MIGRANT.NEWS, October 3, 2001

1. September 11 and aftermath

The visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants to Mexico and the US was due to the September 11 attack postponed to a later date. In a following statement, Mrs. Rodriguez condemned the acts of violence against migrants and encouraged Governments to take further steps to prevent such violence against migrants from taking place and called on all Governments to adopt, when necessary, special measures to protect those most vulnerable from these acts of hatred and xenophobia. The statement (English only) is available on http://www.december18.net. The site also includes a link to a statement (English only) by the US National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. The NNIRR also calls for a period of reflection and dialogue, for respect for innocent lives and for international law. December 18 and Migrants Rights International support all calls for the protection of migrants and against war.

Migrante International organised on October 1 a demonstration before the Embassy of Belgium in Manila in protest against a raid conducted by the Belgian police on September 20 in Brussels against 30 Filipinos including children. According to the Flemish newspaper De Morgen (25/09/01), they were brought in for interrogations on suspicions of links to terrorist organisations. All were released but two undocumented persons were put on a plane back to the Philippines. According to Migrante no warrants were shown nor were the 30 Filipinos informed of the true nature of the interrogations. Some were told that it was a raid for undocumented.The government of the Philippines was informed by Brussels that the raid was part of a routine control.

Human Rights Watch is monitoring backlash against migrants in Western Europe as a result of the September 11 attacks. HRW would be grateful for detailed information from NGOs, migrants groups, and humanitarian organizations regarding ways in which emergency and anti-terrorism laws/policies/practices are now being applied toward migrants and migrant communities (e.g. the example above regarding the interrogations of Filipino migrants in Belgium; the recent application of the UK's anti-terrorism detention provisions to six Iraqi migrants who stowed away on a lorry). Please send information via email to Julia Hall in the Europe and Central Division at hallj@hrw.org.

In many countries marches are organised for peace and for respect of the human rights of migrants. The Belgian Peace Movement is organising on Sunday, October 7, 2001 at 15 pm at the ëGare du Nordí in Brussels a March in Solidarity with the Victims of Violence all around the World. They call for justice and not revenge, against Belgian participation at a war, for disarmament and development, for respect and against racism and to break the chain of violence. For information, see http://www.motherearth.org/NoWar (in Dutch only) or contact vrede@vrede.be

On Tuesday October 9, 2001 the International Center for Migration, Ethnicity, and Citizenship, US will host a public forum entitled "Immigrants Under Siege: Aftershocks of the World Trade Center Attack". This roundtable discussion will feature public officials, community leaders, the general public, and will be chaired by Professor Aristide Zolberg (University Professor in Exile, New School University and the Director of ICMEC.) The discussion will begin at 6pm and will be held in the Machinist Conference Room on the mezzanine level of the Graduate Faculty Building. Please RSVP to icmec@newschool.edu if you are interested in attending.

2. European Union

Last Sunday, the EU started its High Impact operation on the borders of the future member states (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic States). The operation in cooperation with police of the 15 EU member states will last one week and is aimed at stopping traffickers of human beings. In the first two days, 2 traffickers were arrested and an unspecified number of ëillegals' were transferred to ëemergency servicesí.

An EU Regional Conference on Migration is held this week in Ljubljana, Slovenia. There is no information available online.

The EU Ministerial Conference on Migration will be held in Brussels on October 16-17.

See http://www.eu2001.be/omp/10-01.03-23_en.html

The next EU First Minister meeting will be held on October 19 in Ghent, Belgium. A March calling for an ëAnother Europe for another worldí starts at 7 pm at the Zuid. Information (in Dutch only) can be found on:

http://www.11.be/index.htm?campagnes/tobintaks/1910programma.htm&2

3. Calendar

The Belgian Migration and Development Platform (CCAE-B, CNCD, CIRE, FCD, La Maison de líAmÈrique Latine, Le Monde Selon les Femmes, ITECO, OXFAM-SolidaritÈ, SEDIF, Hassan BOUSETTA and Bonaventure KAGNE) organises on Friday 5 October 2001 a meeting entitled ëLes communautÈs de migrants, actrices de dÈveloppementí (Migrant communities, actors of development). The aim is to develop proposals and recommendations in view of the Belgian EU Presidency Ministerial Meeting on Migration scheduled on October 16 and 17. The NGO meeting will be held in La Maison Internationale - 139, rue Haute, 1000 Brussels (Belgium). For more information and to register, please contact CNCD by fax at 02/250.12.63 or by e-mail at migration.dev@cncd.be

This meeting is preceded by an European Seminar organised on October 3-4 in Brussels by Panos and the Migration and Development Platform. On the agenda are the IEMOs (immigrant and ethnic minority organisations) and Development Projects: What advantages, what constraints for partnership in co-operation?

