This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 52011SC1353
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER Migration and Development
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER Migration and Development
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER Migration and Development
/* SEC/2011/1353 final */
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER Migration and Development /* SEC/2011/1353 final */
Migration and
Development
1. Introduction
2. Achievements
since 2005
2.1. Remittances sent by migrants based in the EU 2.2. Diasporas as actors of country of origin development 2.3. Circular migration 2.4. Mitigating the adverse effects of brain drain
3.
Towards a migrant-centred approach: next steps on migration and
development
3.1. Remaining challenges and new ideas to the traditional migration
and development area 3.1.1. Remittances 3.1.2. Diasporas 3.1.3. Circular Migration 3.1.4. Brain drain/brain waste/brain gain 3.1.5. Ensuring better coherence and synergies between migration and
development at policy and operational level 3.2. Broadening the traditional agenda: addressing the social and
human impact of migration on migrants, their families and communities 3.2.1. Addressing the needs created by emigration flows in countries
of origin 3.2.2. Protecting human rights of migrants
during their transit process 3.2.3. Integration of migrants in countries of destination: building
on good practices identified in the EU 3.2.4. South-South migration
4.
The way forward: beyond the traditional agenda
5.
Conclusions
1.
Introduction Since 2004 the EU has been reflecting and working with
its partners worldwide in order to enhance the positive impact of international
migration flows on economic, social and human development. This has been the objective
of its active involvement in the Global Commission on International Migration
in 2004/2005, and in the Global Forum on Migration and Development since 2007.
The EU’s strong will to support the potential positive impact of migration on
development has been embodied in the Communication on Migration &
Development[1]
of 2005 and the Communication ‘Contribution to the UN High Level Dialogue on
Migration & Development’[2]
of 2006. The nexus between migration and development has been integrated as one
of the three equally important pillars of the Global Approach to Migration. Maximising the positive
impact of migration
on the development of partner countries while
limiting its negative consequences will remain a key priority of
the revised Global Approach. Now it is time to assess the policy and
operational initiatives of the last six years in order to further define the
approach, scope and depth of what is referred to as ‘migration and
development’. The actions resulting from this concept are related to ‘traditional
domains’ (remittances, diasporas, mitigating brain drain) as well as to
strengthened dialogue/partnership on migration issues with partner countries. For many people increased opportunities for
international migration are an essential ingredient for their livelihood
strategy and future well-being. Consequently, the development impact of
mobility will be stronger if the migrants’ social, financial, human and
cultural capital is recognised and if migrants are better protected and
integrated along their migratory routes. More generally, the introduction of an
explicitly migrant-centred approach should help to strengthen the human and
social dimension of migration and development policies. Both topics have
emerged very strongly in political dialogue meetings with partner countries
over the last few years. Although migration and development is an important part
of the Global Approach to Migration, the challenges faced by partner countries
as regards the link between development and migration are much broader and more
complex than those which have been addressed so far. This calls for a better
incorporation of this dimension into the EU’s overall external cooperation. There is a growing need to promote migration
governance in a development perspective at all levels, from
international to national, and to achieve an improved common understanding of
the nexus between development and migration, including the economic,
environmental and social consequences of migration and asylum policies or
policies in other sectors. This argues in favour of a deepening of the current
reflection process. This Commission Staff Working Paper will first take
stock of the main initiatives in the area of migration and development since
the 2005 Communication on Migration and Development. It will then further
elaborate the current thinking on the broadening of the agenda as reflected in
the Communication ‘Global Approach on Migration and Mobility’, before making an
analysis of gaps identified and introducing the way forward to make migration
part of the development policy and process 2.
Achievements since 2005 This issue of migration and development was addressed
in a 2005 Communication that paved the way for EU action by identifying concrete
orientations in a number of areas. Several commitments were also embodied in
Council conclusions. Many lessons have been drawn concerning the progress made
along these lines at EU level. 2.1 Remittances sent by migrants based in
EU Since 2005, the EU has adopted strong
remittance-related commitments, including at the highest level,[3] and has undertaken many efforts
to have them implemented. While emphasizing their private nature, the overall
aim has been to promote cheaper, faster and more secure remittances, and to
enhance their development impact. Official EU data on remittance flows
have been considerably improved, especially since 2009, thanks to Eurostat’s
efforts based on Member States’ consolidated balances of payment data. The EU
also publishes annually an Accountability Report on financing for development
(formerly called the Monterrey report). It enables an assessment of the
performance of the EU and its Member States in fulfilling joint commitments on
mobilising domestic and international resources for development, increasing
trade capacity and investment, Official Development Assistance (ODA),
innovative sources and mechanisms of financing. This report also includes a
section on remittances. A number of Member States have also launched studies
with a view to improving their knowledge about the main remittance channels. The EU also adopted a common legal framework on
payments — the 2007 Directive on payment services[4] — which created a level playing
field with harmonised licensing provisions for payment service providers
throughout the Union, including money remittance. Member States were required,
amongst others, to set up a register of all authorised payment institutions
(including money transfer operators and smaller operators benefiting from a
lighter regime), updated on a regular basis and publicly available for
consultation, in particular online. While it focuses on payment services
provided within the Community,. the above-mentioned Directive has led to
improved transparency in the provision of payment services, including the
remittance market, although only about half of the Member States decided to
apply its Titles III (on transparency) and IV (on rights and obligations), or
only some of their provisions, to so called ‘one-leg payments’.[5] Although it is still too early
to assess its impact upon competition and transfer costs, the Directive has
improved the level of consumer protection by, inter alia, establishing a set of
rules on transparency (total price of a transaction, transfer fees charged,
exchange rate applied, speed of the service), forbidding implicit fees, and
laying down rules on the execution of payments. In addition, a number of Member
States have set up their own remittance price comparison websites on costs and
quality of services. In terms of cooperation programmes,
the European Union’s Thematic programme on migration and asylum provided
financial support to projects fostering the use of new technologies. It also
used microfinance funds to support projects to improve access to banking and
financial services and access to credits in developing countries. The 2005 Communication emphasised that
remittances were private money and would only flow to ‘productive investment’
if beneficiaries were able to make informed choices and if there were
appropriate incentives in place. Developing such incentives and improving
choice in the receiving countries has been part of a more comprehensive and
long-term development approach. The 2005 Communication also put forward the
idea of looking into partnerships with the countries concerned and — where
relevant, in cooperation with the EIB — possibilities to enhance financial
intermediation in partner countries, by facilitating partnerships between
micro-finance and mainstream financial institutions, for example. General
cooperation has been achieved on financial intermediation between the
Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB)– e.g. the EIB’s risk capital
activities in the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership
(FEMIP region), which use Commission funds. Furthermore, most of the EIB’s
activities (financial intermediation or not) in FEMIP and ACP countries are
guaranteed by the EU. Since 2005 the EU policy on support for
micro-finance initiatives has developed and the Commission has made great
efforts in the area of microfinance activities, although stronger links with
migrants remain to be established. Nowadays the EU may provide grants for
capital to finance credit lines or guarantee funds under certain conditions,
namely if credit is a constraint and there is a lack of alternative resources
in a given market. Lastly, the EU has successfully included
the issue of facilitating remittances in its political dialogues with third
countries (e.g. the EU-ACP dialogue on migration, the EU Africa Strategic
Partnership) and has been organising training sessions on remittances for
officials from third countries. The collection of data on remittances is also
included in migration profiles sponsored by the EU to assess the migration
situation of partner countries. 2.2. Diasporas as actors of country of origin development The 2005 Communication on Migration and
