Moderator: Blaine Herman, International Editor, SABC
Blaine Herman: Opening Remarks
Thank you very much.
My name is Blaine Herman, International Editor at the SABC.
Building on the important perspectives we have heard on migration and peaceful coexistence, it is worth remembering that migration is one of humanity’s oldest stories. Long before passports and modern borders, people moved in search of safety, opportunity and a better future.
Today, however, migration dominates headlines, tests diplomacy and, far too often, divides communities.
As Nelson Muffuh observed, the conversation should move beyond whether people will migrate—we know they will, because history has always demonstrated that they do.
The more important questions are:
- How do we protect our borders without losing our humanity?
- How do we enforce immigration laws without sacrificing social cohesion?
- And perhaps the overarching question: How do we transform migration from a source of conflict into a bridge for peace?
Those are the questions that frame today’s discussion.
Trust, Public Confidence and National Dialogue
Question to the High Commissioner of Singapore
High Commissioner, you spoke about trust—the “big T”—and argued that economic openness depends on public confidence. Building that confidence at grassroots level requires sustained communication and engagement.
How can governments achieve that in a practical and sustainable way?
H.E. Zainal Arif Mantaha, High Commissioner of Singapore
Thank you very much for the question.
Singapore’s own experience offers an instructive example.
Following our 2011 General Election, the governing party experienced a significant decline in electoral support. This followed the publication of the National Population White Paper, which projected Singapore’s population reaching six million by a specified date.
At the same time, there was increasing public concern about the growing number of foreign workers entering Singapore under various free trade agreements, which required us to facilitate the movement of skilled professionals.
Singaporeans increasingly felt that their country was changing rapidly.
They encountered people speaking different languages on public transport. They worried about access to housing, public transport, inflation and the overall cost of living.
The lesson is that even countries that generally manage migration successfully can experience public anxiety when citizens believe migration no longer serves their interests.
Once that happens, people begin questioning whether government policies genuinely address their concerns.
For Singapore, maintaining trust became an ongoing national conversation.
Immediately after the 2011 election, we launched an extensive National Dialogue.
This was not simply about migration. It was an honest national conversation about Singapore’s future, our changing society and how migrant communities were becoming more visible and integrated into our national life.
Singaporeans openly discussed their concerns and anxieties, while also reflecting on how migrants were becoming part of the country’s social fabric.
One of the most important conclusions from that dialogue was that talent has no nationality.
What matters is whether individuals contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s national development and national project.
Those who contribute become part of our collective future.
That message had to be consistently communicated and reinforced.
Dialogue therefore remains essential.
Once trust is lost, rebuilding it becomes extremely difficult.
It took Singapore several years after that National Dialogue to rebuild confidence in the government’s migration policies.
Trust also extends beyond domestic audiences.
It is equally important among international partners, neighbours and regional organisations.
Regional Cooperation and European Integration
Moderator
One of the biggest diplomatic challenges today is that public perception spreads faster than facts.
Europe experienced the migration crisis of 2015 and subsequently introduced stronger border controls while negotiating agreements with partner countries.
Looking back, what has proved to be the most effective approach in strengthening regional integration while delivering practical results?
H.E. Mrs Sandra Kramer, European Union Representative
Thank you.
It is indeed a difficult question because every region faces different circumstances.
One of the European Union’s greatest lessons has been recognising that we share common external borders.
What happens in Italy, France or Spain inevitably affects Denmark, Germany, Poland and every other member state.
Strengthening our external borders therefore became an absolute priority, and significant progress has been achieved.
A second lesson is that many observers now argue that Europe’s challenge has been less a migration crisis than an integration crisis.
The question is how we successfully integrate people who have lived legally in our societies for many years and who wish to contribute fully.
Across Europe we increasingly see societies that are diverse, open and multicultural.
Our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in the Netherlands is of Turkish origin.
The Mayor of Rotterdam is of Moroccan origin.
Europe is becoming an increasingly diverse continent, and we are proud of that.
At the same time, our objectives remain clear.
We will continue to offer protection to those who genuinely need it.
We want to attract talent that contributes to economic growth.
At the same time, we seek to reduce irregular migration to the lowest possible level.
Above all, decisions about who enters a country must be taken by democratic institutions—not by smugglers or human traffickers.
Migration: Governance or Crisis?
Moderator
Nelson, peaceful coexistence depends on integration, community engagement and understanding both the push and pull factors driving migration.
From your perspective, is the world facing a migration crisis—or fundamentally a governance crisis?
Nelson Muffuh, United Nations Resident Coordinator
I would describe it as a governance crisis.
The real challenge is managing migration in a way that protects human rights while harnessing the benefits that mobility brings.
At the same time, governments must confront the harms associated with trafficking and migrant smuggling.
This is not a binary choice.
Effective migration governance and the protection of rights are entirely compatible.
Strong states must retain the monopoly over law enforcement while preventing vigilantism.
At the United Nations, we speak about durable solutions.
Those solutions do not focus only on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
They also recognise the legitimate needs of host communities.
Migration therefore has to be approached holistically.
That requires sustained dialogue and meaningful community engagement.
People cannot simply be relocated into communities without involving those communities in the process.
Likewise, when services are provided, they should benefit both host communities and migrants, thereby creating shared prosperity.
That is the only sustainable foundation for peaceful coexistence.
Moderator’s Closing Remarks
Unfortunately, time has caught up with us.
Thank you to all our panellists for sharing such thoughtful and valuable perspectives.
Please join me in thanking them for a rich and insightful discussion.
We now move to our next panel discussion.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our next group of speakers with a warm round of applause.