Cooperation Project on the Social Integration of Immigrants, Migration, and the Movement of Persons

Transcription

1 Cooperation Project on the Social Integration of Immigrants, Migration, and the Movement of Persons Euro-Mediterranean Consortium for Applied Research on International Migration (CARIM) Financed by the European Commission MEDA Programme EuropeAid Cooperation Office (AidCo) High-Level Training Session International Migration and Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Area European University Institute Florence, December 2006 Presentation In November 1995, the European and Mediterranean Ministries of Foreign Affairs met in Barcelona in order to establish the basis of a new partnership, which is described in the Barcelona Declaration. The main goal is to transform the Mediterranean region in a peaceful and prosperous area, and to progressively establish a Euro-Mediterranean free-market zone. The Barcelona process includes three main sub-processes: a dialogue on political and security issues aiming to create stability and to promote democracy and human rights in the region; a dialogue on financial and economic cooperation intended to increase partners' welfare and to create a free-market zone; dialogue on social, cultural and human issues improving mutual understanding and strengthening civil society links. The Valencia Ministerial Meeting in April 2002, went a step further by outlining a "Regional cooperation programme in the field of justice, in combating drugs, organised crime and terrorism as well as cooperation in the treatment of issues relating to social integration of migrants, migration and movement of people" (referred to in the document as the JHA-Regional MEDA programme). This programme has been adopted by the European Commission on the 16/12/2002 (PE/2002/2521). 1

2 The Cooperation project on the social integration of immigrants, migration and the movement of persons (EuroMed Migration) is a MEDA regional initiative launched by the European Commission (EuropeAid Cooperation Office) in February 2004 as part of the above programme. It aims at creating an instrument for observing, analysing and forecasting the migratory movements, their causes and their impact, in Europe and in the Mediterranean partners. The Euro-Mediterranean Consortium for Applied Research on International Migration (CARIM) has been set up in order to implement the EuroMed Migration project. The Consortium is composed of a coordinating unit established at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute (Florence), and a network of thirty scientific correspondents based in Mediterranean partner countries. External experts from the north and the south also contribute to its activities. The CARIM carries out the following activities: - Mediterranean migration database - Studies and research - Training Results of the above activities are made available for public consultation through the website of the project: I. Objectives of the Training Session CARIM Training Sessions are aimed at enhancing Euro-Mediterranean expertise in migration. They offer high level professionals and academics from the South and the North of the Euro-Mediterranean area a rare opportunity to discuss together the various changes that are taking place in the field of migration. The Training Session of December 2006 will deal with International Migration and Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Area. It will take place just a few weeks after the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, held in September 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where the UN has placed migration as a top priority on the international cooperation agenda. The Training Session will review and discuss the various facets of international cooperation that can help to make migration a win-win process, profitable to both countries of origin and of destination, as well as to migrants themselves. It will deal with a variety of cooperation policies and practices, from those that are directly designed to managing migration, to those that primarily target other goals, but have a bearing on migration either as a cause or as a consequence. It will examine the various levels of cooperation operating in the Euro-Mediterranean area, from bilateral to regional and international. Equal emphasis will be put to North-South and South-South schemes. Lectures and thematic debates will be organised with a view to fostering an exchange of viewpoints and experiences among participants regarding the new challenges of managing migration for development and within a multidisciplinary environment. 2

3 II. Content Lectures and debates will cover the following topics. A. Cooperation in migration management Bilateral level Bilateral cooperation in migration management started as early as the 1960s in the Euro-Mediterranean area, with a series of agreements for the recruitment of guest workers from southern Mediterranean countries in order to address specific labour needs in western Europe. Bilateral cooperation has evolved and now covers a wide range of issues, including the prevention of irregular migration, border management, readmission and return migration, but also transfers generated by migration, such as social security benefits, money transfers, etc. Regional level The European Commission has placed migration and asylum issues at the top of its cooperation priorities with the Mediterranean partner countries in the Barcelona Process. A range of cooperative actions have been undertaken, particularly in the domains of border control, prevention of illegal migration and the readmission of illegal migrants, the integration of legal migrants and the fight against discrimination. In addition, several key regional consultative processes have been launched: 5+5 dialogue: an instrument for informal political dialogue between western Mediterranean countries, which issues recommendations on the movement of persons and concerted cooperation in the management of migratory flows and co-development; The Ministerial Euro-African Conference on Migration and Development, hosted by Morocco in July 2006, to renew cooperation between Africa and Europe on migration management, in a context marked by recurrent humanitarian crises linked with irregular migration from sub- Saharan Africa to Europe through the Maghreb; Other processes include initiatives by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in sharing experience on migration and integration policies with its Mediterranean partners for cooperation, and the dialogue on Mediterranean Transit Migration launched by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). World Level Some international agencies have a specific mandate to promote cooperation in migration issues. Within the United Nations system, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), builds international cooperation on the protection of migrant workers and the management of migration in response to labour markets needs, and other related issues. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which coordinates international action for the protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems, has no mandate regarding migration. However, as asylum-seekers are increasingly confused with economic migrants, the UNHCR assists states in categorising legitimate asylum-seekers and addresses the risk that barriers erected in the way of asylum applicants will limit refugees access to legitimate protection. 3

