UN sets up body to mitigate refugee risks

AMID growing concern for the safety of African refugees undertaking extreme risks to escape violence and persecution, a high-level body set up by the UN on the continent is seeking to help forge political consensus to address challenges and save lives.

Border control measures and stringent policies prevent Africa from realising the benefits of migration, said Abdalla Hamdok, the acting executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa at the launch of a High Level Panel on Migration in Africa.

“Travel in Africa by Africans is curtailed by stringent visa requirements, excessive border controls and immigration restrictions,” said Hamdok, noting that thousands have perished while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.