Development recognised the potential of diaspora organisations to become
prominent actors for development and called for stronger involvement of
voluntary diaspora members in the development of their countries of origin. Some achievements have been made along
these lines. The EC has supported efforts initiated by source countries at
national and regional levels to set up databases where members of the diaspora
communities interested in contributing to the development of their countries of
origin can register. In addition, the EC worked to strengthen the source
countries’ capacities to link with their respective emigrant communities in
coordination with other donors and has funded studies on the potential of
diaspora organisations as partners in development cooperation. At both EU and Member States level, the
contribution of diaspora organisations to development policy and practice are
increasingly valued. As initiators of development projects in countries of
origin, they have established themselves as agents for development vis-a-vis
both policy makers and donors. As a result the latter have been gradually
adjusting their funding requirements to the needs and capacities of diaspora
organisations. Hence, the budget line for Non-state actors and Local
Authorities in Development [6]
is also open to diaspora organisations. Diaspora-related issues are also
mainstreamed into the migration and development items of the political
dialogues with partner countries, for instance in the context of the Prague
process, the EU-Africa Migration, Mobility and Employment Partnership, the
EU-ACP dialogue and the EU-LAC migration dialogue to name but a few. 2.3. Circular migration Whereas the 2005 Communication on Migration and
Development highlighted some components of circular migration, the guiding
source at EU level was the 2007 communication (COM 248/2007) on mobility
partnerships and circular migration, where circular migration was defined as ‘a
form of migration that is managed in a way allowing some degree of legal
mobility back and forth between two countries’. Circular migration encompasses
two different forms of movement: • Third country nationals
settled in the EU who engage in a temporary activity (business, professional,
voluntary or other) in their country of origin, while retaining their main
residence in one of the Member States; • Persons residing in a third
country who come to the EU temporarily, mainly for work or study, but
re-establish their main residence and activity in their country of origin when
their residence title expires. Circular migration can be encouraged by
means of a wide range of measures, including legislative measures and targeted
programmes or schemes. The two options can co-exist, and even be combined. The EU legal migration framework incorporates
measures to facilitate circular migration. The long term resident’s directive
(2003/109/EC) allows periods of absence from the EU without forfeiting long term
residence rights. Long-term residents can leave the country for a period of
less than 12 consecutive months without losing their legal status. The EU Blue
Card directive on the admission of highly qualified migrants (2009/50/EC)
allows Blue Card holders to be absent for up to 18 months without losing their
long term resident status as a means of further encouraging circular migration.
The Commission’s proposal for a directive on seasonal workers, which was
presented in July 2010, also incorporates provisions to facilitate circular
migration.[7]
Provisions in national legislation in some EU Member States complement these
efforts. In addition, at least fourteen Member States apply national legislation under which temporary work and
residence permits may be issued for the purposes of employment. Four Member
States issue permits targeting seasonal employment, which facilitate repeated
back-and-forth mobility over a period of time.[8] Circular migration schemes run by EU Member States or supported by
the EU through specific projects enable some lessons to be learned from past
practices.[9]
These projects have usually been of a pilot nature, mostly small-scale, and
mainly involving low skilled seasonal and agricultural workers. Many of them
are therefore unlikely to make any significant development impact in source
countries confronted by problems of high unemployment and poverty.
Nevertheless, they can still contribute through the genuine empowerment of
migrant workers and help to meet a clearly identified demand for labour. Often
embedded in bilateral cooperation frameworks, these schemes remain a useful complementary
tool to facilitate legal frameworks and other policy options to promote
circular migration. A broader range of measures, which are equally important
and effective, is listed in part 3 of this document. Numerous EU funded interventions have led to a
significant improvement in labour migration management capacities and tools in
countries of origin, as shown by a recent evaluation of EC-funded labour
migration projects (finalised in June 2011). However, it appears that the
considerably improved capacity of third countries to provide information about
legal migration rules and to accompany potential migrants is somehow frustrated
by the current narrow avenues of legal migration towards the EU.[1] In accordance with the Stockholm Programme, a
large-scale study on circular migration was undertaken by the European
Migration Network and made available in 2011.[10]
The study covers 24 of the EU Member States and indicates that, although there
is still a lack of relevant data capturing this phenomenon, there is some
evidence of actual flows, changes in legislation and projects showing that
circular migration can play a role in responding to EU labour market needs, as
well as benefitting migrants and the countries of origin. 2.4 Mitigating the adverse effect of brain drain The 2005 Communication made some
recommendations to help fight brain drain, especially in terms of human
resources in the health sector. The Commission published in 2007 a
Communication on ‘Addressing the Crisis in Human Resources for Health’,[11] which proposed innovative
responses to human resource crisis in developing countries. The subsequent EU
Programme for Action to tackle the critical shortage of health workers in
developing countries (2007 – 2013) produced a clear set of actions to be
supported, aimed at enhancing developing countries’ capacities to train, manage
and retain their health workers. The EU supports 51 out of the 57 countries
that have been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as facing an
all out HRH crisis. Support includes regional research, capacity building and
knowledge-generating initiatives as well as circular migration and other
initiatives at global level. The 2010 Communication ‘the EU role in
global health[12]’
brings out the HRH issue: ‘On
migration, the EU Member States should ensure that their migration
policies do not undermine the availability of health professionals in
third countries whilst respecting the individual freedom of movement and
personal and professional aspirations. (...) EU Member States should step up their efforts to
ensure that everyone — including migrants —
in the EU has access to quality health services without discrimination’. With regards to disciplining recruitment, the 2005 Communication encouraged Member States to develop
mechanisms to limit active recruitment when it may harm certain targeted
developing countries. Since then, the EU line has been to support the voluntary
adoption and implementation of the WHO Code of Practice on the International
Recruitment of Health Personnel, and a number of Member States have made
advances in that field. The Commission also strives to persuade other important
destination countries to work towards similar arrangements. 3. Towards
a migrant-centred approach – next steps on migration and development Based on six years of practice in migration and
development, and on the views, comments and ideas received through the
consultations to prepare for this document, it is now time to reflect on how to
adopt a more migrant-centred approach. The need for a migrant-centered approach has emerged
on the basis of a gap assessment regarding the micro-level impacts and
individual effects of migration. Human mobility generates several forms of
capital — including social, financial and human capital. This requires a
broader focus on the link between migration and development and the implementation
of a more comprehensive approach in terms of transfers, which encompasses all
initiatives that aim to improve their development impact. Transfer of Social capital: Migrants develop and maintain social
ties with non-migrant actors across different locations and they create
networks that facilitate the flow of information, skills, financial resources,
values, ideas, etc. Networks can link different groups, including migrant
families, diaspora associations, or professional and business networks. Transfer of financial capital: Together with the cost,
speed, accessibility and reliability of transfer services, the level of
information and financial literacy of senders and recipients influences their
choice of the transfer channel. However, it has also been argued that not all
members of a household benefit equally from remittances. Remittances could also
aggravate dependency relationships between senders and recipients, reproduce
income inequalities between migrant and non-migrant households, or even destabilise
fragile economies. Transfer of human capital: Migrants’ skills and knowledge
transfers also constitute assets for development. These could translate into
remittances, technology transfers, links to professional networks, investment
and — arguably — a better integration of origin countries into the global
markets. Promoting knowledge circulation can be an alternative way of sharing
in the gains of skilled mobility. Finally, migrants’ contributions to development depend
on certain capabilities and rights. While migration can improve
migrants’ wellbeing or increase access to social, economic and political
freedoms, it may sometimes also involve a decrease in wealth and well-being,
e.g. as a result of the separation of families or the creation of external dependencies.
