Final Report of the Seminar on Migration and Regional Integration

Transcription

1 IESALC Final Report of the Seminar on Migration and Regional Integration Seminar on Migration and Regional Integration 1-2 August 2002 SMIR/DF- 02

2 C O N T E N T S FOREWORD RAPPORTEUR S REPORT 3 ANNEX 1: ANNEX 2: ANNEX 3: ANNEX 4: ANNEX 5: ANNEX 6: Address by Ambassador Otto Boye, Permanent Secretary of the Latin American Economic System 11 Address by Dr. Claudio Rama, Director of the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) of UNESCO 17 Address by Dr. Fidel Jaramillo, Vice President for Development Strategies of the Andean Development Corporation (ADC) 23 Work Programme 29 List of Documents 35 List of Participants 41

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4 F O R E W O R D This document includes the Rapporteur s Report along with the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Seminar on Migrations and Regional Integration, which was held on 1 and 2 August, 2002, at the headquarters of the Andean Development Corporation (ADC), in Caracas. The event was organised by the Permanent Secretariat of SELA, in collaboration with the ADC and the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) of UNESCO. Participants in the meeting included representatives from the Member States of SELA, regional and international organizations, countries that are not members of SELA, and personalities from public, private and academic sectors. The Seminar dealt with topics such as the evolution of migrations at global level; their effects on regional integration and human rights; the social, economic and labour problems resulting from them; and the possibility to treat the issue at the ongoing international negotiations in which the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are participating.

5 3 Opening Session RAPPORTEUR S REPORT 1. The Seminar on Migration and Regional Integration was held at the headquarters of the Andean Development Corporation (ADC), in Caracas, on 1 and 2 August The event was organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American Economic System (SELA) in collaboration with the Andean Development Corporation and the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) of UNESCO. 2. The Seminar was attended by representatives of Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. Other participants in the meeting included representatives from regional and international organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC / CELADE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), the Inter- American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation (IICA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Andean Parliament, the Latin American Parliament, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO / IESALC), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); as well as personalities from different public, private and academic sectors, and from other countries that are not members of SELA, such as Canada, the United States of America, Finland, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Bulgaria. The complete List of Participants is included in Annex No The opening session of the seminar was in charge of the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Otto Boye, who welcomed the participants and highlighted the relevance of the issue of migrations for the region and the whole world. He said that these massive movements of people which have spurred progress in the destination countries are the result of inequalities in social and economic levels in countries of origin, which have only deepened with globalization. But in an effort to curb illegal migrations and the employment of undocumented workers, developed nations which are the main destination countries have also imposed severe restrictions on movements of people. Boye also pointed out that more solidarity and cooperation efforts are necessary in order to improve the current international norms and legislations on migrations, so as to facilitate the movement of migrants and their full incorporation into their new societies, and to ensure the social, economic and labour rights of migrant workers in the recipient countries, while keeping in mind that remittances represent a major source of income for countries of origin. He said that the preparation of a Regional Agenda on Migration and Integration would help to improve governability of migrations, based on the progress achieved by the existing integration arrangements in the region and the opportunities they offer. He stressed that a comprehensive view and shared actions could help to include specific and integral commitments regarding migrations in the FTAA, the WTO and other negotiation forums an initiative which SELA is ready to fully support. The speech delivered by Ambassador Boye is included in Annex No Continuing with the opening session, Dr. Claudio Rama, Director of the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), underscored the need to exchange ideas and points of view to find answers to a number of questions regarding integration, migrations and higher education, within the context of globalization and the economic and social problems of Latin America and the Caribbean. He analysed the changes in the scenario for higher education in the region since the 1990s, characterized by an increase in the number of students as a result of public policies