4 Outside the UN system, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) plays a key role in establishing cooperation between origin and destination countries, as well as between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. The Global Migration Group, which includes the main international agencies dealing with migration, promotes the application of all relevant international and regional norms relating to migration. A step forward was recently accomplished with two initiatives: the Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) launched in 2003 with a view to placing international migration on the global Agenda, by promoting a comprehensive debate among governments, international organisations, academia, civil society, the private sector, media and other actors on all aspects of migration and issues related to migration ; and the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development held in September 2006 to discuss the multidimensional aspects of international migration and development in order to identify appropriate ways and means to maximize its development benefits and minimize its negative impacts. B. Migration in economic and cultural cooperation Migration and development are interrelated issues. On one hand, migration is caused, among other factors, by the persistence of inequalities in economic and social development between countries of origin and destination, and on the other hand migration has the potential to foster development in countries of destination as well as those of origin. International cooperation in the field of economic and social development is thus confronted with two challenges: minimising emigration pressures in countries of origin through economic development and povertyreduction strategies, and maximising the impact of migration on economic development and poverty reduction in these same countries. The comprehensive approach which is increasingly advocated is designed to tackle the root causes of emigration through aid for economic and social development, to facilitate the transmission of economic, human and social capital by migrants and diasporas, and to build capacity in migration management in cooperation between origin and destination countries. The Communication from the European Commission on Migration and Development: Some Concrete Orientations [COM(2005)390 final] has recommended particular cooperative actions susceptible to foster the positive impact of migration on sending countries, such as: improving ways to send remittances and to increase their actual contribution to development in countries of origin, helping diasporas to become agents of development in their home countries, favouring the enhancement of skills through circular migration rather than brain drain, etc. Policies of co-development implemented by several governments pursue the same goals. Culture is another way in which migration has a bearing on cooperation. The transition from first-generation to second-generation immigrants is accompanied by a cultural transition within the family, as the first generation is educated in their country of origin and the second in the host country. In order to tackle this situation, governments of origin countries have established institutions offering migrant populations ways to maintain cultural, and particularly linguistic and religious, links with their culture of origin. 4

5 III. Outcomes A thorough understanding of migration is a matter of partnership and knowledgesharing. In the context of the CARIM Training Session, participants from various high-level professional backgrounds, together with academics, will be brought together to share their experience and expertise, and to express their views and opinions while participating actively in the lectures and debates. This diversity of participation is deliberately intended to enhance the sharing of knowledge and experiences, and at favouring the emergence of an interdisciplinary group. Building bridges between disciplines and among actors from the North and the South of the Mediterranean, and from highly diverse backgrounds, is also a key objective of the Training Session. Outlines of the lectures will be included in an e-publication to be posted on the CARIM website and widely disseminated among policy-makers and the academic community. IV. Organisation The Training Session will take place at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy) from Monday 11 December 2006 to Friday 15 December The Training Session includes 5 working days. Each working day will consist of: 2 lectures on migration and cooperation, presented by senior scholars and experts. 2 thematic debates during which participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge. Lectures and thematic debates are scheduled as follows: 8.30 a.m a.m. Morning lecture a.m a.m. Morning thematic debate 2.30 p.m p.m. Afternoon lecture 5.00 p.m p.m. Afternoon thematic debate The ten lectures and debates will be on: Cooperation in migration management: the international framework Cooperation in migration management: regional frameworks the Euro- Mediterranean area Cooperation in migration management: country experiences 1 : South- North Cooperation in migration management: country experiences 2 : South- South Cooperation in migration management: asylum applicants and migrants Co-development Aid to development and migration 5

6 Migrant workers remittances and cooperation Migration of highly skilled workers and cooperation Cultural cooperation and diasporas Participants The Training Session is designed for a maximum number of 36 participants from the Euro-Mediterranean area. All selected participants will receive a pack of reading materials and documents that will serve as a basis for debates and discussions. Participants should read all material critically before their arrival at the Training Session. They will be expected to attend and take an active part in all sessions. The working languages of the CARIM Training Session are English and French. Simultaneous translation will be provided in English and French. Moreover, participants should have a strong research and/or professional background in the field of international migration. Civil servants and professionals from intergovernmental and governmental agencies, local administrations and NGOs, as well as from the media, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, working in activities closely connected with migration issues, are eligible. Costs and Subsistence For participants from the Mediterranean partner countries, the local costs will be covered by the CARIM, and prepaid return tickets for economy flights between their place of origin and Florence will be sent to them. Taxi costs will NOT be reimbursed. Participants from Europe and Non-MENA countries are expected to have their local costs and travel expenses covered by themselves or by their home institutions. Upon request, the Organisers can provide you with a list of recommended Hotels in Florence. All selected participants are responsible for their own medical insurance and visa costs. Application and Selection Eligible candidates should submit a curriculum vitae with a list of publications to carim@iue.it Closing date for receipt of applications: 15 October 2006 Contact Further enquiries should be sent to: Christine Lyon European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Via Boccaccio, 151 I Florence carim@iue.it Tel Fax