Therefore, the benefits of migration in terms of well-being need to be
evaluated against its potential social, political and physiological costs.
Ensuring access to service provision and relieving the social costs of
migration would be a meaningful first step. 3.1 Remaining challenges and new ideas related to the ‘traditional’
migration and development areas 3.1.1. Remittances Remittances sent home by migrants to developing
countries are extremely important to receiving countries, as they are three
times the size of official development assistance and often represent a
lifeline for the poor. In 2010, remittances recovered to the 2008 level of $ 325
billion after having dropped to $ 307 billion in 2009 as a result of the
global financial crisis. Flows are projected to rise to $ 346 billion in
2011 and $ 374 billion by 2012.[13]
Despite the considerable efforts made at EU level
since 2005 to facilitate and reduce the cost of remittances, it is clear from
the above that much remains to be done in that area, both at the internal
European level, and at the level of cooperation programmes. Through the Stockholm Programme (2009-2014), the
European Commission is requested to identify new recommendations by 2012 on ‘how to further ensure efficient, secure
and low-cost remittance transfers, and enhance the development impact of
remittance transfers, as well as to evaluate the feasibility of creating a
common EU portal on remittances to inform migrants about transfer costs and
encourage competition among remittance service providers’. A study was launched in September 2011 with the
overall objective of analysing the state of implementation of existing EU
commitments with regard to remittances and of developing additional practical
proposals. The study will identify the following pending issues: improving data
collection at both the EU and partner country levels; making estimations of
informal flows; determining the needs of migrants and their families; making a
preliminary assessment of the impact of the implementation of the Directive on
payment services (see above point 2.1.) on transparency and cost; and assessing
the feasibility of creating an EU-wide remittance portal. Furthermore, a
Commission study will be launched at the end of 2011 to assess the Directive’s
implementation and impact on payment services on the market, and addressing
amongst others the possible need to extend its scope to include payment
transactions where only one of the payment services providers is located in the
Community. At EU level, efforts with regard to data collection must be
maintained by Member States in order to put well informed policies and projects
in place. The main reference for data compilers is usually the IMF’s manual ‘International
Transactions in Remittances’: Guide for Compilers and Users’, which has not
been adopted by the majority of Member States. Lastly, remittances data broken
down by destination are currently transmitted to Eurostat on a voluntary basis
only; reporting of these data will become mandatory from June 2014 onwards, in
line with one of the recommendations of the 2005 Communication. Household
survey instruments could also be promoted at EU level in order to embrace
informal remittance channels, focusing on selected bilateral ‘remittance
corridors’ to learn more about the use of remittances. Greater coordination between all actors involved would
also seem to be relevant, i.e. between Member States, the European Commission
and the EEAS, the ECB and EIB, Eurostat, as well as with diaspora organisations
and the private sector. The European Investment Bank could facilitate the
securitisation of workers’ remittances or the issuing of diaspora bonds
for the benefit of developing countries, in particular by helping to establish
mechanisms for guaranteeing the credit quality of such instruments or by means
of direct purchases. The ECB may also be asked to do more in relation to
statistics on remittance flows (as in many EU countries remittances are
compiled by Central Banks, as part of Balance of Payments), the efficiency of
the remittance market infrastructure, and supervision. This would be an
important aid in helping channel private funds for national development
policies. Finally, in terms of mobilisation and coordination of
available financial instruments, the European Commission needs to improve the
linkages between migration funding for remittances and access to finance
funding, as well as with other geographical instruments and thematic budget
lines (remittances can contribute to financing of projects in agriculture,
health, etc.…). With regard to cooperation projects on remittances
in partner countries – both in relation with migrants based in EU and in a
South-South context — it seems important to evaluate the results of those
projects supported by Member States and the European Commission so far, and to
identify best practices and scale them up. In order to be more
migrant-centered, a multi-dimensional approach may be adopted:
At the level of migrants and those who
receive their money, communication on the cost of transfer and
transmission channels towards migrants could be further improved.
Financial literacy was also clearly put forward as a new area to focus on,
in order to help migrants develop the appropriate financial skills to
identify investment-type projects that suit their needs and desires.
At the level of households, especially on
the recipient side, further reflection and proposals are needed when it
comes to mitigating the potential negative consequences of remittances in
social and economic terms, the separation of families, the dependency of
those left behind or the impact on education and labour motivation.
At community level, recommendations are
needed on whether and how to support collective investment schemes which
could be put in place by regions or countries of origin. The length of the
‘last mile’ or how to make sure that remittances can reach migrants’
families in rural areas could be further enhanced in cooperation projects,
in connection with microfinance and post offices. Cooperation projects
could also take into account the impact that different contexts and
circumstances -, such as. disasters, conflicts, climate change, etc. - may
have upon remittances.
Finally, at national level, increased
support to partner countries in terms of mainstreaming the remittances
dimension in their migration and development strategies, capacity building
in terms of data collection, the defining of regulatory frameworks by
central banks, links to access to finance programmes and so on, would be
useful. Discussions at regional level could also be supported. Some
partner countries have started designing strategies aimed at supporting
the design of social financial instruments underwritten by national or
local authorities: pension funds, social/housing saving accounts,
education saving accounts etc.
Increasing support to information and communication
technologies should be considered, as these may enable more rapid and secure
transfers and the development of science, technology and innovation, as well as
the dissemination of the digital era to all sections of society, as key motors
of socio-economic growth and sustainable development. The involvement of women
in such actions would be an important feature, with the ultimate objective of
their empowerment. 3.1.2. Diasporas Although the EU
has already made considerable progress in recognising and supporting the role
of the diaspora in enhancing the development of their home countries and
regions, key challenges remain to be addressed. Diasporas based in EU territory
are heterogeneous, tend to be insufficiently organised and find it difficult to
get their voice heard and to participate in policy formulation at EU level.
