Speech by Cllr Waltho Mayor of Dudley

On the Move

International Migrants Day event on Monday 14th December 2015 @ The Welcome Group Halesowen United Church Hagley Road Halesowen.

Being on the move is thought of as a process of moving from one place to or job to another. When we find it difficult to contact a friend, we often used the term ‘he or she is difficult to contact because he/she is always ‘on the move’.This suggests that as human beings at one time or another we all experience being ‘on the move’.

For the majority of us being ‘on the move’ may be a very positive experience. Unfortunately for some the experience may have led to them having to leave home, family and friends and may have even caused traumatic moments, which are best forgotten.

Throughout 2015 we have witnessed news reports where 1000s of people have been on the move through no fault of their own but due to civil war and other man-made situations.

We have also heard of the term ‘people trafficking’, a term to describe movements of individuals against their own will. The experience of those on the move in this situation is not be one that is enjoyable as people trafficking leads to exploitation and forced labour.

This short series of events hosted by CfED and coinciding with international Migrants Day on Friday 18th December is a timely reminder that within our society are those who have had no choice but to flee their homeland due to persecution and civil war.

Here in Dudley, we are proud of our history in providing sanctuary to asylum seekers and refugees and has extended a warm welcome to migrants from Eastern Europe seeking employment opportunities and residency in the borough. The council has also recently announced that it will provide a home for up to 20 Syrian families under the government’s Syrian Resettlement Programme and we will look forward to welcoming them to our area.

The on the move series and International Migrants Day are good opportunities to bring people together from all works of life to learn from each other, share thoughts and challenge the negative rhetoric of migrants as portrayed in much of our media. Migrants who are here in our borough and elsewhere make a positive contribution to the rich heritage of life in Dudley and the UK in general economically and culturally.

Today and throughout the week, we celebrate and recognise the struggles of the many people around the world who have left their homeland in search for a brighter future.

For the International Community International Migrants Day represents an opportunity to raise awareness about the state of migrants’ human rights and fundamental freedoms and to make known the positive contributions of migrants in the context of unprecedented human mobility.