2006年VOA标准英语-UN Calls for Greater Effort to Regulate Migrati

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
11 September 2006

The International Organization for Migration¹ is calling for action to dramatically improve the positive effects of migration on development.  The call goes out to countries attending a U.N. High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development Thursday and Friday in New York.

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Migration tops the political, economic and social agendas of many countries around the world.

Migrants are often painted in a negative light, depicted² as criminals and a drain on society. An increasing number of countries are closing their doors to migrants, many of whom then become vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.

The International Organization for Migration says human migration can be a very positive phenomenon and a potent³ force for development for all countries and economies.  

Brunson McKinley

IOM Director-General, Brunson McKinley, notes rich countries are contending with aging populations and declining birth rates. This means they will be more dependent upon people from the outside to fulfill⁴ their labor⁵ needs.

"If you match the supply and the demand effectively and if you create good procedures for regularizing this flow of workers, I think you can have a win-win situation," said McKinley. "That is being done in different parts of the world. But, it is not yet a general phenomenon. In many places that the economic realities are not matched by changes in legislation and practice so that people can come in easily and this leads to large-scale irregular flows, clandestine⁶ flows. It makes a market for traffickers and smugglers."

The International Organization for Migration says managed economic migration can boost the development prospects⁷ of poor countries. Statistics support this view. Last year, the world's 190 million migrants sent $160 billion to developing countries. This is larger than official development assistance.

The U.N. agency says policies should be put in place to encourage migrants to invest some of their hard earned savings⁸ into ventures that will further economic growth and development of their home countries and communities.

McKinley says an International Migration and Development Initiative will be proposed this week at the New York meeting. An element of this proposal is to create a data base that would help match the needs of countries with the availability of foreign workers.

"It is possible for the interested parties to know this year, next year, five years from now, 10 years from now, where are the vacancies⁹ going to be, where are the gaps going to be in a particular nation's job market which could be filled by people from overseas," he added.

The I.O.M. chief says it is not possible to stop people moving around the world in search of better opportunities. So, the best thing for governments to do, he says, is to regulate migration for the benefit of all.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

3 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

4 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 clandestine   

adj.秘密的，暗中从事的

参考例句：

• She is the director of clandestine operations of the CIA.她是中央情报局秘密行动的负责人。
• The early Christians held clandestine meetings in caves.早期的基督徒在洞穴中秘密聚会。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

9 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》