The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reiterated its commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s priorities in expanding legal migration pathways. This includes initiatives focused on skill matching, awareness campaigns, elder care, and vocational training.
The pledge was made during a meeting on Monday between Michele Sison, visiting Director of the IOM’s Global Office in Washington D.C., and Acting Foreign Secretary Md. Ruhul Alam Siddique at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During their discussion, Sison also acknowledged the IOM’s ongoing support for reintegration efforts, climate resilience, and institutional capacity building in Bangladesh. The Acting Foreign Secretary reaffirmed Bangladesh’s zero-tolerance policy on human trafficking and underscored the necessity of global collaboration for integrated border management.
Sison briefed the Acting Foreign Secretary on the recent visit by a U.S. Congressional staff delegation to Bangladesh, organized under the “IOM Field Education Program.” This program aims to provide U.S. policymakers with firsthand insights into IOM’s field operations in Bangladesh and related initiatives. She commended Bangladesh’s humanitarian commitment in sheltering over a million Rohingya refugees.
In response, the Acting Foreign Secretary reiterated the urgent need for sustained international support for the Rohingya, particularly as global attention and funding are declining. Siddique emphasized the critical importance of the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of the Rohingya to their homeland.
The IOM Director expressed keen interest in participating in a proposed High-Level Meeting on the Rohingya crisis, scheduled to be organized on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. She highlighted the significance of hosting such events on the highest global platforms to re-energize discussions surrounding one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
The Acting Foreign Secretary also brought attention to the escalating concern of climate-induced displacement within Bangladesh. He welcomed IOM’s efforts to develop a database on climate-displaced persons in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS). This initiative reportedly marks the IOM’s first official endeavor in Bangladesh to quantify internally displaced persons.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepening collaboration between Bangladesh and the IOM in addressing global migration and humanitarian challenges.
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