Rashed Jia Rana Contributes to Discussions on Safe Migration, Youth Aspirations, Skills Development, and Inclusive Migration Policies
Young Climate Action Network (YOUCAN) is proud to share that Rashed Jia Rana, Research and Knowledge Management Coordinator, participated in the Consultation on Youth and Migration, organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM–UN Migration) at the United Nations.
The consultation provided an important platform to discuss how migration programmes and policies can better reflect the aspirations, challenges, and lived experiences of young people in Bangladesh. It also highlighted the importance of ensuring that youth perspectives inform the development of migration systems that are accessible, accountable, and responsive to the needs of younger generations.
Through its representation, YOUCAN contributed to a wider conversation on the role of young people in shaping migration policies and strengthening pathways towards safe, regular, and inclusive migration.
Putting Young People at the Centre of Migration Policies
Young people are an important part of Bangladesh’s migration and development landscape. Migration can create opportunities for employment, skills development, knowledge exchange, and improved livelihoods. However, young people may also face barriers related to migration costs, access to reliable information, recruitment practices, and opportunities for decent work.
Addressing these challenges requires migration policies that recognise young people not merely as participants in migration, but as individuals whose rights, aspirations, and experiences must inform decision-making.
The consultation emphasised the importance of listening to young people and understanding the realities they face throughout the migration process. Youth participation can help policymakers and relevant stakeholders identify gaps, improve programme design, and develop responses that better reflect the needs of aspiring and returning migrants.
For YOUCAN, meaningful youth engagement is essential to creating more inclusive systems in which young people can contribute to policy discussions and help shape solutions affecting their futures.
Three Priorities for Safe and Inclusive Migration
The consultation highlighted several important priorities for improving migration experiences and strengthening opportunities for young people.
1. Transparency and Accountability in the Migration Process
Access to clear, accurate, and reliable information is essential for people making migration-related decisions. Greater transparency and accountability can help young people better understand migration procedures, available services, associated costs, and their rights.
Strengthening accountability across migration processes is important for building trust, improving access to information, and ensuring that aspiring migrants can make informed decisions.
2. Accessible and Affordable Safe Migration Channels
The cost and accessibility of migration pathways can significantly influence the options available to young people. Safe and regular migration channels need to be accessible and affordable so that opportunities are not limited by financial barriers or a lack of reliable guidance.
Improving access to trustworthy information and appropriate support can help young people better understand available pathways and navigate the migration process with greater confidence.
3. Skills Development and Decent Employment Opportunities
Skills development and decent work are important to helping young people prepare for employment opportunities, both within Bangladesh and abroad.
Access to relevant training, recognised skills, and fair employment opportunities can strengthen young people’s prospects and support their long-term development. Linking skills development with labour market needs can also help young people make more informed decisions about their professional futures.
Together, these priorities demonstrate the importance of connecting migration governance with youth empowerment, rights protection, and sustainable development.
Connecting Migration with Youth Rights and Sustainable Development
Migration is not only a matter of movement across borders; it is also closely connected to human dignity, economic opportunity, social inclusion, and development.
When migration systems are transparent, accessible, and rights-based, young people are better positioned to explore opportunities while making informed decisions about their futures. At the same time, policies must recognise the importance of protecting migrants’ rights and ensuring fair treatment throughout the migration journey.
Young people can contribute to these efforts by sharing their experiences, engaging in consultations, supporting community awareness, and participating in evidence-informed advocacy.
YOUCAN believes that youth engagement should be integrated into migration policy development and implementation. Listening to young people and involving them in decision-making can help ensure that policies respond to real challenges rather than relying solely on assumptions about their needs.
Strengthening Youth Participation in Policy Dialogue
Consultations involving young people and relevant institutions provide valuable opportunities to connect community perspectives with policy priorities. They can help identify shared challenges, encourage knowledge exchange, and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders working towards safer and more inclusive migration systems.
YOUCAN values platforms that recognise young people as contributors to policy development and sustainable solutions. Through research, knowledge management, advocacy, and community engagement, youth-led organisations can help bring young people’s experiences into wider discussions.
Rashed Jia Rana’s participation reflects the importance of ensuring that youth-led organisations have opportunities to contribute to conversations shaping migration and development.
YOUCAN is grateful to be represented in this important consultation and recognises the value of continued dialogue among young people, international organisations, government institutions, and development partners.
Looking Ahead: Building Migration Systems That Work for Young People
The Consultation on Youth and Migration reinforced the importance of developing migration systems that are transparent, affordable, rights-based, and responsive to young people’s aspirations.
Moving towards these goals requires sustained collaboration, stronger accountability, accessible information, relevant skills development, and meaningful youth participation. It also requires recognising that young people are not simply beneficiaries of migration policies; they are active contributors to development and partners in shaping future solutions.
YOUCAN remains committed to advancing youth-centred advocacy, supporting inclusive development, and promoting approaches that protect young people’s rights while expanding their opportunities to participate in a changing world.
Safe and inclusive migration begins with listening to young people, protecting their rights, and creating fair opportunities for them to shape their futures. By placing youth voices at the heart of migration policy, we can work towards a more equitable and sustainable future.
YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
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