Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRUSSELS1239
2005-03-24 14:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

MIGRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION: EU

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 BRUSSELS 001239 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/PRP; EUR/ERA; G/TIP; DEPARTMENT PLEASE
PASS USAID/PPC/DCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PREF SMIG PHUM KWMN EAID ELAB OSCE EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: MIGRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION: EU
GRAPPLES WITH POLICY OPTIONS

REF: BRUSSELS 0815

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 BRUSSELS 001239

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/PRP; EUR/ERA; G/TIP; DEPARTMENT PLEASE
PASS USAID/PPC/DCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PREF SMIG PHUM KWMN EAID ELAB OSCE EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: MIGRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION: EU
GRAPPLES WITH POLICY OPTIONS

REF: BRUSSELS 0815


1. (U) At a two-day public hearing at the European
Parliament, policymakers and experts exchanged ideas on
harnessing international migration to help bolster European
economies and populations. Their overarching call was for a
legal and transparent immigration program, at the European
level, which adequately ensured for the integration of
newcomers. France outlined its success in reducing social
tension caused by Islamic fundamentalists. Other themes
included managing migration to help developing economies and
to protect vulnerable people. Various representatives of new
Member States called for the immediate free movement of
workers within the EU. End Summary.

--------------
Overview
--------------


2. (U) On March 14-15, the European Parliament (EP) held a
public hearing on migration policy which brought together a
wide range of experts. In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman
of the Development Committee Max van den Berg (Dutch
Socialist) stressed that migration was "at the very heart of
the interest of our countries and our citizens" and
acknowledged the wide range of sentiments in Europe. Like
many speakers after him, Van den Berg listed the positive
aspects of migration (foremost, a supply of young, dynamic
workers),as well as problems stemming from the half million
migrants who enter Europe illegally each year (e.g.,
trafficking, violation of human rights and exploitation,
etc.). He urged a European-wide policy to effectively manage
migration and integrate newcomers.


3. (U) MEP Patrick Gaubert (French Conservative),Vice
Chairman of the Civil Liberties Committee, spoke of political
sensitivities and lamented that migrants were frequently
portrayed negatively during European electoral campaigns.
Also highlighting the need for an EU role, he said that
migration policies made by one Member State frequently

affected others. Moreover, Member States generally did not
consider ramifications of their actions, whether it was
granting an amnesty (i.e., Spain) or pulling the doors closed
(i.e., Denmark, the Netherlands, UK, etc.). Gaubert
characterized "zero immigration" as a "myth" and said that
Europe needed managed, orderly immigration flows to sustain
its population and economy.


4. (U) Speaking for the European Commission (EC),JHA
Director Jean-Louis de Brouwer acknowledged Member State
sensitivity in preserving national powers over immigration,
noting that legal immigration was the only border management
issue where Member States did not give the Parliament
co-decision authority. He reported that after an in depth
analysis, the EC concluded there is no proof that opening
legal channels of immigration will reduce clandestine
movements. Nonetheless, in January the EC launched a
"massive consultation" in the form of a green paper to chart
a way forward on legal immigration (reftel). De Brouwer said
that integrating migrants is a primary EU concern and that
later this year the EC will issue practical guidelines on
integration.


5. (U) Luxembourg,s Director of Immigration Sylvain Wagner
stated the presidency supported an EU approach to economic
immigration. However, he said that because each Member State
had a different labor dynamic the final decision should rest
with national governments. (Note. Luxembourg has one of the
highest percentages of foreign-born residents in the world.
End note.) Wagner said transparent immigration rules could
help reduce human suffering caused by clandestine travel and
involuntary repatriations.

--------------
Migration and Development
--------------


6. (U) In his keynote address, Development Commissioner Louis
Michel highlighted the positive aspects of migration, noting
that it filled gaps in Europe,s employment market while
reducing pressure on labor markets in the developing world.
At the same time, Michel stated that development could help
stem outbound migration by attacking root causes such as
poverty, conflict, human rights abuses and corrupt
governments. He said that circular patterns of migration
were ideal to best serve both the developing and developed
worlds. Michel came out strongly against an idea endorsed
during the Spanish Presidency to make development assistance
conditional on cooperation by beneficiary governments in
stemming illegal emigration or transit.


7. (U) Michel affirmed that development and security were
complementary in nature, that development was the main
instrument the EU had to eradicate terrorism in the long
term.