Many diaspora organisations are not capable of presenting project proposals in
response to the calls launched by the EC, as they are not properly equipped to
handle the amounts within the range of the required funding threshold. At the policy level, both the Stockholm
Programme Action plan for the period 2010-2014 and the Policy
Coherence for Development (PCD) Work Programme for 2011-2013 highlight the need
to further include and cooperate with diaspora organisations in order to
enhance the development of their countries of origin. This also includes the
strengthening of migrant networks at EU level. Diaspora groups' integration in the host
societies has to be enhanced because it could also have a positive impact on
their participation in the development of countries of origin. In this context,
synergies between the migration and development and the integration agendas
could be further explored. Communication and coordination with local
authorities, who are frequently involved in a number of development projects
with diasporas, should be enhanced. The relevance of the specific realities
where migrants live, work and interact with the territory underlines the
importance of the local level of administration in dealing with the issue.
Similarly, a comprehensive support could be provided to third countries that
are willing to map their diasporas, while taking into account potential
sensitivities, and maintain transnational ties and support diaspora
entrepreneurship initiatives. Formal or informal dialogue platforms with the
diaspora to exchange views
on both migration and development policies could be used to tap into the
expertise of the diaspora as well as to disseminate information on funding and
projects. While further capacity building could be provided to the diaspora in
the territory of the respective Member States, strengthening the capacities of
their local partners and improving the quality of their partnership would be
even more relevant. It is also important that the EC should reflect further on
its instruments, so that the procedures remain constant over a long period thereby
providing an enabling environment for non state actors, such as diaspora
organisations, including women migrant organisations, to become more involved. The EU continues to invest in leveraging
the diaspora’s contribution to development and seeks to better utilise their
knowledge and expertise. Consideration will also be given to support for diaspora
volunteering as well as diaspora funds put in place by partner countries. Through
its support given to diaspora and migrants’ associations in transferring
skills, the EU remains committed to a sustainable development approach, a
gender-conscious dimension, as well as paying special attention to the
unemployed and less skilled. 3.1.3. Circular migration Circular mobility encompasses diverse typologies of
migrants. This variety of situations could be reflected in a definition of
circular migration that encompasses both the role of a legal framework that
facilitates such mobility and takes into account the added value of targeted
projects in some cases, e.g. supported through bilateral arrangements. The
concept of circular migration can thus be defined as repeated
cycles of back-and-forth mobility over a period of time for the
purpose of economic activity or study, which takes place within a
legal framework allowing facilitated re-entry between two or more
countries. Greater efforts could be made in the future to actually
achieve the ‘triple win’ situation traditionally associated with circular
migration, while proactively doing more to avoid the potential downsides. The
benefit for the migrant should be more directly linked to empowerment, training
opportunities, portability of knowledge and skills, and enhanced employability
upon return. The risks include separation of families, dependence on foreign
labour markets and the lack of long-term integration in the destination country
and reintegration in the source country. The benefits for the country of origin
appear to be quite limited in terms of reduced pressure of unemployment on the
domestic labour market, but the positive effects greatly depend on the quality
of the skills and competences ‘brought back’ by the migrants and on the
capacity of the country to make use of them, especially by targeting identified
skills gaps. The gain for the destination country, and in particular for the employer,
can be the access to fill labour market gaps which cannot be catered for by the
domestic labour force. On the other hand, the risks include the costs when the
maximum period of employment is too short for it to properly compensate the
employer for the training investment and the time needed in order to overcome
barriers of language and culture. As far as circular migration aspects relating to the
mobility of members of diaspora communities from the country of residence to
the country of origin are concerned, many of the pros and cons are similar to
what is discussed in the section on brain drain. In this regard, the legal
framework at national or EU level should ensure that mobility is not impeded by
legislative frameworks, employment conditions, social welfare provisions or tax
regulations in either country. Circular migration may be more suitable for specific
sectors, such as agriculture or seasonal work, but it could also be relevant in
medium or highly skilled sectors where there are identified shortages. Besides
the importance of a legal framework at the national or EU level, measures to
facilitate such mobility include close coordination and cooperation between
national authorities, in particular employment agencies, employers and unions. Both the source and receiving countries
still need to improve their measures (or combination of measures) aimed
at promoting and supporting circular migration, such as:
Legal framework allowing migrants to
stay outside the receiving country for longer periods of time without
affecting their residence status
Legal framework allowing migrants to
stay outside the source country for longer periods of time, without
losing property, voting, or working rights
Multiple-entry visas for temporary
work purposes
Preferential re-entry procedures for
the upcoming season/work period for migrants who have already worked
legally in the country and have complied with the terms of legal stay
Bilateral schemes for the joint
management of labour migration flows
Portability of social security rights
acquired in the country of destination
Strategies and programmes set up by
the country of origin to maintain communication with the diaspora and
attracting diaspora members to participate in community and country
development, including by making available information on investment
opportunities and facilitating support to business start-ups and SMEs
Pre-return information and support
concerning investment opportunities, business know-how, recognition of
formal qualifications and informal skills acquired abroad;
Institutional joint programmes between
schools, hospitals, or companies;
The two following aspects require specific
attention and steps forward. Lack of portability of social security
rights is a key constraint
to circular labour migration, and to labour mobility more generally, as it can
significantly influence crucial decisions by migrants, such as those related to
the choice between migrating and working legally or irregularly, or related to
the sustainability of return and reintegration. In order to ensure fair
treatment for third country national migrants, there are certain EU instruments
covering the right of migrants to receive acquired statutory pensions from a Member State when moving to a third-country under the same conditions and rates as the
nationals of the Member State concerned. These equal treatment provisions are
found in the Researchers’ directive, the EU Blue Card directive, and the
proposal for a Single Permit directive. These directives impose on Member
States the principle of equal treatment in the export of acquired pension rights
to third countries. However, if nationals of the EU Member State in question have
limited rights to export pensions to third countries, the same rules apply
equally to third country nationals. Access to specific integration measures for
temporary/circular migrants still needs to be improved, taking into account the
total duration of time spent in the country of destination. The implications of
temporary and circular migration schemes on migrants’ rights and protection are
a major cause for concern in some countries. As temporary/circular migrants are
often not eligible for any integration support, this may adversely
affect their economic integration and the protection of their rights. 3.1.4. Brain drain/brain waste/brain gain In the PCD 2011-2013 work programme, the EU set itself
the target to combat brain drain by applying relevant codes of conduct on
ethical recruitment, by assisting developing countries with the development of
human resource strategies and the promotion of a safe and attractive work
environment, by facilitating the temporary and permanent return of migrants as
well as their reintegration, and by supporting cooperation in areas such as
local employment, education and vocational training. Further initiatives
included extending the good practices on ‘brain circulation’ from the Moldova
Mobility Partnership to other Mobility Partnerships and including conditions
for the retention of highly educated individuals in higher education mobility
programmes, such as the Erasmus Mundus and Nyerere programmes While the EU work is guided by these principles,
lessons learnt from past initiatives allow further areas for reflection to be identified
with regard to: ·
Extending the sector
specific approach on health that has so far been promoted to include other
sectors. ·
Assisting ‘drained
countries’ in defining and implementing a more comprehensive policy mix,
looking at both the retention of qualified staff still in the country, as well
as the return and professional reintegration of qualified staff working abroad.
