The new Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope talks to the media about taking official functions as director general of the IOM during a press conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. 02 October 2023. EPA
The new Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope talks to the media about taking official functions as director general of the IOM during a press conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. 02 October 2023. EPA
The new Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope talks to the media about taking official functions as director general of the IOM during a press conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. 02 October 2023. EPA
The new Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope talks to the media about taking official functions as director general of the IOM during a press conference, at

Migrants can be beneficial for economies, new UN migration chief says


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
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Deaths in the Mediterranean Sea risk becoming "normalised", the new head of the UN migration agency said on Monday.

Former White House adviser Amy Pope has vowed to work with governments to provide options for economic migration to help address the crisis.

Ms Pope starts her role as head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) at a time of record forced displacement around the world and high political tensions over irregular immigration.

During the past week, an Italian minister and billionaire Elon Musk have criticised Germany for backing charities helping distressed migrants on the world's most dangerous route, where 22,000 people have died or gone missing since 2014.

Germany's foreign ministry defended its policies.

"Our biggest concern is that the deaths in the Mediterranean have been normalised and that people take for granted that this is just a cost of human movement," Ms Pope said when asked to comment on the debate.

"If we're really going to stop people crossing the Mediterranean on rickety boats and dying as they do so, we need to approach the situation far more comprehensively," she said.

She declined to comment directly on Mr Musk's remarks.

Ms Pope, who wants to build partnerships with private companies to better manage migration, won a tense election in May against her then-boss, becoming the first female head of the UN agency since it was created in 1951.

The IOM seeks to ensure humane and orderly migration and intervenes where needed.

About 500 migrants rescued off Italian coast - video

In her first press conference, she vowed to work with countries that want to renew their labour forces like Spain.

"The evidence is fairly overwhelming that migration actually benefits economies," she said, saying this was especially true in wealthy countries with ageing populations and low birth rates.

Ms Pope said her first trip would be to east Africa to meet the African Union Commission in Ethiopia and then to Brussels where she will meet senior European officials as they search for a deal on handling irregular migration.

In the absence of a long-stalled EU deal on sharing out asylum seekers reaching Europe, civil society groups say that it has become commonplace for authorities to illegally force them back over the border they entered from outside the bloc.

There were nearly 10,000 incidents of migrants being pushed back forcibly over EU borders - either on land or on water - between May-August, a Danish Refugee Council report showed on Monday.

Martin Sabbagh profile

Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East

In the role: Since January 2015

Lives: In the UAE

Background: M&A, investment banking

Studied: Corporate finance

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

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Timeline

1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line

1962
250 GTO is unveiled

1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company

1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens

1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made

1987
F40 launched

1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent

2002
The Enzo model is announced

2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi

2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled

2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives

2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company

2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street

2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary

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Established: 1889

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Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

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Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

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England World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

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Director: Karyn Kusama

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan

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UAE release: January 31 

THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

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Getting there

Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.

Staying there

On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.

More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Updated: October 02, 2023, 4:15 PM`