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The Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs. Melrose Karminty, has emphasized the critical role of family education in preventing unsafe and irregular migration.
She made the call during the launch of the country’s new migration strategy, hosted by the Government of Sierra Leone in partnership with the UN Network on Migration and IOM Sierra Leone, at the Country Lodge Hotel in Freetown.
The event was held under the theme: “From Global Principles to National Action: A Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approach to Strengthen Migration Governance in Sierra Leone.”
Speaking to government officials and development partners, Minister Karminty described migration as “a social story” that affects human welfare, family unity, and community cohesion. She noted that the loss of a young person to dangerous migration routes is “more than a statistic, it is a family shattered and a community deprived of its future.”
The Minister pledged that her ministry would intensify family and youth awareness campaigns, provide psychosocial and social protection services for returning migrants, and ensure the dignity of all migrants, especially women, children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.
She highlighted Sierra Leone’s progress in migration governance, including the ratification of four ILO Labour Migration Conventions, completion of two voluntary GCM reviews, and approval of the National Labour Migration Policy in 2022.
Acknowledging challenges such as weak institutional capacity, fragmented coordination, and data gaps, Minister Karminty underscored the importance of the National Coordination Mechanism and National Implementation Plan in ensuring a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach.
She concluded by urging partners to manage migration wisely, compassionately, and collaboratively, emphasizing that migration is “a reality to be managed, not merely a problem to be solved.”
