{"id":4628,"date":"2025-09-26T15:02:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T13:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/?p=4628"},"modified":"2025-11-06T10:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:45:04","slug":"civil-society-highlights-positive-impacts-of-regularisation-for-migrants-and-communities-at-the-gfmd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/civil-society-highlights-positive-impacts-of-regularisation-for-migrants-and-communities-at-the-gfmd\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil Society Highlights Positive Impacts of Regularisation for Migrants and Communities at the GFMD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\"><strong>On the second day of the 15th&nbsp;GFMD Summit in Riohacha, Colombia, the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism co-hosted a side event sharing lessons learned from successful regularisations programmes and mechanisms, and recommendations for future rights-based approaches<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><em>By Rachel Westerby<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Regularisation: how residence papers help people and society\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bfBL_nac3gQ?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">On the first day of the 15<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Summit of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gfmd.org\/15th-gfmd-summit\">Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD)<\/a>&nbsp;process under the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gfmd.org\/colombia-gfmd-2024-2025\/overview\">Colombian Chairship<\/a>, held in Riohacha on 2-4 September 2025, approximately 40 Forum participants attended the official side event \u2018<em>Securing lives through regularisation: a rights-based agenda\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Co-organized by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/ohchr_homepage\">Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR)<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/about\/gfmd-civil-society\/\">GFMD Civil Society Mechanism<\/a>, the event was convened at a time when hostile migration narratives and policies are causing regular pathways, including regularisation, to be limited or deprioritised.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u2018<em>Securing lives through regularisation: a rights-based agenda\u2019&nbsp;<\/em>sought to share perspectives and lessons learned from successful regularisation programmes and mechanisms across stakeholders, highlight the positive impacts of regularisation for migrants and communities, and re-centre human rights for all in the regular pathways discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Regularisation: The Global State of Play<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cRegularisation is an umbrella term for both targeted, time-limited programmes and ongoing legal mechanisms designed to resolve irregular status,\u201d explained Byron Cardenas Velasquez of OCHCR, in opening remarks delivered alongside Hazel Contreras of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alianzaamericas.org\/es\">Alianza Americas<\/a>. \u201cIn either case, it is about recognising people\u2019s presence on a territory, and enabling them to stay and prosper in the communities where they have built their lives.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-bottom-left wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2008\" height=\"1129\" src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited.png 2008w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2008px) 100vw, 2008px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Regularisation is a common policy tool, with many examples of implementation by States around the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cOur research in the context of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freemovehub.com\/\">Freemove Project<\/a>&nbsp;found multiple examples of regularisation initiatives and mechanisms, implemented in a diverse range of political and migration&nbsp;contexts,\u201d reported Professor Diego Acosta of the University of Bristol in the UK. \u201cIn Italy in 2005, for example, an initiative by the Berlusconi government led to the regularisation of 600,000 people, the largest group being Romanian nationals. More structural examples are seen in Spain, which provides a clear pathway to citizenship for Venezuelans, and in the application of the Mercosur residence agreement with respect to Venezuelans in Argentina and Uruguay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A striking recent example of high impact regularisation can be found in Thailand, which enacted legislation in late 2024 that has to date regularised the status of 420,000 people, 120,000 of whom are children. \u201cThis equates to more than 80% of stateless children in Thailand, which is a phenomenal outcome,\u201d said Anna Azaryeva of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/\">United Nations Children&#8217;s Fund (UNICEF)<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The side event took place against the backdrop of the significant achievements of Colombia, which has pioneered large scale, high impact regularisation programmes. \u201cCountries such as Colombia have demonstrated that inclusive regularisation can have profoundly positive impacts for both migrants and wider communities,\u201d said Hazel Contreras of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alianzaamericas.org\/es\">Alianza Americas<\/a>. \u201cSo while it\u2019s the right thing to do, it is also&nbsp;smart policy that promotes stability and development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The side event also presented an example of efforts to promote regularisation within States, implemented in the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala. \u201cWe are seeing an increasing number of returning migrant adults who were not legally registered at birth, either here in Mexico or in the U.S.,\u201d explained&nbsp;Victor Hugo Mena Hernandez, representing the state of Tlaxcala in Mexico. \u201cIt is extremely difficult for them to access documentation at this point, and we are trying to resolve this lack of legal status and protection via a dedicated state project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Benefits are Impossible to Overstate\u201d: Impacts of Regularisation&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">There is a strong evidence base detailing the positive impacts of regularisation, for migrants and their families, and for the wider communities and countries in which they live.