Studies should be launched in order to learn lessons from and possibly
replicate the various experiences of third countries which have succeeded in
transforming brain drain into brain gain (IT sector in India) or in retaining
higher numbers of highly skilled workers in key sectors (health workers in
Ghana). ·
In relation to the
point above, supporting partner origin countries in their efforts to address
underlying structural problems such as low pay, inadequate financing, poor
working environments and weak labour prospects. ·
Further cost/benefit
evaluation of brain drain, in particular in countries voluntarily training a
surplus of highly skilled workforce for export, and the return they receive in
terms of social vulnerability could be assessed more effectively. ·
The impact of measures
in that field would be further strengthened by incorporating a clear gender
dimension. It would also be interesting to develop measures
against ‘brain waste’, which is another challenge facing migrants that has not
been adequately addressed by EU policy and does not appear in the Stockholm programme, although it may become a spin-off of the migration process. To conclude
this part, supporting labour market policies and decent work in partner
countries is also an important strategy to help them attract and retain skilled
workers, especially health professionals. The incorporation of strategies to
retain skilled workers in political dialogues on migration with partner
countries should be considered. 3.1.5.
Ensuring better coherence and synergies between migration and development at
policy and operational level Going beyond what was proposed in the 2005
Communication on migration and development, one key achievement of the EU’s
efforts to enhance the synergies between migration and development has been
related to the mainstreaming of development concerns into migration policy, and
vice versa, at policy and operational level. Migration has become one of the five priorities of the
Policy Coherence for Development Agenda and of the 2011-2013 Action
Plan. Extended Migration Profiles have been put
in place in order to produce an improved and sustainable evidence-base on the migration and
development nexus by
collecting necessary data and analysis on migration and development, as well as
to contribute to policy coherence by bringing together a wide range of relevant
governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders. With regard to policy formulation, development
concerns are taken increasingly into account when formulating EU migration
policy. The EU Blue Card directive, for instance, contains safeguards against
the risk of brain drain effects, enabling Member States to reject an application for
a Blue Card in order to ensure ethical recruitment in sectors that are suffering
from a shortage of qualified workers in the countries of origin. The European Commission has also made
considerable efforts in research and information gathering on migration, which
have contributed to the formulation of migration policy. Wherever possible and
appropriate, the perspectives and insights of migrants have been included when framing
research questions and methodologies As regards incorporating migration issues into EU
external cooperation, there is clear progress to be seen in both the geographic
and the thematic programmes. Between 2004 and 2006, the AENEAS Programme devoted € 120 million to the financing
of migration related projects. Following
the overhaul of the financial instruments for the EU’s international
cooperation, the Commission has been implementing a Thematic Programme
entitled ‘Cooperation with Third Countries in the areas of Migration and
Asylum’ since 2007.[14]
With the DCI regulation as its legal basis, it complements the contribution of
the ‘geographical financial instruments’ by assisting third countries in their
efforts on migration and asylum matters. Migration and development actions have
been an essential part of both the AENEAS programme and its successor ‘Thematic
programme’. In addition, migration-related activities are increasingly
being financed under other financial instruments, including geographical
instruments (DCI, EDF, ENPI). This has allowed the EU to support the
integration of migration into Country and Regional Strategy Papers of those
partners which had identified the topic as a priority, such as Gambia, Ghana,
Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal and West Africa under 10th EDF. A € 25
Million ACP migration facility was set up under the 9th EDF, and a
sum of € 40 million is earmarked under the 10th EDF. Through its external cooperation and policy dialogues,
the EU is now increasingly providing support to the mainstreaming of migration
and asylum in national development frameworks of third countries (i.e. the
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper — PRSP). Specific actions aimed at improving
consistency between development and migration policy and the mainstreaming of migration
concerns into strategies on poverty reduction and sustainable development
(including climate change) have already been implemented. The EU has been
providing support for mainstreaming exercises in Morocco and Ghana. Similar technical assistance for better integration of migration into other sector policies,
funded through geographical instruments, is ongoing in Mali and is being considered for the Philippines. 3.2. Broadening the traditional agenda: addressing the
social and human impact of migration on migrants, their families and
communities Recent studies conducted by the OECD, UNICEF and the
WHO have also addressed the social consequences of migration. At the end of
2009, the topic was included in the Human Development Report, which was
explicitly dedicated to the link between mobility and human development. The
same focus was also chosen for the 2010 Global Forum on Migration and
Development. Based on such deliberations it is clear that the specific social
needs and challenges in the countries of origin, transit and destination need
to be properly addressed. 3.2.1. Addressing the
needs created by emigration flows in countries of origin The
extent to which migration can make a positive contribution to the social
dimension of development in countries of origin is contingent on the presence
of a supportive national policy context. Remittances alone cannot compensate
for inadequate national policies and the adverse social impacts of migration.
International partnerships for development should therefore focus on promoting favourable
policies across the full range of relevant areas. 1) Impact on families and
households The impacts of migration on households and
children left behind are many and varied, as family configurations naturally
vary by region, culture, religious beliefs, social class and other factors.
Nevertheless, there are common challenges that can be identified, and it is
clear that the needs of those families deserve to be better addressed through social
policy and enhanced cooperation with civil society and local authorities. One of the main concerns is likely to be
the situation of children left behind in households, especially when
both parents are abroad. There are often no systematic actions by government to
mitigate the consequences of migration or to assist those who are taking care
of such children, especially in multi-generational households. Consistency in
government policies on migration, education, health, child protection and
social protection is imperative in order to mitigate the risks borne by children
as a result of the absence of their parents. Measures could be considered to
limit the potential negative impacts of remittances (dependence, dropping out
of school) and to harness the potential benefits of remittances for the
development of children and the family by setting up long term social
investment instruments, saving and insurance schemes. For all family members who
stay behind, it should be possible to develop targeted support services,
including psychosocial services and measures, aimed at improving the access to
long distance communication tools. The well-being and
empowerment of women who stay behind while their spouses migrate to find
work requires targeted attention in the area of development cooperation.
