'Migration should happen out of aspiration, not desperation'

Politicisation, human trafficking, and ill-treatment are the major, local and global, migration challenges. 

Sharing information on the challenges and opportunities of migration can minimise gaps. 

Guests made the remarks at the inaugural session of "Global Migration Film Festival" in Dhaka.

IOM Bangladesh with support from the European Union in association with Dhaka University Film Society organised the Festival at the University of Dhaka on Monday.

Policymakers, government officials, students, academicians, researchers, prominent filmmakers, actors, development partners, and UN agencies joined the festival.

Giorgi Gigauri, Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh, said, "We need to acknowledge the contributions of migrants to their communities. Also, challenges and opportunities of migration should be addressed properly."

Dr Delwar Hossain, Professor of International Relations, University of Dhaka, said, "The issue of migration is highly politicised. Also, unsafe migration results in human trafficking. Most importantly, Ill-treatment of migrants makes them vulnerable."

"These issues require integrated local, national, and global efforts. Having challenges and opportunities visible is the key to address the issues of migration," Delwar explained. 

EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Rensje Teerink said, "Migrant's economic contribution to their community is one of the many positive sides of migration. But migration should happen out of aspiration, not desperation. Awareness is the key to informed migration."

Over the years, films have been used to inform, entertain, educate and provoke debate. In this vein, the IOM launched the "Global Migration Film Festival" in 2016. 

This year, over 600 films have been submitted for acceptance by the Festival. 

Prominent filmmakers and visual artists, as a jury board, have selected 30 films to screen in more than 100 countries around the world. 

Film Director N Rashed Chowdhury said, "Migrants experience homesickness. I think a film is the best tool to show the emotion, reality, and challenges of these people, who leave behind their own culture and ethnicity, empathically. And, new films makers should work more on migration."

The Festival started at 09:00am and ended at 09:00pm. 15 Films were screened in Dhaka during the Festival where hundreds of people joined the day-long festival.