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:37% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4636 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-113x150.jpeg 113w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe analysed research on regularisations that took place during the past five decades, in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, to determine what the evidence base can tell us about impact,\u201d explained&nbsp;Michele Levoy of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/picum.org\/\">Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)<\/a>. The findings with respect to impacts of resolving irregular status for individuals include improved living conditions and mental health, freedom to move and travel in safety, and the ability to find regular, more secure work that is better aligned to individual skills and aspirations and better paid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cOne evidenced impact that really surprised us was that for the next generation,\u201d Levoy stated. \u201cWhen expectant mothers are able to regularise their status, the birth weight of newborn babies increases. This speaks so clearly to the improvements in access to health and maternity care that regularisation provides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Positive impacts of regularisation are also seen at the community and society level. \u201cThere are of course many social benefits created by more equal and healthier communities, but the evidence also shows how regularisation has very tangible economic impacts,\u201d said Levoy. \u201cIn France, a 1981 exercise to regularise the status of 130,000 workers led to a 1% increase in GDP, and in many cases resolving the irregular status of workers improves conditions for other workers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Regularisation has particular impacts for children. \u201cAt a very basic level, regularisation enables children to access the rights they should be guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,\u201d&nbsp;said Anna Azaryeva. \u201cMoving out of an irregular situation negates the need for children to be detained for immigration purposes, for example, so the benefits are impossible to overstate.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">She detailed how families in an irregular situation fear interactions with public authorities, to the extent that they may not send their children to school or access the healthcare that they need. \u201cEven where legal frameworks guarantee access to public services for undocumented children, such as education, there are still significant administrative barriers such as requirements for official documentation in order to register.\u201d She also detailed how regularisation opens access to formal work, enabling families to invest in their futures and create solid, positive pathways for their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-top-right wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-150x84.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Experiences in&nbsp;Tlaxcala, Mexico, point to the long-term impact of being undocumented as a child. \u201cChildren who weren\u2019t registered at birth cannot prove their identity, meaning that in official terms, they don\u2019t exist,\u201d explained&nbsp;Victor Mena Hernandez.&nbsp;\u201cThey\u2019re not included in social programmes, and cannot access proper housing, health, education or work. They live in situations of acute vulnerability: it\u2019s inhuman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Looking to the Future: Recommendations for Improved Approaches to Regularisation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Panellists&nbsp;set out several key recommendations to improve regularisation programmes and mechanisms. These include clear and objective eligibility criteria, accessible application procedures, a right of appeal, and the involvement of civil society in programme design. \u201cWe would also highlight that many of the positive impacts of regularisation are negated when the status that is provided is temporary, or when it ties individuals to a specific employer,\u201d said Michel Levoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The side event crystallised the reactive nature of many regularisation initiatives. \u201cWe see a strong tendency for programmes and mechanisms to address the issue of people who are already in an irregular situation,\u201d explained Professor Acosta. \u201cWhat\u2019s missing is preventive policies that address how people end up in this situation to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The impact of a lack of proactive and preventive policymaking often becomes clear at a time of crisis. \u201cThe global COVID pandemic demonstrated that having an irregular population creates risk,\u201d said Anna Azaryeva. \u201cSo emergencies make governments realise what can and should be done, but policymaking should be proactive and not a last resort in response to prevailing circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-bottom-right wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-150x84.