Migration policy framework for Africa and plan of action (2018 – 2030) Executive Summary Executive Summary During their 74th Ordinary Session in July 2001, The Organisation of African Union Council of Ministers called for the development of a migration policy framework in light of the development potential and challenges posed by migration. This resulted in the AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA), which was adopted in Banjul, the Gambia, in 2006. Ten years later, in 2016, the AU Commission (AUC) conducted an evaluation of the MPFA regarding its efficiency, its implementation challenges and opportunities that could be seized, relevance and whether there was a need for revision. At their meeting of November 2016, AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) acknowledged that migration is dynamic, and that migration trends and patterns on the Continent had changed over the past ten years. In line with their recommendation for the AUC to update the MPFA and formulate a plan of action for its implementation, the “Migration Policy Framework for Africa and Plan of Action (2018 – 2030)” is a revised, strategic document that builds on the achievements and challenges of the previous MPFA to guide Member States and RECs in the management of migration, reflecting the current migration dynamics in Africa. It is the result of an inclusive and participatory process involving different departments at the AUC. The revised MPFA takes into account AU priorities, policies, Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international migration management policies and standards. It provides Member States and RECs with comprehensive policy guidelines and principles to assist them in the formulation and implementation of their own national and regional migration policies in accordance with their priorities and resources. 10 In addition to eleven cross-cutting issues, the revised MPFA identifies the following eight key pillars: zz Migration Governance zz Labour Migration and Education zz Diaspora Engagement zz Border Governance zz Irregular Migration zz Forced Displacement zz Internal Migration and zz Migration and Trade Better migration governance as the overarching objective of the MPFA aims at facilitating safe, orderly and dignified migration. It advocates for the socio-economic well-being of migrants and society through compliance with international standards and laws. The security of migrants’ rights and addressing the migration aspects of crises are key elements. Better migration governance can furthermore be achieved through the development of evidence-based policies through a “whole of government” approach. In terms of labour migration and education the MPFA calls for the establishment of regular, transparent, comprehensive and gender-responsive labour migration policies, legislation and structures at national and regional levels. The AUC’s 2015 Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP) promotes the facilitation of the free movement of workers as a means of advancing regional integration and development. Key activity areas of the JLMP include skills portability and mutual recognition of qualifications, as well as Labour Market Information Systems which support market driven skills development and skills pooling across the Continent. By gaining new skills, student and labour mobility can result in “brain gain” and “brain circulation”. In addition to the JLMP, the MPFA recommends the creation