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News item | 09-07-2008
The knowledge and experience of migrants must be more effectively exploited in efforts to reduce poverty in developing countries, according to a new policy memorandum.
The memorandum entitled 'Integrated migration and development 2008' was approved by the Cabinet following a proposal by Minister for Development Cooperation Bert Koenders and State Secretary for Justice Nebahat Albayrak.
The policy set out in the memorandum partly aims to encourage the independent return of migrants who can no longer stay in the Netherlands because they have no residence status.
The government is providing five million euros for a migration and development programme, to be conducted in the forty countries with which the Netherlands has a development partnership, plus Morocco, Angola and Sierra Leone.
Migrants will get the opportunity to return to their countries temporarily in order to use their knowledge, skills and resources for development.
A pilot project will be launched to improve understanding of the risks, potential and limitations of circular migration. There will be two pilot projects, each with up to 100 circular migrants.
The government wants to involve migrant organisations more in development cooperation.
It is also strengthening cooperation with home and transit countries in the return and reintegration of their nationals, capacity building for migration, the protection of refugees, and the fight against human trafficking and people smuggling.
09-07-2008