Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI) and IOM Namibia have organized a meeting that will lead to the official validation of the key recommendations of an upcoming Migration Profile for Namibia.

The validation meeting was chaired by MHAI Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and allowed ministries, institutions and UN agencies to discuss and build consensus on priorities for migration management and the development of a comprehensive migration policy. They discussed 15 recommendations listed in the Profile, including better management of remittances, diaspora engagement and skills development.

Migration challenges facing Namibia include: urbanization resulting in informal settlements; reliance on income from informal sectors; increased demand of services; poor sanitation, aggravated by overcrowded housing; climate change adaptation and its adverse impact on the population living in rural areas; increased risk of falling victim to human trafficking; border management, gender-based violence and irregular migration; health vulnerabilities and cross border movements of populations; and the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers.

UN Resident Coordinator in Namibia Kiki Gbeho said that the Migration Profile will help Namibia in terms of achieving its Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction goals. “It can contribute to development by identifying population movement trends and gaps, in addition to forming the evidence base for an action plan to address challenges that may arise. In the longer term, a Migration Profile spurs dialogue and collaboration amongst various Ministries and agencies dealing with migration-related portfolios,” she said.

The Migration Profile, funded by the IOM Development Fund, is a country-owned tool that was prepared in consultation with government and non-government stakeholders. The Namibia Migration Profile will be officially launched in early 2016.