6 4 aimed at expanding higher education institutions. He pointed to the fact academic curricula do not respond to the real needs of the labour market in terms of the number of professionals it requires, and since they are based on outdated models, they offer a very general type of preparation, they are too repetitive and lack flexibility. This, along with unemployment and the low market demand resulting from the crisis, leads skilled professionals to find an escape valve in migration, thus depriving the region from these valuable human resources. Rama s speech is included in Annex No Afterwards, Dr. Fidel Jaramillo, Vice President for Development Strategies of the Andean Development Corporation (ADC), described the increase in migratory flows at global level since the 1990s, in spite of existing barriers and restrictions. He dealt with data about intra-regional migration flows in Latin America and the Caribbean and towards the United States, which currently amount to some 11 million people or 2.5% of the total population of the region. At present, intra-regional migrations are mostly temporary and are influenced by the integration agreements in the region. Jaramillo said that the United States is the favourite country of destination for Latin American and Caribbean migrants, with million of them residing mainly in the West and the South of the U.S., according to the 2000 Census. The figure of illegal migrants mostly unskilled workers could reach 6.5 million people emigrating mainly from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. That figure represents nearly 2.5% of the total U.S. population. Other countries that have received substantial migration flows over the last few years are Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Canada and Japan. Jaramillo stressed that remittances represent an important inflow of foreign currency for countries of origin and serve to support development. He concluded that it is necessary to design instruments to legalize them and to foster the free movement of people, within a framework of observance of and respect for the duties and rights of migrants. Jaramillo s presentation is included in Annex No. 3. Development of Works 6. The adopted Work Programme is included in Annex No The introductory presentation was delivered by the International Cooperation Coordinator of SELA, Dr. Gabriel Bidegain, who identified the five main objectives of the seminar. First, to become aware of the impact of the current international negotiations on the movement of people, particularly those being conducted at the WTO and the FTAA, while keeping in mind that globalization has not affected migrations in a positive way yet. Second, to understand the real impact of changes in migration flows on society, taking into account that money remittances represent a substantial source of income as they amount to at least 10% or more in six countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Third, to review recent changes in international legislations and the position of developed countries on migrations. Fourth, to review current difficulties and opportunities for migrating professionals. And finally, to suggest governments to give a relatively better and more flexible treatment to migration flows. Bidegain underscored that it is possible to attain governability of migrations at regional level through the Regional Conferences, by making all countries of Latin America and the Caribbean participate in the process and exchange information, taking advantage of the progress made by integration agreements which are aimed at establishing common markets, and by using SELA as the specific consultation and coordination forum to that end. 8. Work sessions were divided in four blocks, each one organized by a different moderator. Representatives of the Member States of SELA, international and regional organizations as well as public and academic institutions participated in the sessions. 9. Session I, which focused on Movement of People and Integration, was moderated by Juan José Arteaga, Ambassador of Uruguay in Venezuela. The following presentations were delivered: International migrations and globalization: International and regional migration trends, , by Marta Roig Vila, Division for Population of the United Nations

7 General Secretariat; International migration in Latin America and the Caribbean: Social, demographic and economic traits, by Jorge Martínez Pizarro, representative of ECLAC / CELADE; The links between citizens living abroad and their countries of origin, by Augusto Mariátegui, Regional Representative of the IOM for the countries of the Andean Community; and Movement of people and integration, by Herman Browne, of the Immigration Office of Trinidad and Tobago. 10. Session II, which centered on Human Rights and Recent Changes in Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean, the U.S.A. and Canada, was moderated by Enrique M. Loaeza Tovar, Ambassador of Mexico in Venezuela. The following presentations were delivered: New Trends in Migration Policies in Latin America, by Lelio Mármora, Regional Representative of the IOM in the Southern Cone; Major recent changes in migratory relations between Mexico and the U.S.A., by Gustavo Mohar Betancourt, Negotiator for International Migratory Affairs of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico; Changes in migratory flows and their political, economic, social, cultural and judicial impact, by Alfonso Morales Suárez, Deputy General Director for Support to Ecuadorians living abroad, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador; and Forced Migrations in Latin America and the Caribbean: Past, present and future, by María Virginia Trimarco, Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 11. Session III, which dealt with the Impact of Migration on the Economy and Society, was moderated by Gabriel Thimothe, Executive Director of the State Secretariat for Population of Haiti. It included the following presentations: ILO standards on labour migrations, by Daniel Martínez, Director of the ILO for the Andean countries; International migration, demographic transition and money remittances in Mexico, by Fernando Lozano- Ascencio, Coordinator of the Urban Processes and Population Programme of the Regional Multidisciplinary Research Center, National Autonomous University of Mexico; Living off the North: Socio-demographic profile of households receiving money remittances in a high emigration rate area, by Alejandro Canales, Professor and researcher of the Department of Regional Studies of Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico; and Migration and AIDS in Mesoamerica, by Mario Bronfman, Executive Director of the Health System Research Centre of the National Public Health Institute, Mexico. 12. Session IV, which focused on Migration of University Professionals and its Impact on Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, was moderated by Rafael Bello, Deputy Secretary of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Dominican Republic. The following presentations were made: International migrations in Cuba: Persisting trends and changes, by Rolando García Quiñónez, Director of the Center for Demographic Studies (CEDEM), Cuba; Intra- and extra-caribbean migration flows, Rubén Silié, Director of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO); Dominican Republic Programme; and Rubén Silié, and Reflections on Migration of Skilled Professionals, by Adela Pellegrino, representative of the Population Institute of the University of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay. 13. The Permanent Secretariat handed out to participants a CD-ROM containing SELA s publications and documents dealing with the subject. The informative documents submitted at the meeting and referred to in Annex No. 5 are being included on SELA s Web page, where they are available for consultation. 14. Upon completion of presentations and debates on the issues discussed during the seminar, the following conclusions and recommendations were adopted: Conclusions and recommendations 5

