Port Louis - In 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that the number of international migrants worldwide was 272 million. However, the dry statistics do not portray the human destinies, countless stories which are sometimes terrible or often happy, the richness of a cultural mix that are part and parcel of our lives and our collective history. People leave their native countries to flee violence, natural disasters, or the effects of climate change, as well as to study, work, and invent a new life somewhere else. This figure continues to rise, but often exploited as political weapons which result in preconceived notions and prejudices about migrants. The pertinent question is: does the term migration still mean anything in our globalized societies?

 Photo © RCO Mauritius 

The #storiesofmigration, a humanist study of migration in the 21st Century is a collaboration of IOM Mauritius and Seychelles with Paul Choy. This exhibition of a live presentation by Paul Choy covers over 15 real-life stories of migration. It is about the discoveries of people who have personally experienced migration in different circumstances. The Stories of Migration, through Migration Talks, are shared through storytelling – a powerful way of sharing ideas and experiences.

Photo © RCO Mauritius

The Migration Talks at different universities and school covers not only the experiences of migrants, but also tap into the benefits and challenges of migration. If migration is about moving away from risk in situation due to climate-induced issues, it could also be about mobility with risk whereby the movement of people could contribute to the spread of diseases or making a society more vulnerable if the necessary measures are not taken. The Migration Talks also revolves around the issue of mental health associated to human mobility. Experts in psychology and language contribute to the Talk by sharing their knowledge and experiences with migrants subjected to mental health issues and how they have overcome this to have a better life.

For more information contact Simla Pertaub spertaub@iom.int.