PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7 OCTOBER 2021
VICTORIA FALLS- The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage this week hosted the National Migration Finalization Workshop with support from the International Organization for Migration’s Africa Regional Migration Program (ARMP).
Funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), the project provides technical support to government to improve migration management at policy level and fosters intra and inter-coordination with relevant stakeholders in country, within the SADC region and on the African continent.
Officiating the workshop, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Mr. Aaron Nhepera said,
“This workshop to finalize the development of the National Migration Policy, comes at an opportune time, when the Government of Zimbabwe is intensifying implementation of migration policies for sustainable development, in line with the Global Compact on Safe Orderly and Regular Migration.”
He added that the policy with empower government to harness the opportunities presented by a growing diaspora in the social and economic development of the country. Speaking at the same occasion, IOM Zimbabwe Chief of Mission, Mario Lito Malanca said that once finalized, the National Migration policy will address the drivers of migration, facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migration and safeguard, and respect the human rights of all migrants, whatever their status, whether regular or irregular.
Over three days, thematic experts from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Public Service, Labour and Social Development, Industry and Commerce, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Health and Child Care, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Local Government and Public Works, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality, Justice, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs as well as the Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and development partners UNICEF and ICRC critically evaluated the draft policy and made revisions before the draft was endorsed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMCM). The endorsed draft policy was handed over to the Permanent Secretary to initiate the process towards Cabinet approval.
Speaking at the handover, Permanent Secretary Nhepera congratulated the IMCM for finalizing the draft policy and said its development is a key government priority necessitated by the need to enhance migration and border management systems and to complement the Immigration Act and Regulations.