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The event also highlighted the central importance of strong and effective international action and multilevel partnerships for the success of regularisation initiatives. \u201cIn Thailand we saw that global processes and pledges, including for example the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/ibelong\/\">global campaign to end statelessness<\/a>, really created the political will for the government to act,\u201d said&nbsp;Azaryeva. \u201cThat the regularisation process was reduced from several months to just 5 days was thanks in large part to partnerships with international organisations providing technical support. There is still a large population waiting, but this is a massive improvement that speaks to what can be achieved when partnerships are in place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Partnerships also involve building the capacity of key stakeholders to understand and implement regularisation. \u201cMigrants are powerless when administrative or immigration authorities make incorrect decisions or discriminate against them,\u201d said&nbsp;Mena Hernandez. \u201cThese actions are often a result&nbsp;of&nbsp;a simple lack of official awareness about regularisation rights and processes, which we need to address.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Looking to the Future: Reclaiming the Regularisation Narrative<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Side event discussions highlighted the disconnect between state regularisation practices and state narratives on \u2018regularisation\u2019.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe saw that European states were very reluctant to include the term \u2018regularisation\u2019 in the text of the Global Compact for Migration, for example, even though the concept itself is there in the document,\u201d said Michele Levoy. \u201cTheir lack of comfort with the term contrasts quite sharply with the fact that 24 European Union countries implemented some form of regularisation during 1996-2008.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe also see that many states are scared of the term and its negative connotations, even where they\u2019re doing it at large scale,\u201d said Professor Acosta. \u201cIt\u2019s popular wisdom the U.S. has not undertaken any regularisation exercise since the 1980s, but one third of U.S Green Card holders have previously been in an irregular situation. Spain is similarly afraid to use the term, but they\u2019re regularising thousands of people each year\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Participants pointed to a clear need to reclaim and normalise the narrative on regularisation. \u201cWe\u2019re here in Colombia,&nbsp;the biggest \u2018regulariser\u2019 in the world today,\u201d said Levoy. \u201cSo many states are doing it, both within and outside standard legal frameworks \u2013 it\u2019s normal!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The&nbsp;centring&nbsp;of migrant voices may provide new opportunities to reclaim the narrative. \u201cNarratives change when we approach it from a human rights perspective, especially when we talk about children\u2019s child rights,\u201d said Anna Azaryeva. \u201cWe know that regularisation has public support, and is much preferred over pathways that do not offer a way forward,\u201d said OHCCR\u2019s Byron Cardenas Velasquez. \u201cCentring migrant voices will help us to explain the systematic reproduction of irregularity, and build support for measures to address it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-top-left wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-150x113.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The side event was concluded with remarks from Fatima Diallo, Chair of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/treaty-bodies\/cmw\">United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families<\/a>. Charting the multiple vulnerabilities and possibilities for exploitation created by irregularity, she additionally highlighted how irregularity prevents positive migratory choices and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Read the&nbsp;OCHCR&nbsp;report&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/stories\/2025\/06\/pathway-compassion\">Pathways to Compassion<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Watch the PICUM video\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7eaDoBrafEU\">Regularisation works, and it&#8217;s the right thing to do<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:42px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:42px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the second day of the 15th&nbsp;GFMD Summit in Riohacha, Colombia, the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism co-hosted a side event sharing lessons learned from successful regularisations programmes and mechanisms, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":4632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4632,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colombia-Introduction-Presentation-in-Blue-and-Yellow-Informative-Style-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4632\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"textAlign\":\"center\"} -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>On the second day of the 15th\u00a0GFMD Summit in Riohacha, Colombia, the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism co-hosted a side event sharing lessons learned from successful regularisations programmes and mechanisms, and recommendations for future rights-based approaches<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\"><em>By Rachel Westerby<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:embed {\"url\":\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bfBL_nac3gQ?feature=shared\",\"type\":\"video\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"youtube\",\"responsive\":true,\"className\":\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/bfBL_nac3gQ?feature=shared\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:embed -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"20px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">On the first day of the 15<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Summit of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gfmd.org\/15th-gfmd-summit\">Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD)<\/a>&nbsp;process under the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gfmd.org\/colombia-gfmd-2024-2025\/overview\">Colombian Chairship<\/a>, held in Riohacha on 2-4 September 2025, approximately 40 Forum participants attended the official side event \u2018<em>Securing lives through regularisation: a rights-based agenda\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Co-organized by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/ohchr_homepage\">Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR)<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/about\/gfmd-civil-society\/\">GFMD Civil Society Mechanism<\/a>, the event was convened at a time when hostile migration narratives and policies are causing regular pathways, including regularisation, to be limited or deprioritised.