Foreign ministry in project to gather migration data on Guyana

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the International Organization of Migration (IOM), on Tuesday launched the Migration Profile in Guyana: Promoting Evidence-Based Policy-Making project.

The Ministry in a release stated that Guyana stands to benefit from the IOM-backed project, which will “centralise, share and analyze data collection on migration and compile existing data to better inform migration policy.”

At the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd spoke of the government’s efforts to use science to inform public policy. He noted that the evidence-based approach will assist in determining the country’s population demographics which will in turn aid its development drive.

The IOM describes the Migration Profile as an “analysis of available accurate and disaggregated data on some or all migration-relevant aspects of a country’s national context, prepared in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, which can be used to enhance policy coherence, evidence-based policymaking on migration and the mainstreaming of migration into development plans.”

According to the release, the Migration Profile includes a component for capacity-building and coordination across government ministries, civil society, and academia “to foster greater country ownership.” The output of the study will involve consultations with stakeholders to help identify gaps, strategies, and evidence to inform policy on economic, developmental, and social aspects, among others, that impact migration.

During the launch, stakeholders from Government Ministries, UN agencies, international partners, and local non-governmental organisations (NGO) were briefed on the Migration Profile process and their role in the success and development of the project. Once completed in 2022, a report will be launched detailing the findings.

IOM Regional Coordination Officer for the Caribbean and Chief of Mission, Robert Natiello, noted that Guyana “is on the cusp of great change” and included in that change is a “changing migration dynamic.” He added that migration is steadily being recognised as a “key promoter of sustainable development.”

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka, attributed Guyana’s rich ethnic diversity to migration. She noted that around the world, hundreds of millions of migrants are living outside of their country of birth.

The UN Resident Coordinator stressed the importance of the explicit inclusion of migration in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as proof of the growing recognition of clear links between migration and its “positive impact potential” on global development. According to Tanaka, migrants also contribute to their communities of origin through the transfer of ac-quired skills and financial resources, thereby contributing to “positive development outcomes” at home.

To date, over 100 Migration Profiles have been developed around the world, the release added.