Minister Urges Parliament to Enact Legislation for Effective Migration Governance
Federal Minister for Climate Change, Dr. Musadik Malik, has urged Parliament to pass effective legislation to enhance migration governance, emphasizing the necessity of a safe, orderly, and transparent migration process amidst escalating displacement caused by climate-related disasters.
Addressing a seminar on Parliament’s role in improving migration and governance, Malik highlighted Pakistan’s need for robust legislative frameworks to tackle emerging challenges related to large-scale displacement. He noted that climate-induced events have displaced approximately 40 million people over the past five floods, resulting in significant loss of life and injury.
The minister underscored the human cost of these disasters, citing cases where families were uprooted, losing homes, livelihoods, schools, and communities. Referring to the experiences of flood-affected families, he shared stories of children, parents, and entire communities forced from their homes while schools and places of worship were also destroyed.
Malik emphasized the importance of strengthening migration governance through effective legislation, with Parliament playing a crucial role in developing this legal framework. He advocated for managing migration in a manner that protects displaced individuals and ensures transparency and orderliness in the process.
While focusing on climate-induced migration due to his current responsibilities, Malik suggested examining migration and displacement from various angles, including security and economic perspectives. He highlighted the repeated floods as evidence of how climate-related disasters can disrupt lives and force people to leave their homes.
The minister urged policymakers and legislators to pay greater attention to migration governance, developing mechanisms to meet the needs of affected populations. He emphasized Parliament’s pivotal role in establishing a coordinated and transparent migration governance system through legislation.
