MIGRATION MANAGEMENT: REGIONAL APPROACH FOR EU AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 BRUSSELS 000442

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DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/PRP, PRM/ECA; EUR/ERA AND CA/F. DHS
PLEASE PASS ELAINE DEZENSKI; USDOJ FOR CRIMINAL DIVISION -
BRUCE SWARTZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PREL KCRM PREF PHUM ELAB EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: MIGRATION MANAGEMENT: REGIONAL APPROACH FOR EU AND
NEIGHBORS PROPOSED AT MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE


1. (U) Summary. At a ministerial conference held on January
24-25, EU officials and counterparts from eastern and south
neighbors launched the "Vienna Process" to improve migration
management via a structured, regional dialogue and a joint
program of action. Major themes of the conference -- which
was co-hosted by the International Organization for Migration
(IOM),the Government of Belgium (OSCE chair),the Government
of Austria (EU Presidency) and the European Commission --
included the effect of migration on diplomatic relations,
security, and human rights. Senior European interlocutors
enunciated the benefits of migration in reversing falling
population rates, energizing the economy and offering
protection to those fleeing persecution. The Austrian
Presidency, however, kept a focus on migration's downside:
security threats and social tension. The European Commission
will spend three percent of its neighborhood policy budget to
improve migration management in the region. Regarding
bilateral U.S.-EU issues, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary
Dezenski touched on the future of the Visa Waiver Program
(VWP),US VISIT, the Rice-Chertoff Initiative and migrant
integration. A follow-up ministerial conference, to which
the U.S. is invited, will be held May 4-5 in Vienna and will
focus primarily on migration and security. End Summary.

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Austrian Presidency: Stress on Security, Problems
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2. (U) In her opening statement, Austria's Interior Minister
Liese Prokop stated that migration has been "a constant
feature of human history" which has enhanced global economic
growth while simultaneously creating major social and
political problems. Noting that the number of international
migrants doubleD in the last 25 years, with the majority
ending up in developed countries, she acknowledged the
importance that the EU's neighbors attach to migration. She
said the Austrian Presidency would work to effectively
strengthen migration management within the EU, including the
establishment of "rapid assistance teams" that can help
Member States during emergencies (e.g., storming the land
borders of the Spanish enclaves, onslaught of maritime
arrivals in Malta, Spain and Italy, etc.).


3. (U) Prokop stressed the link between migration management
and the security of the union by noting that most security
threats originate outside the EU. She said the Austrian
Presidency will work to establish an external strategy in JHA
issues by improving dialogue and cooperation with third
countries.


4. (U) Prokop said that the international dimension of the
EU's policy would include strengthening refugee protection
mechanisms in regions of origin and transit and hoped that
pilot projects to the east (Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova) and
to the south (Tanzania) would begin during the Austrian
Presidency. Regarding asylum, Prokop pledged to work towards
a common European system that would prevent abuse. The
system would include common information on countries of
origin and common return standards when deporting failed
asylum seekers.

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European Commission: Stress on Benefits, Cooperation
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5. (U) Fellow Austrian Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner
for External Relations and the European Neighborhood Policy,
took a more upbeat line on the benefits of international
migration, while acknowledging problems. She said that if
the EU were to become relevant to European publics, it needed
to address present-day concerns of the citizens such as
migration. According to Ferrero-Waldner, negative
perceptions about migrants were "based more on emotion than
fact" and tended to become more acute during uncertain times.



6. (U) "The truth is: Europe needs migration,"
Ferrero-Waldner stated bluntly. Speaking about Austria, she
said that without immigration, its population would shrink 25
percent by 2050. On the other hand, immigration could spur
economic growth by attracting brains and labor from outside,
she argued, and cited the U.S. as a model for attracting
skilled labor.


