BRICS nations to check human trafficking, migrant smuggling

• Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have issued a Joint Declaration to combat and prevent organised human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and promised to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among member countries.
• The declaration was issued at the first BRICS Ministerial meeting on Migration held in Sochi, Russia in line with Ufa Declaration.
• BRICS nations also resolved to combat and prevent transnational organised crime.
• Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju led the Indian delegation at the meeting.
• The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other International bodies on migration.

Key features of Joint Declaration:

• Affirmed BRICS nations interest in sharing experience and exchanging views on migration issues.
• Accepted the inter-relationship between transnational migration and development.
• It also accepted the need to address the opportunities and issues that migration presents.
• Reaffirmed the openness of the BRICS nations to strengthen collaboration in matters related to migration with other countries, international and regional organisations.
• This collaboration will be based on principle of equality and mutual respect for discussing and addressing the issue of international migration.
• Acknowledged the effect of migration to the social and economic development in the member countries and expressed their interest in sharing best practices in the implementation and development of national migration policies or procedures.
• Called for strengthening of the dialogue and cooperation in the context of migration. It includes migration policies, strategies and procedures as well as discussions of representatives of the migration authorities of the BRICS countries.

In this meeting India has expressed concern over the brain drain through direct outflow of qualified professionals and educational emigration for all the BRICS nations as it leads to a significant loss of highly qualified labour force.

By: Vishal