The aim of the meeting was to present a space for critical reflection of civil society in Chile where the challenges of the governance of migration are addressed.
Santiago, Chile, September 8, 2017 – The International Migration Network Scalabrini (SIMN) participated in the XIX Migration Days Conference in Santiago, Chile, on September 5 and 6, 2017. The event, organized by the Chilean Catholic Institute of Migration (INCAMI) and the Scalabrini Foundation of Chile, was attended by representatives of Chilean state agencies at central and local levels, international organizations, consular representations and civil society organizations, including migrant associations, as well as the pastoral of human mobility of the dioceses of the country, representatives of different Catholic religious congregations that work in the attention and support of migrants in Chile, and representatives of the world of academy of different universities and professional institutes.
This year’s focus was on “Migration and Work”, specifically on the fundamental rights and obligations of migrants and their families in Chile, and the challenges in shaping public policies aimed at migration governance that allow the integral protection of migrant workers. The objective is to continue contributing to the creation of a new draft Law on Migration in Chile that will enable a safe, regular and orderly migration, and to contribute to the debate on the United Nations Global Compact on Migration, enabling a safe, regular and orderly migration.
Knowing the perception and challenges posed to society and to the State by recent migrations facing an effective labor insertion in the country involves questioning the configuration of public policies to accept, receive and guarantee the insertion of migrants who arrive in the country in search of work. This situation poses a challenge for the different social and political actors. It is, therefore, necessary to ask ourselves about the current situation of migrant workers, with emphasis on agreements on guaranteeing human rights for migrants and on all international treaties that the country has ratified in this matter at the international level.
“The XIX edition of the Migration Days, which INCAMI and the Scalabrini Foundation promote annually in Chile, contributes to the definition of a new migration law in line with the challenges of the current migrations in the country, in addition to contributing to the debate process for the definition of the United Nations Global Compact on Migration, enabling a secure, regular and orderly migration. The participation of civil society actors is crucial to the legitimacy and effectiveness of these national and international processes of governance of migration, ” said the Executive Director of SIMN.
About SIMN – SIMN is supporting more than 250 Scalabrinian centers, shelters and programs that are providing lodging, food, training and employment programs; psychological and religious services; protection to victims of human trafficking and support in the integration process to migrants, refugees and seafarers in five continents. In 2016, for example, Scalabrinian Centers has supported 120,738 migrants and refugees and 172,790 seafarers around the world. SIMN is also supporting a network of schools providing education, school supplies, and food, (possibly their only meal of the day) to thousands of needy children. In addition, SIMN is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization at the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS) and from this perspective is providing research and support for regional and global policies to protect and promote the dignity and the rights of migrants and their families.