Managing Issues Of Migration
Migration takes place because of many reasons, among the two major ones, viz (1) to escape various forms of oppression viz (a) political (b) racial (c) religious, etc (2) the search for a secure law and order environment and (3) and to earn a better livelihood. Migration mostly happens from country to country, for the same aforesaid reasons, it can also take place within the country. While economic reason dovetails with and encroaches many times over on the others, the fact that business has a central role to play in migration is seldom recognised. International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with Geneva as its HQs, is the international entity tasked to look after the safety, security and welfare of immigrants, to mitigate their circumstances at origin, during transit and in host countries, to stop the flow and even to revising it if possible. Recognising that business is a principal stakeholder in migration, IOM set up the Business Advisory Board (BAB) in 2005.
Mitigating Effects of Migration
The venue for a meeting of the Business Advisory Board (BAB) of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) at Cairo was an inspired choice. Thanks to Shafik Gabr, indefatigable Chairman of ARTOC, Egypt, the BAB Meeting was held in the Egyptian capital a few days before the Middle East Regional meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Sharm El Sheikh, a resort at the southern-most tip of the Sinai Desert. No ordinary businessman, Shafik Gabr is a world player and a pro-active one at that, someone who has put Egypt on the economic map by organizing the impressive WEF at Sharm El Sheikh. I wonder if either the Egyptian Government or the business community appreciates the full value of the force-multiplication of their potential by Shafik’s individual efforts.