8 6 15. Emphasis was made on the great significance of migrations in the current international context, even though the globalization process has not affected migrations in a positive way. But it is precisely for this reason that this issue must be included in the agenda of international negotiations, which should consider its economic, social judicial and cultural aspects. 16. It was recognized that migrations constitute an issue with multiple dimensions and aspects that are closely linked to human rights and have an economic, social and cultural impact. Therefore, the issue needs top-priority attention from all sectors of society in the countries of the region, namely, governments, the private sector, religious sectors, non-governmental organizations and civil society in general. 17. The governments and organizations of the region were urged to advocate for the ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted by the United Nations in 1990, and to move ahead with the process to create norms and instruments to ensure the governability of migrations, both at multilateral and at hemispheric and regional levels. 18. The policies on migrations must begin to form part of the development and integration policies in view of their strong influence on socio-economic, labour and cultural areas. Therefore, it is recommendable for governments to include the issue in the follow-up and evaluation mechanisms of social, cultural and economic policies and programmes. 19. It is necessary to enhance existing international and regional norms so that they also cover irregular migrants and facilitate the application of measures to protect and guarantee their human rights. To this end, those governments that have not done so were urged to create Offices specialized in attention to migrants, which would form part of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs. Governments were also urged to promote regular exchanges of experiences and to raise awareness of this issue at managerial levels. 20. Governments and organizations are called upon to foster and encourage reflection and analysis on the principle of shared responsibility in migration issues involving both countries of origin and countries of destination, in order to propose, coordinate and create procedures, ways or mechanisms to facilitate the regulation of migration flows in general and labour migration in particular, so as to ensure appropriate respect for the fundamental rights of migrants and to fight irregular or clandestine migration. In this regard, governments and organizations of the region were exhorted to promote and encourage reflection and analysis on, and to raise awareness of, the urgent need for a more just, equitable and humanitarian international economic order, because the huge differences in economic and social conditions and human development prevailing in the world today are the main cause for the increase in massive migrations of human beings which on numerous occasions occur in an irregular, disorderly or clandestine way. This only encourages illegal traffic of people, a crime that should be severely punished at all levels in order to ensure respect for migrant s fundamental rights. 21. The countries of the region were suggested to start a consultation, coordination and cooperation process on the issue of migrations, so as to include it in the

