International Organization for Migration



Speech for DG Linder at IOM IDM 2020Panel on Social cohesion and community resilience: countering discrimination and xenophobia towards migrantsOctober 16 (9:00am to 10:15am)DRAFTAvailable time: 10 minutes [A scenario note and background information for your participation in this event are available here. The meeting agenda can be found here. You will be will be the first to speak and will be introduced by the moderator, Leonard Doyle, IOM’s Spokesperson and Head Media & Communication]IntroductionThank you Leonard for that introduction. It is an honour to share this time with the other panelists at this session, and a pleasure to be speaking to this audience. Looking at the current global picture, it is clear that COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on migration worldwide. In many ways, it has also impacted how the public views migration.On one hand, border restrictions and economic challenges have led to concerns about rising xenophobia and discrimination. Earlier this year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised the alarm about a surge in hate speech linked to the pandemic, with migrants and refugees among those being stigmatized. On the other side of the spectrum, we have also heard positive new narratives about migration. Migrants are being increasingly recognized for the integral roles they play in communities around the world, including as essential workers in the front line of the pandemic response. One example that comes to mind from Canada is the story of Syrian newcomers who arrived in Calgary four years ago. Nahima Mohamed and her husband Mohamed Eldaher, who were farmers in Syria, started a vegetable business shortly after arriving in Canada. As their business grew, they started giving back to their community with donations of fresh produce to local food banks. During these difficult times, newcomers like Nahima and Mohamed are playing a key role in contributing to Canada’s food security and helping communities tackle the challenges of COVID-19. Migration narratives & CanadaAs of early 2020, approximately 82% of Canada’s population growth was attributed to immigration, a contribution that is anticipated to increase to 100% by the 2030s. In Canada, there continues to be strong political and public support for immigration as a driver of economic and population growth. Despite the negative effects of the pandemic Immigration has an important role to play both in Canada’s short-term economic recovery and in a long-term plan for growth. Under Canada’s new immigration levels plan, which announces the number of projected admissions of permanent residents to Canada every year and which will be tabled on November 1st, we will continue to welcome migrants to develop our economy and boost innovation, reunite families, and also help those in need of protection. Recent surveys show that the Canadian public also remains strongly supportive of immigration. A survey conducted by Ekos in August 2020 showed that views on immigration are holding steady despite the pandemic, with a majority agreeing that “if Canada cuts back on immigration, we won’t have the population to support economic growth in the future.” A polling by Environics conducted this September also shows that 84% of respondents agree that immigration has a positive impact on the Canadian economy, up four points from last year. That being said, when it comes to public opinion on migration, we cannot afford to be complacent. We know that it’s important to acknowledge and address the legitimate concerns that people may have about immigration.This is why we created Immigrations Matters in the fall of 2018. Immigration Matters is a communications campaign that uses storytelling supported by facts to encourage balanced conversations. It aims to demonstrate the benefits of immigration at the local level, dispel common myths and promote positive engagement between newcomers and Canadians. In the context of the pandemic, Immigration Matters has started highlighting how immigrants have contributed to the COVID-19 response in Canada, and how they play key roles in certain critical sectors, such as health-care. Taking action in the GFMDEarlier this year, Canada became a Global Compact for Migration “champion” country. In this role, one of our priorities is to promote balanced and evidence-based narratives on migration. We believe that it is important to elevate the discussion on migration narratives internationally, and also to foster real collaboration in this space.This is why we decided to leverage the global multi-stakeholder infrastructure of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and created earlier this year a Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration that Canada co-chairs with Ecuador and the GFMD Mayors Mechanism. While this working group will be collaborating on a number of projects over the coming year, the one that I would like to share with you today is the creation of a global communications campaign to showcase the positive impact of migration.This campaign will engage diverse stakeholders in sharing stories and messages about migration online in a way that resonates in their own communities. Given the current context, this will include a focus on showing how migrants are helping communities to “build back better” from COVID-19.This focus on multi-stakeholder participation is a key part of what makes the campaign unique. When it comes to shaping the narrative on migration, we have learned that it is crucial to engage at the community level and tap into peer-to-peer networks. This is why the campaign will not only involve states, but will also include cities, businesses, civil society and individuals. By engaging these “trusted messengers”, the goal is to reach beyond audiences that already supportive of migration, and help to change perspectives among those who are still “undecided.” The IOM is a key partner in this initiative and will help us create the creative content of this digital toolkit that can be customized and re-purposed by participants on social media. We recognize that launching this campaign is a very ambitious project. However, we also believe that by focusing our efforts on concrete initiatives such as this, we have a unique opportunity to shift the narrative about migration. This campaign is a key action that we can take collectively to make a tangible impact on migration narratives worldwide. To achieve this, we will be looking to all of you to take part in the campaign by sharing content, engaging others in your network and amplifying the campaign’s reach globally.Over the coming months, more information will be made available as we continue to develop the campaign. We look forward to sharing these additional details with you, and working together on this exciting new project. Thank you once again for the opportunity to speak today, and I will now turn the floor back over to Leonard. ................
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