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">\u2018<em>Securing lives through regularisation: a rights-based agenda\u2019&nbsp;<\/em>sought to share perspectives and lessons learned from successful regularisation programmes and mechanisms across stakeholders, highlight the positive impacts of regularisation for migrants and communities, and re-centre human rights for all in the regular pathways discourse.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Regularisation: The Global State of Play<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">\u201cRegularisation is an umbrella term for both targeted, time-limited programmes and ongoing legal mechanisms designed to resolve irregular status,\u201d explained Byron Cardenas Velasquez of OCHCR, in opening remarks delivered alongside Hazel Contreras of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alianzaamericas.org\/es\">Alianza Americas<\/a>. \u201cIn either case, it is about recognising people\u2019s presence on a territory, and enabling them to stay and prosper in the communities where they have built their lives.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4635,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\",\"className\":\"is-style-nfd-dots-bottom-left\"} -->\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-bottom-left wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Regularisation-edited.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4635\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Regularisation is a common policy tool, with many examples of implementation by States around the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">\u201cOur research in the context of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freemovehub.com\/\">Freemove Project<\/a>&nbsp;found multiple examples of regularisation initiatives and mechanisms, implemented in a diverse range of political and migration&nbsp;contexts,\u201d reported Professor Diego Acosta of the University of Bristol in the UK. \u201cIn Italy in 2005, for example, an initiative by the Berlusconi government led to the regularisation of 600,000 people, the largest group being Romanian nationals. More structural examples are seen in Spain, which provides a clear pathway to citizenship for Venezuelans, and in the application of the Mercosur residence agreement with respect to Venezuelans in Argentina and Uruguay.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">A striking recent example of high impact regularisation can be found in Thailand, which enacted legislation in late 2024 that has to date regularised the status of 420,000 people, 120,000 of whom are children. \u201cThis equates to more than 80% of stateless children in Thailand, which is a phenomenal outcome,\u201d said Anna Azaryeva of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/\">United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The side event took place against the backdrop of the significant achievements of Colombia, which has pioneered large scale, high impact regularisation programmes. \u201cCountries such as Colombia have demonstrated that inclusive regularisation can have profoundly positive impacts for both migrants and wider communities,\u201d said Hazel Contreras of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alianzaamericas.org\/es\">Alianza Americas<\/a>. \u201cSo while it\u2019s the right thing to do, it is also&nbsp;smart policy that promotes stability and development.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The side event also presented an example of efforts to promote regularisation within States, implemented in the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala. \u201cWe are seeing an increasing number of returning migrant adults who were not legally registered at birth, either here in Mexico or in the U.S.,\u201d explained&nbsp;Victor Hugo Mena Hernandez, representing the state of Tlaxcala in Mexico. \u201cIt is extremely difficult for them to access documentation at this point, and we are trying to resolve this lack of legal status and protection via a dedicated state project.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Benefits are Impossible to Overstate\u201d: Impacts of Regularisation&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">There is a strong evidence base detailing the positive impacts of regularisation, for migrants and their families, and for the wider communities and countries in which they live.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:media-text {\"mediaId\":4636,\"mediaLink\":\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/?attachment_id=4636\",\"mediaType\":\"image\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5943-2-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4636 size-full\"\/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\"><!