(2004/C 70 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3029/03

by Philip Claeys (NI) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject:   Commission communication on immigration, integration and employment — factors inhibiting integration

In its communication (1), the Commission says on page 23 that: ‘accurate information about immigrants and their positive contribution, both economically and culturally to our societies needs to be publicised’ (…). No one doubts the need for accurate information. It is therefore essential that this information should be comprehensive and that there should be no taboo subjects. For many years, however, it has been considered politically correct to keep quiet about or disregard certain problematic aspects of the presence of large numbers of immigrants: higher unemployment among certain groups, high levels of crime, cultural practices that are in breach of our fundamental principles of human rights and equality (subordinate position of women, arranged marriages, etc.). Such practices put a brake on integration and problems cannot be solved by simply glossing over them.

The Commission also advocates easier access to citizenship of the European host country and the right to vote, without linking these rights to any conditions. Practical experience shows, however, that such a lax approach tends to hinder rather than encourage integration.

Family reunification is also welcomed. However, the scale of family reunion and marriages between immigrants resident in Europe and partners from their country of origin is in fact an obstacle to integration. In the Netherlands, for example, it has been established that between 70 and 80 % of Moroccan and Turkish residents marry a partner from their home country. The vast majority of those concerned generally speak no Dutch and are ignorant of the values and customs of their host country, as a result of which what little progress has been made towards integration is automatically reversed or comes to nothing.

The Commission document pays no attention to any responsibilities that immigrants themselves might have for the problems faced today and for solving them. Is the Commission prepared to introduce or support measures designed to strengthen the linkage between rights and responsibilities (learning the language of the host country, respecting its laws, respecting equality between men and women, acceptance of the principle of separation of church and state)? If so, what measures are planned?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-2937/03, E-2938/03, E-2986/03, E-3004/03

and E-3029/03 given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(17 November 2003)

All five questions posed by the Honourable Member relate directly to the Commission Communication on immigration, integration and employment and should, therefore, be answered jointly.

The Commission is aware of the results of the studies mentioned by the Honourable Member and these studies as well as the results of any other pertinent studies conducted in this field will be considered and taken into account as a source of information by the Commission. In general the overall net fiscal impact of immigration is perceived to be fairly small. As a result immigration is neither a solution to the financial problems of ageing populations nor a significant fiscal burden.

The Commission is aware that studies on the fiscal impact of immigration provide different assessments of the net fiscal impact of immigration. These different results can be explained mainly by different national circumstances such as the degree of integration of immigrants, and probably also to some extent by methodological problems.

In particular two often opposite factors are significant in determining the fiscal impact on public finances: on the one hand the age composition of immigrants is beneficial to public finances as immigrants are on average relatively young people in the working age with a larger than average potential for having their tax payments exceed the individual public transfers and services; on the other hand, the relatively low employment rate among immigrants in most current Member States may partly or entirely counteract the fiscal impact of a beneficial age composition. Moreover the employment rate of immigrants compared to the employment rates of the host population varies strongly across Member States.

The Commission is concerned about the possible undesirable effects of immigration on certain categories of domestic workers, such as blue-collar workers in manufacturing industries and unskilled labour in services. In its proposal for a Council Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of paid employment and self-employed economic activities (2) the Commission expressly proposes to enshrine at Community level the principle of preference for the Community labour market as a legally binding rule, applicable throughout the Union. This principle, which reflects the rules already in force in Member States, requires a thorough assessment of the domestic labour market situation before the admission of third-country workers. In concrete terms it implies that third-country nationals may only accede the Union labour market, if a post cannot be filled with domestic (Union) workers.

The relevance of the problem of brain drain differs widely from sending country to sending country and from sector to sector. In some cases, the costs of brain-drain seem to be more than compensated by other benefits for the sending country, such as remittances, transfer of know-how and the development of closer commercial links through the presence of natural persons. Policies that clearly define temporary status and encourage return are key measures to prevent possible negative effects. Likewise, developed countries can help developing countries with flanking targeted policies on education and training, scholarly exchange, and integration in information, communications, and technology.

According to the outline for a common Union asylum and immigration policy as set by the Tampere European Council in 1999, this policy should include the element of fair treatment of third country nationals residing legally on the territory of the Member States. The European Council conclusions state that the legal status of the legally residing third country nationals should be approximated to that of Member States' nationals. Such persons should be granted a set of uniform rights, which are as near as possible to those enjoyed, by Union citizens.

The Commission has proposed a Directive concerning the status of third country nationals who are long-term residents (3), on which the Council reached political agreement on 5 June 2003. In addition to equal treatment with nationals as regards, for example, access to employment, education, social assistance, freedom of association to be provided by the Directive, the Commission believes that the Member States should consider granting political rights to long-term residents, in particular at local level, when transposing the Directive into national law — although this issue remains a competence of Member States.

Immigrants are directly affected by policies in areas such as public housing, health services and education where municipal authorities tend to have strong competencies. Granting a local franchise may thus provide political representation in decisions that affect the most immediate interests of immigrants and consequently promote the integration process. Several Member States have already granted third country nationals franchise at local elections and there is, therefore, no reason to believe that there is a strong public opposition against this in all Member States. The Commission also points out that none of the countries that have introduced the franchise for non-citizens is considering abolishing it, so it does not seem to have had any negative impact on these societies.

The Tampere European Council explicitly requested ‘a more vigorous integration policy’ which ‘should aim at granting legally resident third country nationals rights and obligations comparable to those of EU citizens’. The Commission fully agrees that also immigrants themselves must take responsibility for their integration into the host society. The Commission believes that integration is a two-way process, which is based on mutual rights and corresponding obligations. This implies, on the one hand, that it is the responsibility of the host State to ensure that the formal rights of immigrants are in place in such a way that immigrants have the possibility of participating in economic, social, cultural and civil life and, on the other hand, that immigrants respect the fundamental norms and values of the host society and participate actively in the integration process. It should be noted, that in the proposal for a Directive on the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents (4), on which political agreement was reached in June 2003, Member States may require that third country nationals comply with integration conditions in accordance with national law as condition for acquiring long-term residents status. Conditions for access to citizenship are a matter for Member States but it is clear that citizenship, which brings both rights and obligations for the person concerned, can be an important step in the integration process.

(1)  COM(2003) 336 final.

(2)  OJ C 332 E, 27.11.2001.

(3)  OJ C 240 E, 28.8.2001.

(4)  OJ C 240 E, 28.8.2001.