9 ongoing FTAA negotiations and to enhance its treatment within the WTO to cover all types of professional qualifications of migrant workers. 22. A recommendation was made to enhance knowledge and studies being promoted by UNESCO / IESALC on the problem of the growing migration of skilled professionals particularly as regards the recognition or revalidation of studies, degrees and diplomas in higher education and standardization of labour rights, the exchange and circulation of professionals and the brain drain to industrialized countries, which are issues that should be included in the FTAA, the WTO and the Inter-regional Summits negotiations. 23. Recognizing how important it is for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to rely on highly skilled human resources to successfully apply development strategies based on excellent relations knowledge-investment in research and development-economic growth, and taking into account the high brain drain rate to industrialized nations, the governments that have been most badly affected by the loss of such precious human resources were urged to make tireless efforts to ensure technical and financial cooperation in order to develop a strategy to recover and reinsert skilled personnel and to train new human resources based on the experience and quality of returning skilled workers. Such a strategy should include the conduction of preliminary studies aimed at creating a data base with information about the location of those professionals in the recipient countries and their academic experience, among other aspects, as well as information about those areas in the productive sectors of the countries of origin in which emphasis should be made or where those professionals could possibly be reinserted, or else, those areas in which they could teach their knowhow to others. 24. While subregional integration schemes have made strides in the area of migrations, it was suggested that further progress should be made on this subject, in light of the changes that have taken place in the last few years particularly as regards the standardization of social and labour rights, the recognition or revalidation of studies, degrees and diplomas in higher education, cross-border transit and social welfare and security. 25. Emphasis was made on the relation between migrations and health, particularly sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV-AIDS, as the latter show very high rates in some countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The governments and organizations of the region were urged to strengthen information and prevention campaigns on the risks and consequences of STDs and HIV-AIDS, with special focus on migrants. 26. Due recognition was given to the work done by the Regional Conference on Migrations and the South-American Conference on Migrations, while stressing that it was very important for insular Caribbean countries to become members of a regional forum in charge of following up, exchanging information, and providing consultation, coordination and cooperation mechanisms in the area of migrations. 27. A recommendation was made to conduct studies, and to hold multidisciplinary meetings and encounters with experts from the region and elsewhere in order to design financial instruments aimed at improving management of remittances sent by migrants to their countries of origin, while reducing their transfer costs and enhancing their productive use. This would entail the participation of development 7

10 8 institutions, such as the ADC, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Special emphasis should be made on the social impact of remittances on migrants countries of origin, while taking advantage of the experience gathered by the ECLAC on this subject. 28. It was deemed necessary to improve both availability to statistics for entries and departures of migrants, and availability to information about censuses, in order to promote the creation of a System of Information on Migrations based on generally accepted international standards. In this regard, due recognition is given to the efforts being made by ECLAC / CELADE through the IMILA Programme. International technical assistance and financial support should definitely be promoted in this connection. 29. It was recommended to develop programmes in accordance with the needs of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at modernizing information systems in border areas and at training staff in charge of migration-related management tasks. 30. It was also recommended to set up inter-regional information networks that allow for early detection of illegal movements of people, so as to take preventive measures to combat illegal or clandestine traffic of migrants. 31. In order to promote consultation, dialogue, coordination and cooperation at regional level, a suggestion was made for SELA, an organization that groups together the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, to establish on a regular basis a High-Level Forum for follow-up, exchange of information, consultation and cooperation on migrations, as part of its activities and in cooperation with the two existing regional Conferences dealing with the issue, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the ECLAC, and other concerned organizations. Such a Forum would cover all the economic, social, political, educational and cultural sectors or the region, and would be financed through international cooperation mechanisms.

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12 10 A N N E X Nº 1 Address by Ambassador Otto Boye, Permanent Secretary of the Latin American Economic System

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14 12 Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my pleasure to welcome you, in the name of the Latin American Economic System, to this important seminar that we are honored to co-sponsor. The presence here of such a numerous and select group of people is a clear indication of the importance of the issue that concerns us here today. International migration is an issue of transcendental importance for the world and our region since it affects all aspects of human society, that is, its economy, culture and social, legal and political structure. It has become a central topic that can no longer be overlooked in current and future international negotiations. This is an issue that affects and concerns us all. Today s globalization, which has profound effects on our lives, does not encompass workers mobility. This continues to be subject to severe restrictions throughout the world and such restrictions are becoming more stringent as time goes by, particularly in the developed world. In fact, if we acknowledge that the vast inequalities in social and economic levels are the fundamental cause of migrations, then it follows that globalization, as we experience it today, contributes greatly to increase migration flows, causing, in turn, a wider gap between rich and poor countries. A brief look at the relevant legislative reforms that are underway in some European countries and in the United States of America reveals the increasing acuteness of this problem. Indeed, international migration is excluded from the process of globalization even though from the last quarter of the 19th century until World War II the massive movement of people spurred the progress and even industrial and technological development of those that are today the most developed nations. Within this context, current international norms and legislations regarding migrations leave much to be desired and are a cause of concern. Or, to say it less diplomatically: they contain vast omissions or deficiencies. On the one hand, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, which was approved by the United Nations in 1990 after more than a decade of discussions, has not been ratified yet, even though it represents a major step forward as far as the preservation of the fundamental human rights of migrant workers is concerned and constitutes a valuable instrument for the articulation and convergence of currently contrasting national legislations on this subject. On the other hand, the commitments regarding the temporary mobility of workers negotiated within the Uruguay Round and included in the General Agreement on Trade and Services of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are clearly inadequate, especially to stimulate the use of unskilled workers in service contracts. Let us hope that the current WTO negotiations on this issue succeed in fulfilling this objective. Therefore, more commitments are needed at the international level to facilitate the temporary and permanent mobility of workers and to make strides in other areas related to migration, such as trans-border traffic, social security, the honoring of degrees and skills, among others. Fortunately, there seems to be a consensus that the solution to many of the problems related to migration require multilateral norms and measures, based on close cooperation between states in order to manage the problem of international migration in a rational manner.