8. (U) Stefano Manservisi, Director General of DG
Development, outlined five points that a forthcoming EC
communiqu would make regarding migration and development:

a) Remittances: The EC will consider ways to facilitate the
flow of remittances (currently estimated to be twice the
amount donors provide in official development aid). Among
these would be proposals to lower transfer fees, to encourage
private citizens to invest this money in development
activities, and to extend access to bank accounts and credit
with this money.

b) Diaspora: The EC will seek ways to better link
expatriates with developing countries of origin. Proposals
might include facilitating the transfer of knowledge and
credentials, encouraging temporary movements through better
visa policies, twinning cities, universities and companies,
and providing training in languages of origin.

c) Brain Drain: Manservisi said that migration often
deprives the developing world of its most talented citizens
and cited the figure of 10,000 doctors and nurses who have
left sub-Saharan Africa in order to work in rich countries.
The EC will consider proposing an internationally binding
code of conduct which would focus on preventing a brain drain
from particularly vulnerable countries and/or sectors (such
as health). To complement this measure, the EC might bolster
wage levels in these countries by contributing to the
salaries of health sector workers.

d) Regional Mobility: Manservisi noted that 80 percent of
global migration is south-south in nature, including 20
million sub-Saharan Africans who live outside their countries
of birth. He said that human resources could be better
allocated by capitalizing on regional movements. According
to Manservisi, one region that could benefit from such
movements is the Caribbean, where the supply and demand of
labor is skewed. He said the EC had allocated 25 million
euros in 2005 to help developing countries better manage the
south-south flows of migrants.

e) Circular Movements: Echoing his Commissioner,s word,
Manservisi outlined measures that would help migrants return
home after temporary work in developed countries, such as
pension mobility.

--------------
Migration and Integration
--------------


9. (U) MEP Alain Hutchinson (Belgian Socialist) endorsed a
proactive EU approach to migration policy because the need
for immigrants was unavoidable. "The future of our economy
and our lives in the EU is at stake," he said, adding that
the EU needed to better prepare Europeans for the inflows of
migrants. Stressing the human rights dimension, Hutchinson
urged the EU to combat xenophobia, racism and exploitation
(including substandard labor and housing standards).


10. (U) France,s chairwoman of the High Council for
Integration, Blandine Kriegel, defended her government,s
approach to integrating foreigners from Muslim countries.
She said that while the UK and the Netherlands responded to
historic wars over religion by permitting freedom of
conscience, France had adopted a strict neutrality of the
state in matters of religion. Blandine stated that current
government policies were an effective response to the growth
of Islamic fundamentalism, which often jeopardized the status
of women. She said that the law forbidding religious garb in
schools had greatly reduced social tension in France.
Currently, only 48 cases are unresolved, whereas previously
there were thousands. She lauded other initiatives of the
French state, including the establishment of the Commission
on Secularity, the High Council for Integration, the Council
of Muslim Faith (with its oversight in training imams) and a
Museum on Immigration. Blandine noted that France is
working with Morocco to revise its family code, which she
said also sends a clear message to fundamentalists.


11. (U) MEP Claude Moraes (British Socialist) warned that the
EU faced a social crisis because it lacked effective
anti-discrimination measures. Referring to a recent
Financial Times article entitled "France is warned on atom
bomb of forgotten minorities," Moraes said that many EU
countries ignored anti-discrimination measures that were on
the books. He called for a U.S.-style "green card" system to
ensure transparency in managing immigration.


12. (U) MEP Maria Matsouka (Greek Socialist) said that the
rise of right-wing parties and general discrimination against
migrants within the EU could provoke social conflicts. She
called for an information campaign to advocate a more social
Europe and underscore the economic benefits of migration.
However, Matsouka also cautioned about the harmful affects of
migrants taking away jobs from older and unskilled Europeans.



13. (U) International Labor Organization (ILO) migration
expert Patrick Taran said that low-skilled migrants who
engaged in "dangerous, dirty and degrading" jobs generally
had no problem finding work. However, these jobs often did
not lead to superior opportunities for them or their
children. ILO studies show that first- and second-generation
immigrants showed net discrimination rates of 33 - 41
percent, even if their qualifications, educational
attainment, skills and language abilities were on par with
natives. Taran recommended a legislative approach to prevent
discrimination and said that some studies indicated a need
for civil anti-discrimination legislation to allow the
reversal of the burden of proof.

Taran also urged EU governments to sign the UN Convention on
the Rights of Migrant Workers, a suggestion that was endorsed
by Peter von Bethlenfalvy of the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) and Luis Miguel Pariza of the EU,s
Economic and Social Committee.


14. (U) Pariza noted that integration was a two-directional
process which needed to take into consideration governmental
policies and public opinion. He recommended giving newcomers
better orientation and language training, ensuring
non-discriminatory access to health services and education,
purging school texts of xenophobic content, and considering
the establishment of a European "citizenship" that would
extend rights to all EU residents.


15. (U) According to Taran, Europe is currently reaping the
results of poorly conceived migration policies of the 1960,s
- 70,s which naively expected guest workers to go home. He
said that the discrimination suffered by second-generation
Turks and Albanians in Germany was particularly troubling.
Given current demographic trends, Taran predicted that the
social and cultural landscape in Europe in 30 - 50 years will
be very different.


