Global compacts on migration and refugees – what’s next?

The Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and on Refugees (GCR) have been adopted by the international community in 2018. They aim to better regulate international migration and manage major crises that cause large refugee movements around the world. Tdh, as part of the Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts, advocates for child rights to be at the core of their implementation.

The Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts was formed to ensure a continuum of care, protection and support for all migrant and refugee children. As founder and co-chair of the initiative, Tdh has been active throughout the consultation and negotiation phases of the development of the two Compacts. A victory is that children's rights are protected in both Global Compacts. States committed to prioritising better cooperation to uphold children’s best interests. The Global Compact on Migration for example outlines practical measures for improved cooperation on key issues affecting children.

So what now?

Tdh wants to make sure children are also at the core of the implementation process of the Global Compacts after their adoption. "Tdh's mission continues through support to States and civil society for the implementation of the Global Compacts at regional and national level such as common policies between countries or international agreements, with great vigilance regarding respect for children's rights, particularly in the context of returns and reintegration," says Olivier Feynerol, head of the Tdh children and youth in migration programme. Tdh wants to make it a priority to involve children and young people themselves in advocacy and communication actions aimed at better protecting migrants and refugees and reducing the gap between them and host communities and destination societies.

Facilitating safe and dignified return and reintegration

To reply to the GCM objective 21 which is to cooperate in facilitating safe and dignified return and readmission, as well as sustainable reintegration, Tdh is working on setting up a return and reintegration platform in Europe, a pilot model to be replicated in other regions. The idea of the platform is to allow states to share policies and exchange good practices used in their countries and identify together feasible solutions to protect children in the migration process. Tanya Norton from our migration programme explains: “Tdh wants to ensure that the framework that has been put in place is used. It is important that the implementation of activities is coordinated on a common ground between member states.”

Since 2016, we have been working on improving the reintegration of returned migrant families in Albania and Kosovo. The new platform will allow for a safe and dignified return, as well as proper services for reintegration. Read the interview of the Tdh Programme Officers for Migration and Anti-Trafficking in Albania and Kosovo:

©Tdh/Grace Medina