1 5 t h M u n i c h E c o n o m i c S u m m i t Hotel BAYERISCHER HOF Promenadeplatz 2-6 80333 Munich MIGRATION CHALLENGE OR OPPORTUNITY? Preliminary Programme (as of 30 May 2016) Europe s immigration conundrum has two distinct strands: the refugees it is obliged to help and those migrants it wants to attract. While it is its legal duty to welcome the first group, by accepting the latter group it helps itself: they are economic migrants keen to work, and Europe needs them. A great many of them. When it comes to economic migrants Europe would rather choose the newcomers, and not the other way around: the ageing continent needs skilled, well-educated immigrants, benefiting both the European economies and the migrants themselves. But do these skilled migrants really prefer Europe to, say, the US or Australia? Are the source countries being deprived of their best brains? How can Europe balance all these competing interests? How can it turn the challenge into an opportunity? Thursday, 30 June 2016 10.00 am Welcome and Opening Remarks Michael Schaefer Ambassador (ret.); man of the Board of Directors, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Berlin and Munich Clemens Fuest Professor of Economics and Public Finance, University of Munich; President, Ifo Institute, Munich Keynote Address Sebastian Kurz (invited) Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria
12.00 pm Luncheon by Invitation of the City of Munich, Atrium Welcome Address Dieter Reiter Lord Mayor of the City of Munich 1.30 pm Introductory Dialogue The New Migration Wave The European Union is creaking under a seemingly unprecedented migration wave. But how unprecedented is it really? What can we learn from past migration flows? Clearly, while there are UN conventions on the matter, the myriad national attitudes regarding the acceptance of claimants and the total lack in the EU of a coherent policy not only contribute to the current chaos, but point to the absence of a clear legal framework that differentiates between asylum-seekers and economic migrants. The result is an amorphous wave of asylum-seekers washing up on the EU shores that has met highly incoherent responses. What economic and labour market consequences can Europe expect from the current exodus? How can we regulate economic migration? How can Europe contribute to improving the situation in the source and transit countries? John Peet Political Editor, The Economist, London Demetrios Papademetriou President Europe of the Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Jörg Decressin Deputy Director of European Department, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C. Anna Diamantopoulou (invited) President, DIKTIO Network for Reform in Greece, Athens; Former EU- Commissioner for Employment and Greek Minister of Education 2.45 pm Breakout Sessions Need for Strategic Dialogue The current influx of migrants and refugees is a stark reminder that conflict and poverty do not end at national borders. The crucial question, therefore, is how to fight the root causes behind these crises that force millions to seek shelter outside their countries. In this session we outline the causes, identify the relevant actors and examine common strategies to tackle the crisis. Facilitator: Daniel Gerlach, Author and Chief Editor, Zenith, Berlin Let s Talk Business European companies not only need migration to meet their skilled-personnel requirements: they are also crucial in helping to integrate refugees and migrants. They can also play a significant role in stabilising the source countries economically by improving local work opportunities through investment and jointventures. How best to involve companies in the current migration debate? Facilitator: Heribert Dieter, Senior Fellow, German Institute für International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin
Immigrating into the Workforce They need each other migrants need jobs and the recipient economy needs workers. Migrants can help preserve the viability of the welfare system if they are integrated into the labour market; if not, the welfare system will eventually crack under the burden. How can we best ease the path for migrants to become net contributors? Facilitator:Katinka Barysch, Director of Political Relations, Allianz SE, Munich Integration not Alienation How can economic, social and cultural integration succeed? There are numerous social innovations that enable migrants to unleash their potential while helping nationals to overcome their apprehension and seize the opportunities presented by living together. In this session we explore those innovations and discuss the role of state, nonprofit and corporate actors. Facilitator: Oda Heister, CEO, Ashoka Germany, Munich Coffee Break 5.00 pm Results from the Breakout Sessions: with Group Facilitators John Peet Political Editor, The Economist, London 6.00 pm End of Session 7.00 pm Reception and Dinner at Schleißheim New Palace by Invitation of the Bavarian Minister-President 7.30 pm Presentation of Migration Projects supported by BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt: Kiron Open Higher Education and Joblinge Kompass 8.00 pm Festive Dinner Welcome Joachim Herrmann Bavarian State Minister of the Interior
Friday, 1 July 2016 9.00 am Panel 2 Seizing the Opportunity Europe s demographic outlook calls for more immigration. It also has a moral duty to offer shelter to those being persecuted. Does the new wave of migrants and refugees represent a realistic opportunity to solve both concerns simultaneously? How can it turn the challenge into a win-win situation? Given that the compatibility of the current inclusion commitment and the EU s open internal borders is being called into question, should Europe become more selective with regard to the immigrants it accepts? What can it learn from the experience of such countries as Australia, Canada, Austria, the USA? On the business side, the new migration wave will affect the regional, national and global value chains, highlighting the role of companies as effectors of change in the source countries. Edward Lucas Senior Editor, The Economist, London Introduction Gabriel Felbermayr Director, Ifo Center for International Economics, Munich Kemal Sahin Founder and Entrepreneur, Sahinler Group, Istanbul Reinhard Ploss Chief Executive Officer, Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg Elmar Brok, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament, Brussels Coffee Break 11.00 am Panel 3 Melting the Pot? Successful integration of migrants calls for both a capacity to integrate on the part of the host, and a willingness to do so on the part of the immigrant. Neither Germany s Gastarbeiter experience, nor France s banlieue realities nor Hungary s hard-line policies bode well in this regard. Germany s and Sweden s welcoming attitudes towards refugees, furthermore, are fraying in the face of the logistical and social difficulties of coping with the influx. How can the available integration instruments be improved? What can we learn from successful international experiences, such as the USA s or Singapore s? What institutional measures are called for?
Quentin Peel Contributing Editor, Financial Times, London Introduction Armin Nassehi Professor of Sociology, University of Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx Archbishop of Munich and Freising; man, German Bishops' Conference Aida Hadzialic Minister for Upper Secondary School and Adult Education and Training, Sweden Ulrich Hörning Mayor for General Administration of the City of Leipzig 1.00 pm Lunch The Munich Economic Summit is organised by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt and the CESifo Group Munich