15 13 At the national level, the countries that receive massive migration flows need to develop mechanisms to facilitate the integration of migrants and their full incorporation into their new societies in areas such as education, health and social protection. Similarly, those countries need to establish mechanisms aimed at reducing the cost of remittances abroad, which represent a major source of income for many developing countries, at times providing higher revenues than those derived from exports or tourism (during this seminar detailed information will be given on the magnitude of migrants remittances). The fact is that developing countries lag in economic and social development and their technological standstill, which has deepened during the last decade, have greatly stimulated migration to developed countries. This has caused the latter, particularly the U.S. and some European countries, to adopt much more restrictive immigration legislations than those that prevailed in the past. This phenomenon, together with the issue of undocumented workers, has become the most sensitive issue in developed countries immigration policies. In general, there is no doubt that throughout the world controls regarding the entry, transit, residence and employment of foreigners have tightened. As far as the region is concerned, today emigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean constitute one of the largest migration flows in the world, representing 10% of the total number of migrants and 46% of immigrants to the U.S. In the past, 90% of all immigrants that entered the U.S. were from Europe. The bulk of migration flows is made up of unskilled workers who move from the South to the North because of unemployment and low salaries in their countries of origin. On the other hand, intra-regional migration, which had been one of the most important factors for the development of our countries and integration processes, has diminished. This is also due to the recurrent economic crises in countries that traditionally received large numbers of immigrants, which make them today less attractive destinations. The countries of the region participate in the two inter-governmental forums on migration that cover the area: the regional Conference on Migration (North and Central America) and the South American Conference on Migrations. Both represent the basis on which to build a regional agenda on migration and integration aimed at administering migrations at the regional level. To this end, both conferences must exchange experiences and information with a view to developing actions aimed at solving common problems and developing cooperation between immigrants receiving countries, transit countries and countries of origin. The management of migrations will be strengthened by the convergence of social policies within existing integration arrangements in the region, the creation of common markets and other developments. In reality, sub-regional agreements offer greater opportunities for accepting migration flows within wider economic and social areas, under conditions of shared and solidary governability that over time could insure full migration within the community based on the respect and guarantee of labor and social and economic rights regarding health, education, social protection and free transit. Even though they are still developing migration policies, MERCOSUR and the Andean Community have made strides on the issue of migrations and in insuring the social, economic and labor rights of migrant workers. Finally, the FTAA negotiations also represent an opportunity to include specific commitments regarding migrations, based on hemispheric cooperation, in order to

16 14 approach the issue in an integral manner, promoting greater worker mobility within the wider market and insuring their human social and economic rights. These commitments should include issues of mutual concern such as trans-border traffic, the circulation of workers, social security and the honoring of academic degrees and professional skills. All these international, hemispheric and regional issues should enter the regional agenda on international migration and integration. The development of such an agenda will require a comprehensive view and shared actions, which could be promoted by a regional forum on the basis on the efforts that are being carried out by the regional conference and the South American conference, welcoming the Caribbean countries that are not members of either. The Latin American Economic System, with its ample membership of 28 Latin American and Caribbean countries, is ready to fully support such an initiative. Thank you.