16. (U) A member of the UK Parliament warned that imposed
multi-culturalism could backfire, nurturing resentment and
hostility among native citizens. He advocated an immigration
policy that placed immigrants in regions which needed
workers. To illustrate, he said that while southeast England
is overloaded with immigrants, other parts of the country can
effectively incorporate newcomers without profoundly changing
the cultural landscape.

--------------
Economic Benefits of Immigration
--------------


17. (U) According to IOM, effective migration management can
contribute to "maintaining and increasing the overall
economic growth, the functioning of the internal market and
EU competitiveness." IOM said that it shared the EU,s
interest in steering immigration flows towards legal channels
while contributing to satisfying the economic and social
needs of EU destination countries.


18. (U) Caritas Italiana expert Franco Pittau said that over
one million immigrants had entered Italy last year and that
migrants make the EU a more dynamic and prosperous place. He
said that of the 600,000 domestic workers in Italy, about
500,000 were foreigners (and of this number 40% had degrees).
He recommended raising Italy,s quota for immigrant
workers, noting that there were twice as many applicants this
year by employers than the existing 159,000 slots.

--------------
International Protection for Special Groups
--------------


19. (U) UNHCR,s Chief of Mission Judith Kumin acknowledged
that asylum had a high political profile in the EU but
lamented that it was generally cast in negative terms. She
reminded states of their legal obligations and said that
international protection was in danger of being eroded if
asylum seekers were seen only as illegal immigrants. She
lauded the ambitious Hague Program for its determination to
create a single EU asylum system by 2012 and for its focus on
the external dimensions of asylum. Kumin also urged the EU
to expand formal refugee resettlement programs, a concept
endorsed by the EP. In closing, she praised the EU as "the
key player in the international system" and said that the EU
set a positive example for the rest of the world to follow.


20. (U) MEP Martine Roure (French Socialist) highlighted the
problem of trafficking in women and complained that the EU is
doing nothing "to free them from the grips of the mafia."
She said that victims of trafficking were still being treated
as criminals, despite EU measures put in place to protect
them.

--------------
Eastern European Views
--------------


21. (U) Krisztina Berta, Hungarian Secretary of State,
pointed out the responsibilities new Members States face in
patrolling the EU,s eastern border. She also noted the
large number of ethnic Hungarians currently living outside EU
borders, as well as the "huge impact on domestic policies"
they exert. She took pride in Hungary,s functioning asylum
system, put into place before EU enlargement in response to
the great flow of Balkan refugees during the 1990s. Berta
said the Hungarian government was working to pass a
comprehensive, single law to deal with asylum. She noted
that while overall the number of asylum seekers has dropped
(in line with global trends),the number of migrants has
increased since EU accession. Because Hungary is facing a
population decline, as well as the emigration of its own
young professionals, Berta welcomed the EU debate on legal
immigration.


22. (U) However, Berta noted the irony of talking about
immigration from third countries when citizens of most new EU
Member States are still not allowed to work freely in Western
Europe. MEP Danute Budreikaite (Lithuanian Liberal) called
for an end to the seven-year transitional period imposed on
new Member States designed to protect western labor markets.
MEP Toomas Savi (Estonian Liberal) also called for the free
movement of laborers within the EU. He said Estonia,s three
migration policy priorities are: a) full Schengen membership
by the fall of 2007; b) readmission agreements with Russia
and China to stem the flow of undocumented migrants from the
east; and, c) visa free travel for Estonians to third
countries on a basis of reciprocity.


23. (U) A member of the Poland,s national Parliament (who
declared he had been an illegal immigrant in Europe 25 years
ago) made a strong pitch for the EU to end its visa regime
for Ukraine, Belarus and Balkan countries. He said that
migrant laborers from those countries could help the EU
secure its "Lisbon Strategy".

--------------
Comment


24. (U) Discussions about migration in the EU increasingly
focus on the positive economic aspects. Certainly, this is a
welcome development. However, failure to hear from die-hard
skeptics (no far-right MEPs attended the EP hearing) or the
growing immigrant community that does not wish to be
integrated, undermines a true debate. The ILO expert,s
succinct analysis that "there is a high degree of
ambivalence, if not schizophrenia" about migration in Europe
is spot on. According to a study released by the EU,s
Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia at the time of the
EP hearing, over one quarter of the EU,s population resists
a multicultural society and a growing majority (about two
thirds) believe that there are limits to multiculturalism.


25. (U) The June voluntary visitor program on integrating
migrants and resettling refugees will afford European
policymakers a close-up view of the U.S. model during this
critical moment of debate in Europe.

MCKINLEY
.