-- wp:paragraph {\"placeholder\":\"Content\u2026\"} -->\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe analysed research on regularisations that took place during the past five decades, in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, to determine what the evidence base can tell us about impact,\u201d explained&nbsp;Michele Levoy of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/picum.org\/\">Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)<\/a>. The findings with respect to impacts of resolving irregular status for individuals include improved living conditions and mental health, freedom to move and travel in safety, and the ability to find regular, more secure work that is better aligned to individual skills and aspirations and better paid. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">\u201cOne evidenced impact that really surprised us was that for the next generation,\u201d Levoy stated. \u201cWhen expectant mothers are able to regularise their status, the birth weight of newborn babies increases. This speaks so clearly to the improvements in access to health and maternity care that regularisation provides.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/div><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:media-text -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Positive impacts of regularisation are also seen at the community and society level. \u201cThere are of course many social benefits created by more equal and healthier communities, but the evidence also shows how regularisation has very tangible economic impacts,\u201d said Levoy. \u201cIn France, a 1981 exercise to regularise the status of 130,000 workers led to a 1% increase in GDP, and in many cases resolving the irregular status of workers improves conditions for other workers.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Regularisation has particular impacts for children. \u201cAt a very basic level, regularisation enables children to access the rights they should be guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,\u201d&nbsp;said Anna Azaryeva. \u201cMoving out of an irregular situation negates the need for children to be detained for immigration purposes, for example, so the benefits are impossible to overstate.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">She detailed how families in an irregular situation fear interactions with public authorities, to the extent that they may not send their children to school or access the healthcare that they need. \u201cEven where legal frameworks guarantee access to public services for undocumented children, such as education, there are still significant administrative barriers such as requirements for official documentation in order to register.\u201d She also detailed how regularisation opens access to formal work, enabling families to invest in their futures and create solid, positive pathways for their children.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4640,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\",\"className\":\"is-style-nfd-dots-top-right\"} -->\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-top-right wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5953-2-edited-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4640\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Experiences in&nbsp;Tlaxcala, Mexico, point to the long-term impact of being undocumented as a child. \u201cChildren who weren\u2019t registered at birth cannot prove their identity, meaning that in official terms, they don\u2019t exist,\u201d explained&nbsp;Victor Mena Hernandez.&nbsp;\u201cThey\u2019re not included in social programmes, and cannot access proper housing, health, education or work. They live in situations of acute vulnerability: it\u2019s inhuman.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Looking to the Future: Recommendations for Improved Approaches to Regularisation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Panellists&nbsp;set out several key recommendations to improve regularisation programmes and mechanisms. These include clear and objective eligibility criteria, accessible application procedures, a right of appeal, and the involvement of civil society in programme design. \u201cWe would also highlight that many of the positive impacts of regularisation are negated when the status that is provided is temporary, or when it ties individuals to a specific employer,\u201d said Michel Levoy.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The side event crystallised the reactive nature of many regularisation initiatives. \u201cWe see a strong tendency for programmes and mechanisms to address the issue of people who are already in an irregular situation,\u201d explained Professor Acosta. \u201cWhat\u2019s missing is preventive policies that address how people end up in this situation to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The impact of a lack of proactive and preventive policymaking often becomes clear at a time of crisis. \u201cThe global COVID pandemic demonstrated that having an irregular population creates risk,\u201d said Anna Azaryeva. \u201cSo emergencies make governments realise what can and should be done, but policymaking should be proactive and not a last resort in response to prevailing circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4642,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\",\"className\":\"is-style-nfd-dots-bottom-right\"} -->\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-bottom-right wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5941-2-edited-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4642\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The event also highlighted the central importance of strong and effective international action and multilevel partnerships for the success of regularisation initiatives. \u201cIn Thailand we saw that global processes and pledges, including for example the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/ibelong\/\">global campaign to end statelessness<\/a>, really created the political will for the government to act,\u201d said&nbsp;Azaryeva. \u201cThat the regularisation process was reduced from several months to just 5 days was thanks in large part to partnerships with international organisations providing technical support. There is still a large population waiting, but this is a massive improvement that speaks to what can be achieved when partnerships are in place.