Whereas mothers seem to take over the main responsibilities for the household
and child care when their spouses leave, fathers tend instead to rely on other
family members. Moreover, male migration does not necessarily lead to more
autonomy or empowerment for the women who stay behind, nor does it always allow
them to become head of their household. This all depends on the social and
cultural context in the respective country. Gender roles are usually a
precursor to migration, and in fact tend to be reinforced rather than changed
by it. The departure of a parent may allocate additional household burdens to
daughters and mothers left behind and might restrict their right of access to paid
work and higher education. The greater vulnerability of transnational family
structures has been highlighted, bringing with it increased risks of
abandonment of the family left behind. Moreover, female migrants might
be more prone to sacrifice their own well-being while they are abroad in order
to cater for their children or husband at home, and the share of remittances
being sent back might be at the expense of their own situation abroad in terms
of housing, health, insurance and integration measures. In countries where the social security
systems area is very weak or non-existent, most elderly people rely on
family solidarity, for both financial subsistence and daily caretaking. This
important social role of families in developing countries might be undermined
by the absence of the economically active descendants, especially if they are
in charge of younger children who are left behind. 2) Impact on social cohesion and human
development The impact of emigration on social cohesion
needs to be further addressed, especially the need to adapt public policies to
the social gap created by unequal access of households to financial transfers.
This should also be the case when addressing the socio-economic impact of local large-scale emigration by people of working age, particularly in
rural and isolated areas where the only alternative to this workforce consists
of women, the young and the elderly. In developing countries, social policy
systems with weak universal basic social services rely heavily for welfare
provision on informal community-based institutions and on family. Community and
family networks often fill the void left by the State in providing protection
to the poor. Moreover, in many regions the fiscal crisis of the state has meant
that important roles have been assigned to community based organisations to
implement targeted social programs. However, these organisations lack the
capacity to ‘replace’ state institutions; moreover, they frequently reproduce
local vertical hierarchies, thereby perpetuating social and power disparities. Another aspect of this social impact
analysis is the importance of addressing the specific needs of voluntary
returning migrants. Returnees pose specific social and labour-related
challenges that need to be taken into account. There may be a need to put in
place mechanisms for the assessment of the skills acquired abroad, including
those gained in an informal manner. There may be a need to reinforce capacities
of the third countries' relevant authorities to provide retraining modules for
those who didn’t work abroad at a level corresponding to their qualifications. It
is clear that sustainable social and economic reintegration options need
to be streamlined and better integrated into overall social cohesion policies. Finally, from a structural perspective,
migration may discourage economic and social reforms and contribute to continuing
emigration. In poor households, remittances may act as a disincentive to making
claims from the state, thereby reducing the pressure on state obligations or
even public investment in infrastructure and social services. On the other
hand, some partner countries may see migration as a way of relieving the
pressure on the labour market by lowering unemployment, although the research
shows that this impact is very limited. 3.2.2. Protecting the
human rights of all migrants during their transit process Respect for the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the
EU is a key component of EU policies on migration. Impacts on fundamental
rights of any new EU initiatives shall be thoroughly assessed.[15] The adoption of a migrant-centred approach reflects
this need to ensure the protection of human rights of all migrants along
the migratory routes, in countries of origin, transit and destination. This
would encompass measures aimed at ensuring a better protection for vulnerable
migrants, such as unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers, victims of trafficking,
and stranded migrants, and the specific challenges of migrant women. A
migrant-centred approach is also about empowering migrants, and ensuring that
they have access to all relevant information about the opportunities provided
by legal migration channels and the risks of irregular migration. With specific reference to transit countries, the main
areas of need are related to the capacity building of law enforcement personnel,
assistance in managing mixed migration flows including through proper
identification and registration of persons in need of protection, and the establishment
of referral systems. The prevention, protection and prosecution of criminal
acts and human rights violations committed against migrants, especially those travelling
irregularly, constitute a further priority. Specific attention should be paid
to the specific needs of unaccompanied minors, as well as migrant
women and the incidence of gender violence. Lastly, there is a need to ensure decent living
conditions for migrants in reception centres in third countries, including
apprehended irregular migrants, in order to meet their essential humanitarian
and health needs, and to provide basic health care and nutrition assistance. This strengthened emphasis would be in line with one
of the main conclusions of the Mid Term Evaluation of the Thematic Programme on
Migration and Asylum 2007-2013, which underlined the fact that the EC had
provided high quality technical assistance and capacity building to combat
irregular migration, but that it could do better when it came to mainstreaming
democratic principles and human rights. Migrants may indeed be vulnerable to
abuses during recruitment, travel and employment abroad. Moreover, the money
paid by irregular migrants to organised crime, smugglers and traffickers causes
a considerable loss to development. Increased cooperation between all of the states
involved, i.e. countries of origin, transit and destination, should be
supported in order to mitigate these risks effectively. 3.2.3. Integration of migrants in countries of destination: building on
good practices identified in the EU Across the world,
policy coherence is a key issue at national level for countries of both emigration
and immigration. There is a need to combine the internal and external dimension
of donors’ policies, labour market policies and immigration laws, as well as
migration and development strategies. Integrating migration into national
development strategies is an issue that concerns not only countries of origin,
but also countries of destination and transit. Often, developing destination countries are unable
to ensure adequate protection of migrants’ rights. Although the absence of
adequate legislation in line with international standards concerning the rights
of migrants and the protection of workers is a key factor in many countries,
even where there are proper legislative frameworks in place, factors such as
weak enforcement of the rule of law, a lack of administrative capacity to implement
it and a failure to acknowledge abuse of migrants or to take an interest in
migrant protection conspire to leave migrants vulnerable to risks and
exploitation. Initiatives aimed to improve respect for migrant rights should
include a wide variety of partners, from civil society to local
administrations, the business sector and labour unions. Wherever possible,
initiatives should target the rights of both nationals and migrants; otherwise,
problems of racism and xenophobia may be exacerbated. At
the national level, migration is usually dealt with by a number of different
state institutions. However, these actors get together only seldom to discuss
the issues at stake. Systematic coordination among government offices and
inclusive dialogue with other stakeholders should be encouraged in order to
further adapt social policies, especially in access to Health, Social
Protection and Education. It is clearly essential that an inclusive economic
development strategy in countries receiving migrants to should be more effective
in addressing the integration of the foreign workforce into the local
labour market, so as to avoid ad hoc recruitment through the informal economy,
and to support entrepreneurship initiatives and actions aimed at socio-economic
empowerment of migrant women. Social exclusion has to be countered by involving
migrant communities more effectively into local life, including local decision
making. Decent
work and core labour standards, as advocated by ILO, could be further promoted
in many countries around the world where standards at the worksite or in regard
of the working conditions are not respected, and where there are weak
institutions or weak labour markets. Any
functional policy for the integration of migrants must be human rights based,
and combating racist or xenophobic hate speech and hate crime, as well as
discrimination, gender based violence and labour exploitation, must be
mainstreamed into national human rights’ strategies. Access to justice
for migrants and enforceability of rights are key issues. Achieving this
objective will mainly involve raising awareness and building up the capacity of
law enforcement authorities, labour inspection services and judicial systems. National
and local authorities particular attention to vulnerable groups −
especially unaccompanied minors, victims of trafficking or of gender based
violence − as well as asylum seekers and refugees. A
comprehensive strategy on the integration of South-South migrants (see below)
should also ensure a greater involvement by countries of origin, and a dialogue
with countries of destination. It could support diaspora groups and consular
services of countries of origin in third countries of destination, so that they
can better attend to the needs of their communities and bridge the gap between
them and the local authorities. This is one of the main elements for ensuring the
enforceability of human and social rights, and strengthening positive outcomes from
south-south migration for both countries. The
European Agenda for Integration of Third Country Nationals (adopted by the
Commission in July 2011),[16]
emphasises the need for effective integration measures to fully realise the
potential of migration, and it also proposes that countries of origin should be
involved in supporting the integration process. Best practices on integration
in EU Member States could be shared with non-EU partner countries. 3.2.4. South-South migration The South-South dimension is a traditional
component of development cooperation policy and has to be seen as providing
support to cooperation between third countries at intra- and inter-regional
level. Current estimates indicate that 40-60% of the migrants
from developing countries reside in other developing countries. Almost 80% of
South-South migration is estimated to take place between countries with
contiguous borders; most appears to occur between countries with relatively
small differences in income. For instance, African countries welcome around 19
millions international migrants, mainly Africans, creating opportunities but
also new challenges to manage for developing countries. Estimates of South-South remittances range between 9
and 30 % of the developing countries’ remittance receipts.[17] The impact of South-South migration on the
income of migrants and natives is smaller than for South-North migration.
