Middle East
 Migration Issues Globalization, development differentials and – increasingly – climate change are amongst the multitude of factors that continue to influence the dynamics of human mobility in the Middle East. Moreover, recent conflict and instability (particularly in Iraq and the Horn of Africa) has generated prolonged mass displacement. Major host countries throughout the region require further support in assisting the displaced, which include – in some contexts – mixed migration flows. Beyond unabated forced migration, a large part of intraregional and interregional mobility is economically motivated and undoubtedly, migration is now a major aspect of development strategies throughout the region. Nonetheless, irregular migration remains a considerable cross-border challenge, particularly in the highly exploitative context of human trafficking, which threatens to undermine the development potential of migration and impede government and civil society’s efforts to protect migrants' human rights. Throughout the Middle East, IOM continues to work in partnership with key government entities, international and regional organizations, and civil society (consulting closely with the international community) to respond effectively to emerging migration-related issues. At the regional and intraregional level, IOM has actively promoted dialogue and information exchange between major origin and destination countries, building valuable foundation for further initiatives in key programmatic areas – including migration and development, regulating migration and migration policy and research. |