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Partnerships also involve building the capacity of key stakeholders to understand and implement regularisation. \u201cMigrants are powerless when administrative or immigration authorities make incorrect decisions or discriminate against them,\u201d said&nbsp;Mena Hernandez. \u201cThese actions are often a result&nbsp;of&nbsp;a simple lack of official awareness about regularisation rights and processes, which we need to address.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Looking to the Future: Reclaiming the Regularisation Narrative<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":\"15px\"} -->\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:spacer -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Side event discussions highlighted the disconnect between state regularisation practices and state narratives on \u2018regularisation\u2019.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe saw that European states were very reluctant to include the term \u2018regularisation\u2019 in the text of the Global Compact for Migration, for example, even though the concept itself is there in the document,\u201d said Michele Levoy. \u201cTheir lack of comfort with the term contrasts quite sharply with the fact that 24 European Union countries implemented some form of regularisation during 1996-2008.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe also see that many states are scared of the term and its negative connotations, even where they\u2019re doing it at large scale,\u201d said Professor Acosta. \u201cIt\u2019s popular wisdom the U.S. has not undertaken any regularisation exercise since the 1980s, but one third of U.S Green Card holders have previously been in an irregular situation. Spain is similarly afraid to use the term, but they\u2019re regularising thousands of people each year\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Participants pointed to a clear need to reclaim and normalise the narrative on regularisation. \u201cWe\u2019re here in Colombia,&nbsp;the biggest \u2018regulariser\u2019 in the world today,\u201d said Levoy. \u201cSo many states are doing it, both within and outside standard legal frameworks \u2013 it\u2019s normal!\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The&nbsp;centring&nbsp;of migrant voices may provide new opportunities to reclaim the narrative. \u201cNarratives change when we approach it from a human rights perspective, especially when we talk about children\u2019s child rights,\u201d said Anna Azaryeva. \u201cWe know that regularisation has public support, and is much preferred over pathways that do not offer a way forward,\u201d said OHCCR\u2019s Byron Cardenas Velasquez. \u201cCentring migrant voices will help us to explain the systematic reproduction of irregularity, and build support for measures to address it.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":4643,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\",\"className\":\"is-style-nfd-dots-top-left\"} -->\n<figure class=\"is-style-nfd-dots-top-left wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_5959-2-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4643\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">The side event was concluded with remarks from Fatima Diallo, Chair of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/treaty-bodies\/cmw\">United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families<\/a>. Charting the multiple vulnerabilities and possibilities for exploitation created by irregularity, she additionally highlighted how irregularity prevents positive migratory choices and experiences.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">***<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Read the&nbsp;OCHCR&nbsp;report&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/stories\/2025\/06\/pathway-compassion\">Pathways to Compassion<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\">Watch the PICUM video&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7eaDoBrafEU\">Regularisation works, and it's the right thing to do<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:columns -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\"><!-- wp:column -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\"><!-- wp:post-navigation-link {\"type\":\"previous\",\"showTitle\":true,\"linkLabel\":true,\"arrow\":\"arrow\"} \/--><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:column -->\n\n<!-- wp:column -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\"><!-- wp:post-navigation-link {\"showTitle\":true,\"linkLabel\":true,\"arrow\":\"arrow\"} \/--><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:column --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:columns -->","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[75,76,79],"class_list":["post-4628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-gfmd-2024-2025","tag-gfmd15","tag-regularisation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Civil Society Highlights Positive Impacts of Regularisation for Migrants and Communities at the GFMD - GFMD Civil Society Mechanism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/civil-society-highlights-positive-impacts-of-regularisation-for-migrants-and-communities-at-the-gfmd\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Civil Society Highlights Positive Impacts of Regularisation for Migrants and Communities at the GFMD - GFMD Civil Society Mechanism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On the second day of the 15th&nbsp;GFMD Summit in Riohacha, Colombia, the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism co-hosted a side event sharing lessons learned from successful regularisations programmes and mechanisms, and [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gfmdcivilsociety.org\/staging\/9981\/civil-society-highlights-positive-impacts-of-regularisation-for-migrants-and-communities-at-the-gfmd\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" 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