7. (U) Ferrero-Waldner also touched on the dangers of
clandestine voyages, the possibility of sex slavery and
alienation after arriving, the effect of brain drain in
countries of origin and families hardships caused by
separation. With regard to border control, she said the EU
needed a "more nuanced, better suited" approach. "Fortress
Europe is not an option," she emphasized. The Commissioner
announced a new thematic program for migration management
more in keeping with todays world which will provide focus on
five areas: 1) ensuring migration contributes to
development; 2) promoting migration to face the EU,s
demographic, social and economic challenges; 3) fighting
illegal immigration; 4) protecting migrants from exploitation
and exclusion; and 5) promoting international protection and
ensuring respect of migrants' rights.


8. (U) To accomplish this, Ferrero-Waldner announced that up
to 3% of the European Neighborhood Policy and other external
relations budgets would support these key themes. "We have
put migration on the agenda of political, economic and social
dialogues with many non-Member States." Funds will be used
to intensify migration dialogues, strengthen institutional
capacities of neighboring states, improve border control,
strengthen document security, upgrade reception facilities
for asylum seekers, protect and rehabilitate victims of
trafficking, and reintegrate returnees in countries of
origin. Future initiatives could include facilitating the
flow of remittances and encouraging development-oriented
investment, providing pre-departure information for legal
migrants wishing to emigrate, and encouraging contributions
of the diaspora communities to aid countries of origin.


9. (U) (Note. These funds will also be used to support the
implementation of readmission agreements -- i.e., used to pay
third countries to take back illegal migrants. In his
conference speech, Director General for Justice Freedom and
Security Jonathan Faull stressed the important of readmission
agreements. He noted that another price neighboring
countries exacted for the EU for them was "visa facilitation"
agreements. Faull said that the Commission does not accept
the logic of tying readmission to visa facilitation, but it
was a "political reality" that the EU had to live with. End
note.)


10. (U) Emphasizing the positive in concluding her remarks,
Ferrero-Waldner urged her colleagues to "be more courageous
in explaining to our publics the true nature of migration and
its impact." She also called for sufficient funding to
ensure for more rational and balanced migration policies
throughout the EU.

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Member States: Some benefits, some costs
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11. (U) Belgian Foreign Minister and conference host Karel de
Gucht said that no foreign policy strategy makes sense
without a migration component. Echoing the Commissioner's
speech, he called for a "long-term vision that goes beyond
border controls." De Gucht cited the contributions of many
Italians, Spaniards, Moroccans and Turks in strengthening
Belgium's economy and stressed that participation in the
labor market is key to integration. To emphasize this point,
he noted that those who had arrived with labor contracts and
began working became much better integrated than the second
and third generations who are often unemployed and
frustrated. The Belgian Foreign Minister also pointed to the
U.S. as a model and said that the EU needed to attract
800,000 researchers if it were to compete effectively with
the U.S.


12. (U) Belgian Interior Minister Patrick Dewael also
addressed the conference and stressed the need for a strong
EU readmission policy in managing migration. He urged
protection for victims of trafficking and refugees, but noted
the EU could not absorb them all. Dewael called for EU
Member States to harmonize their migration policies and
concluded that controlled immigration needed to be part of
the solution to the EU's demographic challenges.


13. (U) Speaking on behalf of Germany, Parliamentary State
Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Interior Peter Altmaier

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observed that between 1990 and 2005 his country had
experienced a net gain of 4.5 million immigrants (13 million
arrivals and 8.5 million departures) -- which he noted was a
population larger than some EU Member States. Like his
Austrian counterpart, Altmaier payed some lip service to the
positive aspects of immigration while stressing the downside
(e.g., criminal activities, unemployment, integration).


14. (U) Referring to asylum, Altmaier said that although the
number of applications in Germany had dropped from a high of
about 430,000 per year in the early 1990's to a current
30,000 per year, the recognition rate had remained at under
one percent. He called for a homogenous asylum system in the
EU with a common list of "safe countries" and common database
on county of origin information. Regarding citizenship,
Altamaier urged other countries to respect Germany's
legislation prohibiting dual nationality and said foreign
governments should not allow naturalized Germans who
renounced their former nationalities to regain them.

