Irregular migration: a global response to a global issue

Irregular migration is one of the biggest challenges facing the international community. Large movements of people, on a scale not seen since the Second World War in Europe, have been making headlines since last summer – more than one million refugees and migrants arrived in the EU in 2015, risking their lives crossing the Mediterranean.

The UK has been playing a leading role in the response, including through practical support to provide shelter and medical assistance in Greece and the Balkans. But we need to address the root causes of migration, not just the consequences.  That means working to bring an end to conflicts and build stability, reducing the need for people to leave their homes. Where people are forced to leave we need to support them and their hosts, so that they don’t attempt dangerous onward journeys at the mercy of criminal smuggling gangs and people traffickers. We also need to prevent illegal economic migration, discouraging it by developing opportunities in source countries, exposing the myths peddled by the people smugglers, and preventing illegal border crossings and abuse of immigration systems that actually make it harder to protect those genuinely in need.

The UK is playing its part. We have committed to resettle 20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees from the region by 2020, along with an additional 3000 children.  We are the world’s second largest bilateral humanitarian donor. Recognising that many people are displaced for long periods, we are leading a new approach to improve economic opportunities and better access to services for both refugees and host communities as well as immediate humanitarian needs.  We’re working with partners on counter-migration operations in the Mediterranean – Operation Sophia has destroyed nearly 240 smuggling boats and saved almost 19,000 lives.

These meetings present a chance to build a more effective global response. All countries need to take responsibility for providing effective protection to refugees and assistance for those who need it, and to try and make sure fewer people are taking such dangerous journeys.  And we need to take action to tackle human trafficking and people smuggling, and maintain the rights of states to control their own borders.

That’s our ambition – and we’ll continue to work at UNGA and beyond to find a global solution to this global challenge.