint action of East and Horn of Africa Region member states and representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is vital to tackle and manage illegal labor migration, Labor and Skills Minister Muferihat Kamil said today.

The GCC and RMFM (Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration) Member States Inception Dialogue, which was held in Addis Ababa today, emphasized the need for coordinated efforts in addressing migration challenges and opportunities in the region.

The dialogue aims to leverage the RMFM platform for enhanced migration governance, joint skills development and capacity building initiatives as well as establishing a shared labor agenda.

Labor and Skills Minister Muferihat, current chair of the East and Horn of Africa Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration (RMFM), highlighted on the occasion the importance of addressing the challenges faced by illegal migrants attempting to cross to GCC countries.

The challenges illegal migrants face include exposure to dangers, violence, and exploitation,
she stated, adding it is therefore crucial to prioritize the safety and well-being of all migrants and ensure that their human rights are respected.

Migration in the Horn and East Africa region is a very serious and complex challenge as there are multiples factors that complicate migration, the minister noted.

According to Mufrihat, no single country can withstand the challenges of informal migration alone without exerted efforts of different actors.

Thus, GCC countries and RMFM member states need to carve out common agenda in the realm of labor migration and development, she stated.

“Countries should come together so as to have a proper management of migration. We have to come together so that we can have a policy alignment.”

After the meeting, the minister told ENA that the dialogue provided opportunity for brainstorming strategies and mechanisms to achieve safe and orderly migration.

The dialogue marked an important step toward strengthening partnerships and fostering dialogue between RMFM member st
ates and GCC, paving the way for future cooperation in the field of migration.

Ambassadors of GCC countries and ambassadors of member states of the RMFM, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Sudan, took part in the dialogue.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The government has put in place guidelines that will assist in fast-tracking the issuance of passports and ID cards.

In its commitment to improve the welfare of Kenyans in all aspects of life, the Government has undertaken to meet its promises that bind it to a covenant of socio-political inclusion and economic empowerment of all citizens, and respond to the people’s needs, which include faster processing of these vital documents.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, the Government Spokesperson, Dr. Isaac Mwaura, said the covenant put the government on its toes and true to its commitment, through the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

While acknowledging Kenya’s complaints of delayed issuance of passports, Dr. Mwaura confirmed that the problem is being addressed, attributing its persistence to delayed supply and slow delivery by suppliers of the 34-page passport booklets, which normally goes for Sh. 4,550.

He disclosed that the d
ocuments are usually printed outside the country for security reasons, leaving only the applicant’s Bio-data page to be printed locally upon application.

However, Dr. Mwaura reaffirmed that a consignment of the booklets has been sourced and will land in the country soon, and the problem will be a thing of the past.

‘In the meantime, those with urgent needs for a passport are advised to apply for the 50-page passports, which are in plenty,’ he advised.

On the issuance of National IDs, Dr. Mwaura said that the Government is aware of the problem of acquiring identity cards by eligible youths, which has been caused by a Court Order, suspending the production of the 3rd generation Identity Cards, pending an appeal by the Government.

The Government Spokesperson, further revealed that 600,000 applications for the cards are pending at the civil registration offices countrywide, even as some other 684,000 IDs lie uncollected by the applicants across the country.

He assured the public that once the appeal is grant
ed, the government will embark on massive production of the vital identification documents with the aim of clearing the backlog within the shortest time possible.

‘We appeal to those who have yet to collect their documents to do so in order to avoid inconveniences in their official, as well as private transactions,’ said Dr. Mwaura.

Source: Kenya News Agency