Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mutua has acknowledged IOM’s technical assistance extended to the Kenyan Government in areas of border management, migration data collection, and the development of migration policies and programs.
CS Mutua was speaking when he met with Mr. Antonio Vitorino, Director-General of International Organization for Migration (UN Migration) who visited the country on February 13, 2023 to launch the Regional Migrant Response Plan in Nairobi.
The Regional Migrant Response Plan will address the most immediate and critical humanitarian and protection needs of migrants in vulnerable situations. It will also support their voluntary return home in a safe and dignified manner, and ensure that they reintegrate back into their communities successfully.
The plan provides a flexible mechanism for all stakeholders to respond to evolving migration trends, and broader humanitarian and development challenges affecting migrants, host communities and the respective governments. Funding will further help efforts towards addressing the drivers of irregular migration and strengthen the capacity of governments in the region on migration management, including in ensuring greater coordination and collaboration.
The two also noted the impact of Climate Change, the changing trends in migration and also reiterated the importance of building a strong position in the South on Adaptation ahead of COP28 later in the year.
The Cabinet Secretary commended the work IOM is doing to support the multiplicity of the crises, particularly the response to the current devastation in Turkey and Syria. He also lauded the impressive work the Medical Centre established by IOM in Kenya was doing to support migrants across the continent.