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European Parliament: Humanitarian considerations
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15. (U) Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Graham Watson
(UK Liberal) said that with an estimated 500,000 illegal
immigrants entering the EU every year and 250,000 new asylum
applications each year, action needed to be taken. He noted
that "migrations are necessary" and emphasized the
humanitarian imperative of international protection. Graham
also noted the positive effect on developing countries that
stems from migration. He lauded the Commission's new
thematic program, which he hoped would result in migration
being viewed as an opportunity rather than a problem.


16. (U) With regard to the integration of migrants, MEP Doris
Pack (German Conservative) highlighted specific problems that
relate to women. She said that women tend to be more
vulnerable and often face greater challenges due to family
responsibilities. Pack called for more assistance to asylum
seekers in acquiring language and work skills. She said that
asylum seekers needed to be effective in the host country
while awaiting a decision on their asylum applications.


17. (U) MEP Sarah Ludsford (UK Liberal) defended the free
movement of people while acknowledging that unregulated
migration is problematic. She stated that legal migration
had greatly benefited London and was greatly needed in the EU
overall, but she opposed EU-established immigration quotas.
Ludsford said it was important to stress to migrants that
integration is dynamic and a two-way street. Migrants have
to adapt to the lifestyle of the host society without losing
their cultural identity and host countries needed to adapt
institutions and government policies to the new influences of
the migrants and facilitate access to decision makers.

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Eastern Neighbors: Migration problematic
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19. (U) Russia and Belarus stressed the importance of
managing migration, both within the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) and across the EU's Schengen border.
Russian Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov characterized migration
as "one of the most burning and complex issues of this
country" since the fall of the iron curtain. He expressed
gratitude to international partners who had supported the
ten-year CIS Conference Process that took place from 1996 -
2006 and tackled issues such as forced migrations, ethnic
conflicts, deep economic transformations and its effect on
labor migration. Belarus' Deputy Foreign Minister Valeriu
Gaisenok said was spearheading an "action-oriented dialogue"
to carry forward the work of the CIS Conference, which would
involve IOM, UNHCR and other relevant international
organizations (OSCE, CoE, etc.). He invited all CIS and EU
countries, as well as other interested countries, to join
this Minsk-based dialogue.


20. (U) Gaisenok outlined the many actions being taken by
Belarus to combat irregular migration and trafficking in
persons. He said that Belarus had proposed a global
partnership at the UN to combat trafficking and was also
initiating a pilot project on biometrics with the help of
IOM.


21. (U) Chizhov noted that there are now about 5 million
foreign migrants living in Russia and called on the EU to
help fund activities to strengthen Russia's southern border
as the first line of defense in thwarting unauthorized
movements to the EU. He said that Russia would sign in the
coming days a memorandum with the EU's new FRONTEX border
management agency to formalize cooperation on border issues.
He also mentioned Russia's decision to incorporate biometric
identifiers in passports and visas to improve border
security.

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U.S.: Western Hemisphere and transatlantic dialogues
important
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22. (U) Speaking on a panel devoted to migration and
security, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy
Development Elaine Dezenski noted cooperation among Western
Hemisphere countries in ways that "both enhance security and
respect civil liberties."

23. (U) She listed U.S. priorities, as follows: 1) to
further secure North America from external threats through a
perimeter or hemispheric approach; 2) to better prevent and
respond to threats within North America, including natural
disasters such as the recent hurricanes that ravaged the
Southern United States; and 3) to streamline the secure and
efficient movement of legitimate and low-risk traffic across
our shared borders through a North American traveler security
strategy that includes standards on travel and nationality
documents as well as the development of equivalent approaches
for traveler screening systems and information sharing
arrangements between such systems.

