Overview:
Palau is preparing to launch its first National Migration Policy, and journalists are being trained to help the public understand what it means. A new media workshop led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) focuses on strengthening accurate, ethical reporting on migration as the country enters a crucial phase of public awareness and policy rollout.
“Migration is often misunderstood or oversimplified,” Rodrigues said. “Even in Palau, where movement has shaped our history, misconceptions can spread quickly within small communities, causing real harm to both migrants and hosts.”
By: Laurel Marewibuel
KOROR, Palau — A new media training workshop is helping prepare Palauans for the rollout of the country’s first National Migration Policy, underscoring the critical role journalists play in informing the public and shaping understanding of migration issues.
“Policies don’t implement themselves — they rely on public understanding and support,” said Frederica Rodrigues, migration policy consultant for the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “Media turn government documents into living knowledge that shapes whether migration is seen as a challenge to manage or a threat to fear.”
After months of consultations with government agencies, migrants, civil society groups and the private sector, Palau’s draft migration policy has been validated. The next step, Rodrigues said, is launching a nationwide awareness campaign to ensure communities understand the policy’s purpose, scope and limitations — a process that depends heavily on accurate, ethical reporting.
The workshop was designed to bridge a key gap: equipping journalists with the knowledge and tools needed to translate a complex policy into clear public information. “Migration affects nearly every sector, from education and tourism to health and climate resilience,” Rodrigues said.
Trainers highlighted three main benefits for participants:
- Building a foundation: Establishing consistent migration terms, key concepts and ethical standards for reporting.
- Direct engagement: Allowing journalists to speak directly with policy drafters for clarification and context.
- Preparedness: Helping media prepare to explain the policy as it moves toward final approval and implementation.
“This ensures public discussion is informed by facts rather than speculation,” Rodrigues said.
She noted that reporting on migration in Palau presents unique challenges. Common pitfalls include misuse of terms such as migrant, refugee, asylum seeker and irregular migrant — errors that can reinforce stereotypes. Journalists also face decisions about when mentioning nationality is appropriate, particularly in crime reporting, where doing so unnecessarily can fuel prejudice or xenophobia.
Fragmented migration statistics also contribute to coverage that relies on anecdote or crisis framing, often overlooking migrants’ contributions to Palau’s society and economy. Rodrigues encouraged reporters to seek balanced stories grounded in reliable data, emphasizing migrants as individuals with skills, families and aspirations.
Palau’s National Migration Policy outlines six priority goals: promoting safe migration, strengthening diaspora engagement, ensuring fair labor practices, protecting vulnerable migrants and families, improving border governance, and creating a people-centered framework for climate-driven mobility and relocation. The policy is built around four thematic areas — emigration and diaspora engagement, immigration and workforce management, border management and law enforcement, and internal planned relocation linked to climate change.
The workshop aimed to arm journalists with the terminology, ethical guidelines and contextual understanding needed to cover these issues responsibly. Rodrigues said she hopes participants leave with greater confidence in reporting migration stories and a stronger ability to challenge harmful narratives.
She emphasized that media are essential partners in raising public awareness and ensuring Palau’s migration policy is understood, trusted and supported.
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