However, even small increases in income can have substantial welfare
implications for the poor, and cross-migration can improve
the match between skills and requirements in the countries involved, thereby raising efficiency and improving welfare. These findings suggest that policy makers
should pay attention to the complex challenges faced by developing countries,
not only as countries of origin of migrants, but also as countries of
destination. However, designing appropriate policies will require considerable
efforts to improve data, and a careful analysis of the socioeconomic impact of
migration on wages, income distribution, climate change, environment, gender,
health, and migrants’ rights. The South-South dimension of
migration is indeed a component that cuts across all of the areas mentioned
earlier and should be properly taken into account in the EU dialogue with
partner countries and regions, as well as properly addressed through
development cooperation actions, including by facilitating exchanges between
our partner countries on migration issues.
4. The way
forward on Development and Migration:
Whether explicitly or implicitly, migration issues are
part of various sectoral policies of any country, whether they be related to
justice and home affairs polices, economic (including sustainable natural
resource use) or social policies. The governments of developing countries take
decisions to foster economic development or ease labour market tensions by
means of immigration or emigration. At the same time, many countries do not
have the strategic policies in place, but still need immigration and emigration
for their economic development. The lack of a comprehensive policy framework
may result in ad hoc and arbitrary regulations and substandard protection of
migrants. Many countries lack an awareness of the synergies and
interdependencies between migration and other policy areas. However, in times
of economic crisis, societal instability or even post-conflict situations,
migration flows can stabilise or destabilise an economy and can impact on the
social cohesion of the country. From an employment point of view, the scale of
the informal sector in developing countries makes labour migrants prone to
exploitation, trafficking and smuggling, but also to social dumping.
Furthermore, the social costs of migration are considerable and, if left
unattended, may outweigh the economic gains of overseas employment. To tackle this complex set of challenges effectively,
the adoption of a migrant-centred approach is an important step forward that
needs yet to be developed further in a comprehensive and coherent manner in
order to harness the potential of migration as a key driver of economic growth. More specifically, it will be necessary to:
continue and deepen Migration and
Mobility Dialogues with third countries, where appropriate in the context
of regional processes, so as to exchange information, identify shared
objectives and agree on common goals and actions;
further assess the economic and social
costs of migration;
study/support the adaptation of
economic development models to a global and evolving context in countries that
are increasingly feeling the significant effect of migration flows;
deepen the discussions on the link
between migration and trade;
further evaluate the experience of the
coherence between national employment policies and active promotion of
labour emigration and the extent to which global or regional
mismatches between labour demand and supply may trigger international
migration of workers; assess the influence of public policies on
migration.
More focused attention should be paid to
the debate on the connection between forced displacement and development,
in particular the links between migration, climate change and environmental
degradation. Poor management of forced displacement and inadequate efforts
to achieve durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs) may have a destabilising effect on weak national and local institutions,
generate tensions between displaced and local communities, and lead to
conflict, violence and further displacement. The search for durable solutions
needs to address the development needs of refugees and IDPs, such as the loss
of housing, land, property, resilience to adverse impacts of climate change,
and a healthy environment, and to re-establish livelihoods and promote access
to public services such as health and education. Past experience has
highlighted the importance of supporting an integrated approach which offers
development assistance to those who are forcibly displaced, returnees and the
local communities. The potential development opportunities of forced
displacement for receiving communities in areas such as economic linkages
between displaced and host communities, including trade, as well as improved
access to services and infrastructures in remote areas of the country
benefiting from development assistance should also be acknowledge and
encouraged. While not exhaustively, the above mentioned challenges
demonstrate a broadening of the ongoing reflection. This goes hand in hand with
the continued integration between the EU’s external migration policy and the
cooperation framework, and vice versa, in order to arrive at a balanced
approach which corresponds to the EU development policy objectives. For these
reasons the European Commission will continue its work on migration and
development both at policy and at operational level. 5. CONCLUSION The migration and development pillar of
the Global Approach is still taking shape, but significant results have already
been achieved. The Stockholm Programme has provided for an Action Plan up to
2014 which can be supplemented with new ideas that have emerged during the
public consultations and the assessment of the activities implemented so far. This
document therefore suggests deepening the traditional areas of the agenda and
broadening it to embrace a more migrant-centred approach. Beyond the traditional agenda, the current reflection
focuses on the need for a new paradigm which encompasses migration as a factor
of development and economic growth in the medium and long term, and hence as a
component of EU development policy alongside other sectors such as education,
or health. 1)
As to the traditional migration and development agenda, significant
results have been achieved so far, but further challenges remain to be tackled:
Migration has become an integral part
of a number of national and regional development strategies.
Several partner countries and regions have received support to develop and
implement their own migration strategies, to gather and analyse migration
data, and also to strengthen the capacities of the relevant institutions.
The EU will continue supporting these efforts to manage migration as part
of a coherent development framework and in line with local specificities
and priorities.
Development objectives are being
increasingly taken into account in the migration policies of the EU and its
partner countries. At the same time, the migration dimension is being increasingly
taken into account within development strategies. The EU will continue to
promote the Policy Coherence for Development agenda, with a view to
identifying the remaining barriers in EU legislation and policy, as well strengthening
development capacities and mechanisms in third countries.
The EU is widely recognised as a major
player at international level when it comes to facilitating cheaper and
more secure private flows of remittances to developing countries,
while strengthening their development impact. The EC has launched a study
to help propose new recommendations, and to assess the opportunity and
feasibility of a common EU portal on remittances. More efforts should also
be invested in capacity building with respect to partner countries
interested in designing regulatory frameworks, as well as financial
literacy and new technologies.
