Parliamentary Assembly
Assemblée parlementaire |
Provisional edition
Migration and integration: a
challenge and an opportunity for Europe
Resolution 1437 (2005)[1]
1.
Strong, steady growth can be noted in human mobility. Europe, which is
viewed as an area of stability and prosperity, will continue in coming years
to be immensely attractive to migrants from less-favoured countries and to
asylum seekers fleeing wars, persecution and human rights violations.
2.
In a multicultural, multi-ethnic Europe, which is increasingly a refuge for
asylum seekers and a destination for immigrants, a pressing challenge for
governments is to guarantee that the fundamental values of our societies, as
codified by the European Convention on Human Rights, including the respect of
human rights, democracy and the rule of law, will be shared by everyone living
in Europe.
3.
It is necessary to take up this challenge in order to be able to benefit fully
from the opportunities that immigration offers Europe in terms of the supply
of labour, intellectual input and cultural diversity.
4.
The concept of integration aims at ensuring social cohesion through
accommodation of diversity understood as a two-way process. On the one hand,
immigrants have to accept the laws and basic values of European societies. On
the other, host societies have to respect immigrants’ dignity and distinct
identity and to take it into account when elaborating domestic policies.
5.
In accordance with its previous recommendations and resolutions, the
Parliamentary Assembly reiterates the importance of implementing effective
policies to ensure full integration of foreigners residing lawfully in Council
of Europe member states as part of an overall strategy covering all aspects of
migration, including labour migration and illegal migration, and the efforts
to combat trafficking in human beings and to combat terrorism.
6.
In this connection, the Assembly refers to its Recommendation 1625 (2003) on
policies for the integration of immigrants in Council of Europe member states
and in particular reasserts the principle that immigrants should be able to
participate fully in the life of the host country, on the basis of equality of
rights and opportunities in return for equality of obligations. The Assembly
has emphasized the importance, within the context of national integration
strategies, of extending voting rights to legal immigrants, in compliance with
the 1992 Convention of the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local
Level. The above obligations include showing respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms, as laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights,
for the principle of equality between women and men and, generally, for the
Constitution and laws of the host state.
7.
Council of Europe member states must, for their part, ensure that, within
their jurisdiction, immigrants are not discriminated against in terms of
access to and protection of their rights, with a particular attention to
certain sectors, such as education and employment.
8.
The Assembly draws attention to the many activities pursued by the Council of
Europe's intergovernmental committees, in particular the European Committee on
Migration (CDMG), to devise and promote integration policies capable of
meeting the current challenges.
9.
In this connection, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member states to:
i.
make it one of their political priorities to agree a migration strategy,
entailing an overall approach encompassing all aspects of migration,
including its causes and consequences and the challenges it raises. In this
context, it would be appropriate to:
a.
emphasise the importance of co-development policies, with the aim of
reducing poverty in the countries of origin, while giving them
responsibility for managing development instruments and resources;
b.
take steps to avoid migratory movements generated by the need for
protection, through activities and means of pressure aimed at preventing
conflicts and promoting respect for human rights in the countries of
origin;
c.
recognise immigrants as persons with fundamental human rights, the respect
of which must be ensured in full conformity with international and
regional human rights instruments including the provisions of the
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant
Workers and Members of their Families which member states are urged to
ratify and implement;
ii.
ensure, in all their activities that may have implications for migration,
including fighting terrorism, strict respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms, as laid down in the European Convention on Human
Rights and the protocols thereto;
iii.
offer opportunities for lawful immigration, with a view to employment, to a
number of would-be emigrants taking into account labour market needs in the
host country and its social system's capacity to guarantee a reasonable
standard of living for these workers and their families;
iv.
make a subsequent effort to foster knowledge of the fundamental values of
the Council of Europe at all levels within society, in particular among
immigrants, by:
a.
holding courses on basic rights and responsibilities for newly arrived
immigrants, free of charge;
b.
including this type of instruction in optional or mandatory integration
schemes for immigrants in those countries where such schemes exist;
c.
where possible, organising this type of instruction in the countries of
origin for would-be emigrants whose applications have been accepted;
v.
promote campaigns for the distribution of reliable, clear information, not
liable to be interpreted in a racist or xenophobic manner, on migration and
on the culture and traditions of immigrants living within their borders;
vi.
sign and ratify the 1992 Council of Europe Convention on the Participation
of Foreigners in Public Life at Local level;
vii.
develop reliable instruments for measuring migratory movements at national
level and co-operate in ensuring data comparability at an international
level.
10.
In addition, the Assembly invites the European Union to:
i.
pursue its efforts to establish a common asylum and migration policy;
ii.
support the new member states' efforts to cope with illegal immigration and
to endow them with legal and practical means of enhancing immigrants'
integration;
iii.
help raise European public awareness of the consequences of the accession of
the new member states and of their citizens' rights with regard to freedom
of movement.
[1] Assembly debate on 27 April 2005 (13th
Sitting) (see Doc.
10453, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees
and Population, rapporteur: Mr Branger). Text adopted by the Assembly
on 27 April 2005 (13th Sitting).