24. (U) Regarding bilateral U.S.-EU issues, Dezenski touched
on the future of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP),US VISIT, the
Rice-Chertoff Initiative and migrant integration. An excerpt
of her prepared speech on transatlantic issues follows:
BEGIN QUOTE
DHS has also worked hard with our international partners
outside of the western hemisphere. Europe remains one of our
closest and most important partners. In 2004, then Under
Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Asa

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Hutchison and Director General for Justice, Liberty and
Security, Jonathan Faull created the Policy Dialogue on
Border and Transportation Security to identify and discuss
emerging policy issues related to cross border movements
before they became areas of discord. This biannual venue has
been critical to building ties and improving awareness of
each others goals and has helped us to improve understanding
of vital programs and work towards common solutions to shared
problems.
Our bilateral relationships with Europe also remain central
to our concept of border management. The Visa Waiver Program
or VWP is an excellent example of how we work with our
partners to facilitate legitimate travelers while
cooperatively strengthening the security of our borders.
After September 11th many members of Congress felt that the
program left the door wide open for abuse by those with a
desire to stay just long enough to commit an act of
terrorism. The Bush Administration and DHS fought hard to
keep this program alive by creating new systems and processes
to better meet the statutory requirements. . . . . It has
been a tough road.
We greatly appreciate the cooperation we've received from all
of the VWP countries and acknowledge their significant steps
to improve the security of international travel. For example,
Belgium, our host country today, was the first country in the
world to begin full implementation of a biometric passport.
Your cooperation enables us to demonstrate to Congress that
the VWP can be a pillar in the war on terrorism, with cutting
edge best practices and technologies that improve our
collective security.
As a result, when President Bush and Polish President
Aleksander Kwasniewski announced the creation of the Roadmap
process in February 2005 it was on a solid base. Today
Consular Working Groups have been established in eleven
nations not currently in the VWP to identify steps that each
of these countries could take to meet the program
requirements and eventually seek nomination. I would also
like to take this opportunity to thank Secretary Tarka for
Poland's recent launch of a working group. The United States
looks forward to working with both governments as part of
this process.
We are optimistic that through this process we can eventually
reach a point where all our partner nations in the EU receive
visa waiver privileges and requirements. The second half of
our vision, however, must be one in which we have done the
hard work necessary to address the security, general law
enforcement and immigration and border control issues that
might impede each countries progress toward that goal. We
need to maintain the integrity of this program and be
absolutely sure that VWP membership does not open the door to
abuse by terrorists and criminals. Otherwise, we may find
ourselves without a VWP.
The Roadmap is a truly cooperative process and individual
roadmaps will vary depending on the history, geography,
economy and political needs and desires of each country as
well as their relationships with their neighbors and the
larger global community. We recognize that this may take some
time. We also look to our colleagues in the European Union,
OSCE and elsewhere to help in developing conditions in each
country that will help them meet the criteria. We cannot
provide you with a checklist, but I can promise that we will
work closely with you.
Both bilaterally and multilaterally we are working to
identify new and improved tools for determining how to screen
people crossing the border. We appreciate the partnership of
the European Union, Interpol, the UN and G8, and others in
driving towards better solutions to verifying the validity of
travel documents. We have a lot of work to do yet, but this
is clearly a problem that requires an international solution.
Of course, effective cooperation with our international
partners requires DHS to maintain effective policies and
programs domestically. A major part of that effort is the use
of biometrics in border screening. Identity management
through biometrics is key to enhancing security, facilitating
travel, enforcing immigration laws, and identifying the bad
guys.
The Department,s hallmark effort in this area is the United
States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, or
US-VISIT program. US-VISIT collects biometric and biographic
information on international travelers to verify their
identity and to build an entry and exit record of their trip
to the United States. To capture biometrics, US-VISIT
electronically scans a visitor,s index fingers and takes a
digital photograph -- all in the space of seconds. The
biometrics captured by US-VISIT allow consular and
immigration officials to confidently tie travelers to the
visas and passports they are carrying.
US-VISIT has allowed us to unravel the assumed identities of
hundreds of foreign nationals attempting to unlawfully enter
the United States. For example, a routine US-VISIT check by
inspection officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport