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18 16 A N N E X Nº 2 Address by Dr. Claudio Rama, Director of the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) of UNESCO

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20 18 LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN S UNIVERSITY MASSIFICATION AND PROFESSIONAL EMIGRATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE SOCIETY: A FEW UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Ladies and Gentlemen; To convene a seminar to discuss the issues of integration, migration and higher education is to acknowledge the existence of a vast number of questions that have remained unanswered. Thus the need arises to gather specialists, government representatives, experts and institutions to exchange points of view, debate theoretical frameworks and provide an overview that may contribute to new ideas, hypothesis and answers regarding the new aspects of migration, remittances, migrants training and the role of national education structures within the context of globalization, the new knowledge-intensive society, the current economic and social problems of Latin America and the Caribbean and the future scenarios arising from the FTAA negotiations. From the perspective of the UNESCO, and particularly the IESALC the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is the body that the General Conference of UNESCO created to deal with this issue many are the questions that need to be answered. In order to discuss these issues we are cosponsoring this event together with the Latin American Economic System (SELA), the Andean Development Corporation (ADC) and with the collaboration of other organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Ever since the 1990s it became apparent that the expansion of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean, which had substantially transformed the scenario of tertiary education in the region, had come to a halt. One of the results of such expansion was the considerable increase in the number of students enrolled in higher education courses. Indeed, by the end of the 20th century the number of such students in the region had increased from 270,000 in the 1950s to almost 10 million. Higher education has become a mass phenomenon. In spite of the high level of desertion and the low efficiency levels, every year close to 700,000 students graduate from the region s higher education institutions. During the 1950s the total number of professionals in the region barely reached 600,000. Today the number of professionals who graduate each year is higher than that. Regarding the percentage of higher education graduates within the population the average for the region is 23%, considerably lower than the average in the U.S. (80%) and Europe (65%), however this varies according to the country, fluctuating between 38% in Argentina and 12% in Guatemala. Also, these percentages tend to increase as a result of government policies aimed at promoting higher education. This, together with higher education s stronger income-yielding capacity, has led an important sector of the region s population to invest in education. The acknowledgment of education as a means to ensure evolution and social upward mobility (regardless of its exact dimensions) has contributed to a process of diversification of tertiary education institutions. By the end of the 1990s the massive institutional expansion and diversification of education had produced more than 8,000 higher education institutions in the region, compared with the few that existed just decades ago. Today the region s universities, institutes, polytechnic schools, professional colleges, both public and private, profit and non-profit, provide an

21 extremely diversified scenario, together with the 20 macro universities that have over 60,000 enrolled students. 19 This new institutional scenario is the result of the dynamic expansion of private education. This represents another of the sharpest transformations in the region s higher education structure. Close to 3 million students in the region are enrolled in private institutions. In some countries such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and Chile the majority of students are enrolled in private, rather than public institutions. This new educational system has developed unhindered by state regulation and without proper coordination between institutions. Generally, the new institutions academic curricula respond to students demand rather than the needs of the labour market. Moreover, higher education graduates tend to have an extremely similar and general type of preparation. In fact, the region s educational structure is based on outdated school and faculty models that do not offer flexible and diversified curricula, thus producing similarly skilled professionals. Moreover, because of the predominance of traditional university curricula over technical careers a high percentage of higher education graduates have a similar academic background. Another issue that causes concern is the level of preparation of higher education graduates. All data indicate that such level has tended to decrease compared to the parameters established in the center countries. This is a result of the over saturation of public institutions - the number of students per classroom has increased to such levels as to render inefficient all pedagogical efforts; the absence of controls and quality evaluation systems; the fall in budget allocations for higher education; the disappearance of the editorial industry and a generalized deterioration of libraries, as well as the lack of a policy aimed at stimulating the training of educators. Moreover, within the framework of traditional education, the vast increase in the number of students has been accompanied by an increase in the number of teachers, many of whom lack the needed level of training. It is estimated that only 5% of university professors have a doctorate degree. This reveals a fall in the average level of training of higher education staff, which in turn is reflected in the fall in the quality of higher education. Based on the above considerations we can conclude that the quality level of the new waves of higher education graduates is average (compared with the rest of the world) and their specializations few, as the curricula are not relevant to the needs of the labor market. The majority of majors offered are in traditional fields that require low levels of investment, while the market demand in these areas is very limited. At the same time, knowledge has experienced significant transformations as a result of the scientific revolution that has rendered obsolete many areas of knowledge and created the need for high levels of specialization as regards the quality of educational structures worldwide. It is not by chance that thousands of students from peripheral countries choose to study in the central countries, thus contributing to finance educational centers in those countries. Ever since the 1980s these complex phenomena have led to a persistent increase in the unemployment level among professionals and experts and to their permanent emigration. We are not referring here to the so-called brain drain of the 1970s but rather to a generalized process of selective migration involving university graduates, which central countries stimulate through specific legal frameworks.

