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MBABANE – Eswatini has outlined migration reforms in New York, linking mobility to development amid rising climate and economic pressures.
Minister for Home Affairs Princess Lindiwe told the Second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) that the kingdom is accelerating efforts to align migration governance with national development priorities under the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Addressing delegates, she said Eswatini’s approach is anchored in inclusive governance and long-term planning.
“Under the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Mswati III, the Kingdom of Eswatini reaffirms its commitment to champion a human-centred migration governance system that leaves no one behind,” she said.
Princess Lindiwe emphasised that migration remains both a challenge and an opportunity in a changing global landscape shaped by inequality, limited economic prospects and climate pressures.
“It is common cause that migration is driven by restricted possibilities, especially for young people and climate-induced pressures,” she noted, adding that mobility also contributes to development through skills transfer and remittances.
She said Eswatini has now integrated migration into national development planning while strengthening protection and inclusion systems.
“The Kingdom of Eswatini has included migration into development planning while guaranteeing protection and social inclusion,” she stated.
A key reform she highlighted was the development of the Immigration Bill of 2025, alongside strengthened coordination mechanisms through the Migration Management Task Force, bringing together government, civil society and international partners.
The minister also pointed to growing concern over climate-induced displacement affecting rural livelihoods, warning that resource constraints are limiting national response capacity.
She called for greater international collaboration, funding and partnerships to address emerging mobility challenges.
Looking ahead, she said Eswatini pledged to implement the National Migration Policy, operationalise a National Migration Data Hub, deepen engagement with the diaspora and strengthen responses to climate-related displacement.
“Governance of migration is a shared duty. Let us work together with urgency and unity to address its underlying causes and realise its full potential for sustainable development,” Princess Lindiwe said.
Worth noting is that the IMRF is the United Nations’ principal global platform for assessing how countries are implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
It is convened every four years at the UN Headquarters in New York and brings together all 193 UN member States, alongside observers, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector and other international stakeholders.
The forum is not a membership body, but a multilateral review mechanism designed to track progress on agreed migration commitments. Its core functions include reviewing the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration, sharing national experiences and policy innovations, identifying gaps in governance and strengthening international cooperation on migration management.
For Eswatini, participation in the IMRF carries both diplomatic and developmental significance. It positions the kingdom as an active participant in shaping global migration governance frameworks rather than a passive recipient of external policy decisions.
As such, by engaging in these discussions, Eswatini contributes to the development of international norms that influence migration management, financing and cooperation.
The forum also provides a strategic platform for countries like Eswatini to build partnerships and attract technical support in key areas such as climate-induced displacement, migration data systems and diaspora engagement.
These are priority issues highlighted in Princess Lindiwe’s address.
Meanwhile, domestically, participation reinforces ongoing policy and legislative reforms. Alignment with the Global Compact supports efforts such as the Immigration Bill of 2025 and the planned National Migration Data Hub, while also strengthening coordination through national migration governance structures.
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