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News
93rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees
7 Priorities for the Debate on Migration and Development
As demographic imbalances, mechanisms of political power, violence
and socio-economic inequities continue to motivate people to move
worldwide, two major and contradictory response attitudes seem
to prevail: the understanding that a coherent and holistic approach
of migration offers a potential for economic growth on the one
hand and the self-defensive attitude to protect existing structures,
identities and cultures on the other. This dynamic is as old as
humanity and has fueled, throughout history, many tensions between
those protecting what they have and are and those searching to
improve their lives. Both attitudes follow their own logics, and
history teaches us that they are only to be joined through dialogue
and compromise, through the understanding and full respect of
the other. World Migration Day therefore is an invitation to walk
this road together.
Migration is a phenomenon of all times, lands and peoples and
the idea that it should or can be stopped is an illusion. Rather
than building concrete, barbed wire or ever-stricter legal and
administrative walls; rather than investing in massive returns
of people that simply take them back to their previous situation
of poverty and dependence, major political and financial investments
are needed in the coordination of efforts that offer freedom of
movement and choice of community. The more globalised the world
becomes, the more goods, services and people will move. The more
the need for new social policies becomes apparent at a global
level, the more that purely national interests and identities
are questioned. New migration policies and the means to integrate
them in existing processes will have to be developed. Among other
things, a global social contract to augment the existing national
social contracts will become a prerequisite to maintaining peace
and to guaranteeing economic growth that will serve more people.
Migration for work is a reality and the numbers of people moving
to gain a better prospect in their lives will inevitably grow.
The current international dialogue on Migration and Development
therefore needs to serve global perspectives rather than national
or purely defensive mechanisms. The outcome of the discussions
at the newly-created inter-governmental forum should therefore
serve migrants, countries of departure and countries of arrival
in a way that guarantees economic growth and full respect of human
dignity.
Both development and migration have to be solidly anchored in
what the UN task force on the Right to Development called "economic
policies that foster growth with social justice." (Working
Group 2005, 6th session par. 42.) Better access to education and
medical treatment, the creation of new economic opportunities
and a more equitable participation in the common good have traditionally
been some of the major indicators of progress within the field
of development. The same indicators should be applied to migration:
integration can only be successful when the fundamental rights
of migrants are respected, in particular the human right to health
care, access to the labour market and education opportunities
for their children.
In his message for this year's 93rd World Day of Migrants and
Refugees, Pope Benedict XVI encourages again the ratification
of the international legal instruments that aim to defend the
rights of migrants, refugees and their families. The International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers
and Members of their Families, which entered into force on July
1st, 2003, intends to defend migrant workers of all kinds and
the members of their families. The International Catholic Migration
Commission has been working to raise awareness and acceptance
of this seventh UN human rights convention. Speaking to the UN
General Assembly in July and September, we highlighted our experience
and belief that international migration and development work best
when basic human rights are respected.
Seven priority areas will need to be given full attention in
upcoming discussions and decision-making on migration and development:
- Migration, human well being, economic growth and the labour
market are interconnected realities. The approach therefore
needs to be holistic. It should consider the various
aspects related to political thinking, social organization,
human rights, economic realities and development.
- The defense of human rights and the further development of
an appropriate international legal system protecting
migrants that is accepted, ratified and implemented
by all nations is key. As a necessary corollary, migrant obligations-and
the reasonable expectations that countries of arrival are justified
in having with respect to migrant obligations-need to be fair
and clearly elaborated.
- There is a manifest need for a transparent set of rules to
organize the orderly movement of migrant workers.
These rules and related procedures should be sufficiently practical,
future-oriented and demonstrate more than short-term vision.
Concepts might well include temporary work, the institution
of quotas and procedures of integration, provided that there
is genuine transparency in all procedures, equity in selection
and respect of human rights.
- All actors of civil society-including migrants and their
organizations-need to participate to bring about the
societal solutions that migration is inviting us to make. The
bringing together of the various actors will largely contribute
to the integration process and to the fundamental change in
mentality towards the migrant and his/her family.
- Families are a highly stabilizing factor in this process and
the protection of family life is once again of
major importance. In his Migration Day message the Holy Father
further underlines "the commitment of the Church not only
in favor of the individual migrant, but also of his family,
which is a place and resource of the culture of life and a factor
for the integration of values."
- The active deployment of measures against human trafficking
needs to be of continuous concern and included in any procedure
and legal mechanism as to guarantee the defense and the integrity
of every person.
- Special protection of the most vulnerable in migration,
especially refugees, elderly persons, women and non-accompanied
minors.
These priorities invite all of us, in civil society and as political
leaders, to re-examine the present attitudes, legal procedures
and frameworks and to aim at a transparent system that is marked
by greater equity, generosity and efficiency.
Johan Ketelers
Secretary General
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