showed that a visitor was using an alias. Further checks
revealed two prior arrests for drug trafficking, a subsequent
failure to appear in court and visa fraud. The traveler
presented a fraudulent visa he had used to enter the United
States more than 60 times without being detected by standard
biographic record checks. US-VISIT has helped us to identify
and deny entry to some 980 other undesirable individuals
through the use of biometrics. It,s not possible to know how
many terrorists or criminals have been frightened away from
attempting to enter our country because of US-VISIT, but I
have no doubt that the number is substantial. Best of all, we
are able to achieve results like this without inconveniencing
legitimate travelers.
We are also constantly evaluating our efforts to determine
how to make the United States a more welcoming place. In
fact, just last week, Secretary Chertoff and Secretary of
State Rice announced the Rice-Chertoff initiative -- a three
part program to roll out the welcome mat. This new ideal was
founded on two very basic truths - that travel, tourism and
business economically benefit both the individuals home
country and destination and that seeing freedom first hand is
critical to its growth.
Through RCI, we're working on making every visa applicant's
interaction with the U.S. government easier and more
convenient, with an initial focus on student and business
travelers. This effort may eventually lead to the elimination
of the visa as we know it and its replacement with an e-visa
that may even have been obtained after a remote interview. We
are also creating a more transparent entry process, providing
clear, friendly instruction to arriving travelers and
creating a simpler redress process for those that still,
unfortunately, have a bad experience. On the back end, all of
this will be supported by improved information sharing and
more secure travel documents.
As we address security in the context of migration, recent
events here in Western Europe reinforce the need for
governments, as well as communities, to promote effective
integration of new immigrants, their children and
grandchildren.
About 100 years ago, "Americanization" -- as the policy was
called -- sought to promote civic literacy, English language
acquisition, and cultural assimilation. Immigrants then were
expected to adopt to the prevailing Anglo-American culture.
The civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's shifted
our focus from cultural to civic integration
Today, we believe, that, despite differences in background,
all Americans are bound together by a set of enduring civic
principles as relevant today as they were the day our
Constitution. Americans embrace the ideals of freedom and
opportunity, equality before the law, respect and tolerance
for difference, the value of work and self-sufficiency and
the primacy of individual citizens and their rights in
governing our nation. We strive to enact these ideals in our
laws and demonstrate them in our everyday civic life. We
welcome immigrants who want to make the U.S. their home and
join us in honoring these principles.
Our goal is to ensure that new immigrants and naturalized
citizens understand and identify with the constitutional
principles that define what being American is about.
END QUOTE
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Next Steps
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25. (U) A follow-on ministerial conference will be held in
Vienna, May 4 - 5, and will conclude with a "Vienna
Declaration" on ways to extend the EU's ambitious Hague
Program on Justice and Home Affairs matters to neighboring
countries. In this way, the EU hopes that its immediate
neighbors will enhance national systems and structures to
effectively manage migration flows in ways that reduce
trafficking in human beings, organized crime and unmanageable
surges of migrant labor.

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Comment
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26. (U) In each 2005 and 2006, the Commission has budgeted
over 100 million euros to strengthen migration management
outside the EU. The annual amount should increase
significantly in the next budget cycle, currently under
discussion. In putting its money where its mouth is, the EU
is acknowledging the priority which both governments and
citizens alike attach to sound migration policies. The
January 24 - 25 conference featured over 10 cabinet level
ministers from EU Member States and neighbors to the east and
south, along with top-tier officials from the European
Commission and international organizations. There is no
doubt that migration is at the top of the political agenda,
as well. Regional dialogues can play an important role in
mitigating the thorny aspects of international migration.



27. (U) The follow-up ministerial conference May 4 -5 in
Vienna will take place back-to-back with the scheduled
U.S.-EU ministerial troika. According to Austrian officials,
over 70 cabinet level ministers from approximately 40
countries will attend the conference. They noted that the
U.S. Attorney General has already confirmed his participation
in the event but that no response had been received from
Secretary Chertoff's office. Presenting U.S. views on the

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security aspects of international migration at this event,
and including USG priorities as they relate to the planned
"Vienna Declaration", might help us extend these policies to
the EU and regions beyond.

McKINLEY
.