Global migration discussed with school students in Bahrain

The United Nations Information Centre for the Gulf Countries (UNIC Manama) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) participated on 14 December in an information session with students from the French International School of Bahrain.

The session, held ahead of the International Migrants Day (18 December), was part of a Model United Nations (MUN) exercise to prepare the students for a regional MUN event gathering international French school students from the Gulf region, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia next year.

Students' questions during the session covered migration policies, opportunities and challenges, including humanitarian response to displacement. They enquired about the different roles of UN agencies such as IOM and UNHCR, and distinctions between migrants, refugees and internally displaced people, and how those distinctions impact the support offered by UN agencies.

Ahmed Ben Lassoued, UNIC Manama Director, highlighted the importance of MUNs in helping students learn more about the UN principles and how the UN functions and in shaping a new generation of global leaders, including at the UN.

"Many of today's leaders, including at the UN, participated in MUNs as students," Ben Lassoued said.

John Fahy, Head of Programme Support and Policy Development Unit at IOM Bahrain, highlighted the UN's efforts, including IOM, towards ensuring orderly migration and the safety of migrants.

"The youth have an important role to play whether in government, civil society, or academia, among other venues, and such sessions enable us to hear their views on migration and inform them on the role IOM efforts play globally," Fahy said.

On International Migrants Day 2023, IOM aims to position migration as one of the solutions to global challenges, such as adapting to the impacts of climate change or providing better economic opportunities for communities.