22 20 It is true that the region is experiencing an economic crisis that affects the ability of the labour market to absorb the large number of higher education graduates. It is also true that the wages offered in the central countries differ greatly from those offered in the countries of the region for skilled workers and experts and that this stimulates migration. However, it is also true that the unbalance between the supply of and demand for professionals in the public sector is partly due to universities autonomy and the lack of effective coordination policies. In the private sector this is often the result of the tendency to allocate jobs within the family. The type of curricula, which do not respond to the needs of the labour market, represents a real problem. This analytical introduction leads us to the questions without answers we referred to at the beginning of this dissertation. These are the questions the IESALC aims to answer: - Should the region slow down the increase in higher education graduates, at least as far as public education is concerned, in order to decrease the number of unemployed skilled workers and migrants? What can be done regarding the growing emigration of professionals, considering that the average cost of educating each professional is $8,000 per year? - Are the remittances sent home by professionals who emigrate larger than the investment made by society to train them? - The current public financing method is not equitable since it favours the middle class. In the region the middle class represents 15% of the population, yet 45% of students enrolled in higher education institutions are from this sector. Also, in some countries the indigenous native population represents a high percentage of the total population 50 % in Bolivia, 48% in Guatemala, 38% in Peru and 25% in Ecuador yet its access to higher education is extremely low. Are migrants thus being favoured? Should we return to policies such as those implemented during the communist era, when Jews, for example, were not allowed to migrate unless they paid back the cost of their studies? - However, often our college graduates do not enter other countries as professionals but are rather demoted to technicians. Why do our higher education graduates end up working in jobs that require lower academic levels in developed countries? We are all too familiar with situations in which engineers from our region are hired as technicians in other countries or architects are employed as draftsmen. We should ask ourselves whether we are preparing our students for two different markets two different job insertions due to the low quality level of our educational systems compared to the level of skills provided in the higher education institutions of the countries to which our professionals emigrate. Rather than just seeking answers, the IESALC has attempted to include the discussion of the issue of higher education in the debates on migration in the belief that in the new information and knowledge society professionals will increasingly migrate attracted by the growing demand for skilled workers in developed countries, where jobs are available in the area of services and specialized training. The increasing tendency in European countries to limit the access of non-skilled immigrants strengthens this scenario. Thus, emigration is no longer an escape valve for low skilled workers, since their access to center countries will be increasingly restricted. Professionals, on the

23 21 other hand, will continue to emigrate and this will lead to a permanent drain of skilled human resources to the point where developing countries may end up playing the role of training, at a lesser cost, the technicians and some professionals required by those economies whose development is based on the massive availability of such skilled workers. Thank you.

24 22 A N N E X Nº 3 Address by Dr. Fidel Jaramillo, Vice President for Development Strategies of the Andean Development Corporation (ADC)

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26 24 Migration and regional integration Ladies and Gentlemen: In the name of the Andean Development Corporation, please allow me to welcome you to this important seminar concerning an issue that has acquired increased importance during the last decade. Indeed, worldwide migrations have increased considerably in spite of the fact that a growing number of barriers have been erected to control de mobility of people across boundaries. In 1990 it was estimated that 120 million people lived outside their country of origin. By the year 2000 that number had reached 150 million. Migrations have increased also in Latin America. It is estimated that the number of migrants within the region and to the United States has increased from 1.5 million in 1960 (0.7% of the region s total population) to 11 million in 1990 (2.5% of the region s total population). This means that migration has increased almost tenfold. Graph 1 Migration Within the Region and to the USA...the same is happening in Latin America Intra-regional and United States-bound migration Millions % Migrants % of the population in Latin America Source: ECLAC (2000) Even though Latin Americans now migrate to different regions of the world, the U.S. continues to be the destination of choice. According to the census for the year 2000 approximately 14,47 million people living in the U.S. were born in Latin American or Caribbean countries. This represents approximately 50% of the total number of foreign-born US residents. Most of them reside in that country s western and southern regions. Recent estimates by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) indicate that in 1996 approximately 5 million undocumented migrants resided in the U.S. and that their numbers grew by 275,000 each year. This means that the approximately 6.5 million undocumented migrants living in the U.S. represent 2.5% of the total North American population. Most illegal migrants to the U.S. (54% of the total) are from Mexico, however another 14.5% are from five other Central