The EU has strengthened its efforts to
support and work with diasporas based in Europe that are willing to
contribute to development projects in their countries of origin. It also
increasingly supports similar efforts by partner countries. The EU will
continue to invest in leveraging the contribution of diaspora communities
to development and endeavour to better utilise their knowledge and expertise.
The EU will also assess how to contribute more effectively to enhancing
the value of migrants’ skills and a knowledge in their countries of origin,
as well as whether to support diaspora volunteering and diaspora funds put
in place by partner countries.
·
Some progress has been
achieved in mitigating brain drain’, especially in the health sector,
while support for labour market policies and decent work in partner countries
is also an important strategy to help these countries attract and retain
skilled workers. The EU will further analyse examples of ‘brain gain’ and
assess how to scale up successful examples, as well as how to fight brain waste’.
Including retention strategies of skilled workers in political dialogues with
partner countries could be an option to consider. on migration issues. ·
Circular mobility has been encouraged by means of a number
of national and EU legislative measures, as well as by specific projects. In
future, greater efforts will be invested in actually achieving’ the ‘triple win’
scenario traditionally associated with circular migration. The ‘win’ for the
migrant would be more directly linked to empowerment, training opportunities,
portability of knowledge and skills, and enhanced employability upon their return.
The ‘win’ for the country of origin appears to be quite limited in terms of
reduced pressure of unemployment on the domestic labour market; it depends very
much on the quality of the skills and competences ‘repatriated’ by the migrants
and on the capacity of the country to make use of them. Even the gain for the
destination country, and particularly for the employer, appears to be limited
when the maximum period of employment is too short to represent a good pay-off to
the employer for the investment training and the time required to overcome
language and cultural barriers. Increased portability of social security
rights should be promoted as a key incentive to circular migration and,
more generally, to legal labour mobility. 2) Broadening the traditional agenda, the EU is working towards putting in
place a more comprehensive framework to accompany and protect the migrant along
his/her migratory route, which should also take into account the social
consequences of migration.
This includes addressing the needs
created by emigration flows in the countries of origin, in particular by
increasing knowledge about by children, women and families left behind. and mitigating the adverse effects they
face, while not ignoring
the potentially negative social impact of remittances on families and
communities. The EU also believes that additional efforts could be
invested in accompanying sustainable return.
This approach also encompasses the protection
of the human rights of all migrants during their transit process by
devolving efforts to protecting
vulnerable migrants (unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers, victims of
trafficking, stranded migrants) and to the specific needs of women;
supporting the capacity building of law enforcement forces and referral
systems; supporting the prevention, protection and prosecution of criminal
acts and human rights’ violations committed against migrants, including
those travelling irregularly; and ensuring decent living conditions for
migrants in reception centres in third countries.
Lastly, strengthening efforts related
to the improved integration of migrants in countries of destination
is a key component of this approach. There needs to be an improvement in
both understanding and action in relation to social integration and the adaptation
of social policies (especially health and education), environmental
sustainability, economic and labour integration, women’s empowerment and
gender equality, and combating xenophobia and social exclusion. In this
regard, the mainstreaming of the specific needs of forced migrants in the development
policies of third countries should be enhanced.
In order to make operational cooperation
more efficient and to achieve these goals, efforts will be made to support
EU delegations, including through specific training and exchanges of
knowledge and experience on migration issues, to better coordinate and mobilise
available EU financial instruments, including through more exchanges with
Member States on their own migration and development projects. The recent consultations held by the
Commission confirm that the reality and the challenges faced by partner
countries as far as the link between development and migration is concerned are
much broader and more complex than the areas already addressed so far. Migration has a significant impact on the development
of non-EU countries. Several governments have based their economic development
model partly on immigration or on emigration, often disregarding the economic
and social costs and consequences that this choice entails as well as the cost
effectiveness of migration in terms of growth and sustainable development.
Numerous non-EU countries face migration flows that are essential for their
economies, but lack a structured and targeted policy framework. Awareness about
synergies and interdependencies between migration and other policies, such as
domestic employment policy or trade agreements, is often lacking. The influence
of a number of public policies on migration patterns is usually overlooked. In
case of crises or conflicts, variations in flows are difficult to cope with and
could destabilise economies and weaken social cohesion. The predominance of the
informal sector in many developing countries contributes to employment of
irregular workers with all the subsequent problems of exploitation,
trafficking, smuggling and social consequences or creates conditions for social
dumping. There is a growing need to promote migration
governance in a development perspective at all levels, from international to
national ones, and to improve a common understanding of the development and
migration nexus, including the economic and social consequences of policies, be
they in migration/asylum or in other sectors. This argues in favor of a
deepening of the current reflection. [1] COM 2005 (390) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2005:0390:FIN:EN:PDF. [2] COM 2006 (409) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0409:FIN:FR:PDF. [3] The Stockholm Programme: An open
and secure Europe serving the citizen (December 2009) Council Conclusions of 18 November 2009 (Policy
Coherence for Development) Council Conclusions of 18 May 2009 (support to
developing countries in coping with the crisis) Council Conclusions 11 November 2008 (EU position for
Doha FfD Conference) Council conclusions on the evaluation of the Global
Approach to Migration and on the partnership with countries of origin and
transit (November 2008). [4] Directive
2007/64/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 13 November 2007 on
payment services in the internal market http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:319:0001:01:EN:HTML. [5] One-leg-out payments are transactions where either the payment
account of the originator or of the beneficiary is located outside the Single
Euro Payments Area, i.e. outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Monaco. . [6] More information can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/dci/non_state_actors_en.htm The Non-state actors and local authorities in
development 2011-2013 Strategy Paper specifically states that ‘initiatives and
projects may have a cross-border character and/or involve national communities
living abroad (such as diaspora organisations). [7]
COM(2010) 379. [8] http://emn.intrasoft-intl.com/Downloads/prepareShowFiles.do;?entryTitle=03_Temporary
and CIRCULAR MIGRATION: empirical evidence, current policy practice and future
options. [9]‘Evaluation of the concrete results obtained through projects financed
under AENEAS and the Thematic Programme for Migration and Asylum’ (published in june 2011, reference 2010/254-538. [10] http://emn.intrasoft-intl.com/Downloads/prepareShowFiles.do;?entryTitle=03_Temporary
and CIRCULAR MIGRATION: empirical evidence, current policy practice and future
options. [11] ‘EU Strategy for Action on the Crisis in Human
Resources for Health in Developing countries’ COM(2005) 642 final. [12] ‘The EU Role in Global Health’ COM(2010) 128 final. [13] Worldbank, 2010. [14] Since its inception in 2007, more than 130 projects have been approved
for funding under the Thematic Programme on Migration and Asylum. Migration and
Development is the second biggest thematic intervention area, receiving
approximately 30-35 % of the allocated funds. . [15] Strategy for the effective implementation of the Charter of
Fundamental Rights by the European Union, COM(2010) 573 final. [16] COM(2011) 455,. [17] World Bank data, 2008.