27 25 American countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua). Thus, Latin America is a major source of undocumented migrants. Another well-defined characteristic of Latin American migration to the U.S. is its geographical concentration. Approximately 54% of all Latin American migrants settle in California and Texas. Graph 2 Undocumented Latin American Population in the USA...with a large number of illegal immigrants... Total Illegal Immigrants in 1996: 5,000,000 M exico (2,700,000) 27% E l S alvador (3 3 5,0 0 0 ) Guatemala (165,000) Honduras (90,000) Dominican Rep. (75,000) 1% 54% 1% 1% 1% Nicaragua (70,000) Colombia (65,000) Ecuador (55,000) 1% 2% 2% 3% 7% Trinidad & Tobago (50,000) Peru (30,000) Other Countries (1,365,000) Source : U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (2000) Recent data, although limited, indicate that in the year 2000 a little over 2 million Latin American and Caribbean migrants resided in Europe and other countries, mostly the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Canada. Outside Europe, the highest concentration of migrants from the region is in Japan. According to Japan s Ministry of Justice, in the year 2000, 80% of all Latin American residents were from Brazil and 14% from Peru. A large number of these are descendants of Japanese migrants who settled in Peru and Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century. Canada, Israel and Australia are other major destinations for Latin American migrants. Throughout generations, the remittances sent by international migrants have represented an important source of economic support for their families. They imply a significant flow of foreign currencies that has profound consumer and investment repercussions in the receiving countries. According to the Multilateral Investment Fund and the IDB, every year remittances in Latin America reach a total of US$ 25,000 million and it is estimated that at current growth rates, the total accumulated value for the decade could reach US$ 300,000 million. In this regard, the recent experience of some countries is particularly relevant. For example, in Mexico, in 1990 remittances represented 160% of revenues from agricultural exports and approximately 70% of revenues from oil exports. In Brazil, in the year 2001 remittances equaled revenues from coffee exports. That same year, remittances represented 10% of the GDP of El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador and 2 to 6 times the total value of foreign direct investment (FDI).

28 26 Today, it is acknowledged that disparities in the levels of development and job opportunities between countries and regions are a fundamental cause of international migration and that until such inequalities are corrected or lessened, migration flows will continue. Graph 3 Remittances Flows to Latin America, in Perspective: Select Countries (% of Gross Domestic Product)...that may be used as tools to spur development Remittances as a percentage of Gross National Product 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 12.6% 10.0% 10.0% 2% 0% El Salvador Dominican Republic Ecuador Peru 1.6% 1.4% 0.7% 0.3% Mexico Colombia Brazil Source : FOMIN (2001), IDB (2001) The experts who analyze the relationship between integration-migration-development coincide that it is the result of the migration curve. They stress that migrations occur especially in integration processes between two or more countries or regions with different development levels that have pre-existing migration relations. According to this view, the disruptive effects of the initial stages of development are reflected in a tendency to migrate towards developed countries or regions. As integration efforts in the areas of communications, transportation, trade and investment lead to more and better paid jobs, the tendency to migrate decreases in the medium and long term. Presumably, this process will allow for the insertion of developing countries into the international economy, raising not only their competitiveness levels but also their peoples standards of living. Currently, Latin America s integration efforts unfold at two levels: the hemispheric level, through the FTAA negotiations, and the regional level, through negotiations within sub-regional blocs such as MERCOSUR, the Andean Community, the Central American Common Market (MCCA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Graph 4 Migration-related effects of Development: The Migration Hump

29 27 The Migration-Related Effects of Development THE MIGRATION HUMP Emigration Ecuador Colombia Peru Bolivia Venezuela Economic Development However, as the migration hump effect indicates, the success of such integration efforts depends on a variety of factors. Foremost among them is the commitment to integrate and cooperate at the regional level. Second, the appropriate identification of the regional, cultural and social particularities of migration and its relation to development. Third, the development of adequate migration policies and other legal agreements aimed at promoting greater mobility across borders and legal insertion in the receiving countries. Forth, respect for countries cultural and ethnic diversity and for the human rights of migrant workers and their families. Fifth, the creation of financial instruments aimed at ensuring the efficient use of remittances in productive investment opportunities. And finally, addressing the social, political and cultural repercussions of integration processes. I would like to conclude by pointing out that it has been an honour for the CAF to sponsor this event together with SELA and IESALC. We are convinced that discussions here will enrich the debate and contribute to the design of public policies. Thank you.