Sin Fronteras, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) - Sub-regional delegation in Mexico and the University of Zacatecas organise from October 3 to 5 an International Conference on Transfers and Use of Remittances: Productive and Saving Projects. The migration movement from Mexico and Central America to the United States brings a continuous growth that keeps increasing the flows of remittances sent by migrants to the region. This reflects the existence of severe problems of structural economic regress, of incapacity to create the necessary jobs locally and the collective challenge for the region of looking for mechanisms that allow benefiting from the positive impacts of migration. For info, visit http://www.laneta.apc.org/sinfronteras/

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) is giving as of October 9 Trainings on Immigration and Benefits, Immigration Law and Marriage and on The Human Rights Act 1998 and One-Stop Immigration Appeals. They are held in London, UK. For the exact dates and detailed information, please contact: JCWI Training Services at lucia@jcwi.org.uk or visit http://www.jcwi.org.uk

On October 11, you are invited to a colloquium on Migrants in Politics, Lier, Belgium, in Dutch language. For information, please contact: Sophie Goemans at dewereldinlier@lier.be or visit http://www.vvsg.be/actueel/Colloquium-artikel.doc

The Inter-Church Platform day on Migration: profit or loss is organised on October 13 from 9 am - 4 pm in the Kruispuntkerk in The Hague, The Netherlands. This activity is part of the Dutch Migrants' Week. For information, please contact Pauline Ebing at p.ebing@bisdom-rotterdam.nl.

All documents and practical information concerning the EUROMED Civil Forum that will be held in Brussels on October 19-20 can be found in English and French on the following site http://www.forumcivileuromed.org . The Forum includes a section on migration.

GISTI is organising on October 22-23 in Paris a meeting on ëLa protection sociale des Ètrangers en France : Le rÙle des conventions internationales, l'assurance maladie, l'aide socialeí (The social protection of foreigners in France, The role of international conventions, the health insurance and social assistance). For information, please contact formation.gisti@ras.eu.org or visit http://www.gisti.org/formations/index.html

Effects of European Migration Politics on the Social Situation of Refugees and Migrants, Hannover, Germany in German language organised on October 23 by F–rderverein Nieders”chsischer Fl¸chtlingsrat and Caritasverband Osnabr¸ck. "New Borders in Central and Eastern Europe" - The main themes are results of the EU-enlargement (Czechia, Poland and Hungary) on the reality of the migrant-life. For information, contact the Fl¸chtlingsrat - Niedersachsen, email nds@nds-fluerat.org or visit http://www.nds-fluerat.org/

The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) is celebrating on October 27 its 50th Anniversary in the Republic of Congo with a series of six conferences (in French) on migration issues. It is organised by the 'Commission Episcopale pour les Migrants et les RÈfugiÈs (CEMIR)' in cooperation with the 'Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches ChrÈtiennes (CERC)'. Theme: Au carrefour des migrations: conjuguer ordre et dignitÈ (At the crosspoint of migrations : to combine order and dignity). Following dates: In 2001: 18 November and 8 December - In 2002 : 9 February, 6 April and 8 June. For information, please contact Rev. Fr. A.B. Okoko-Esseau at cemir@caramail.com

For more, see the International Calendar on http://www.december18.net

To add your activities on the rights of migrants and migration, please contact migrantnews@december18.net.

Please also inform us about your preparations for the celebration of the International Migrantís Day on 18 december 2001. Updates are immediately added the site.

4. Publication and projects

ëGlobal Migrants, Global Refugees - Problems and Solutionsí new publication edited by Aristide Zolberg, University in Exile Professor and Director, International Center for Ethnicity, Migration and Citizenship and Peter Benda, Associate Director, Center on Policy Attitudes and Program on International Policy Attitudes - Published by Berghahn. For information, please contact icmec@newschool.edu

Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) based in Ottawa, Canada, has recently signed a contract with the Government of Canada to carry out the Canadian component of a joint Canada-Mexico study of migrant children in the Puebla Region. The joint study was announced by Canada and Mexico at the most recent Vice-Ministerial Regional Conference on Migration held in San JosÈ, Costa Rica in March 2001. Their work will be policy and action oriented and focus on the most pressing needs of child migrants, including unaccompanied minors, in the areas of human rights, protection, and social services. They will also be looking at member countries' performance in implementing the final recommendations of the San Salvador seminar concerning migrant children. For information, please contact Sally Andrews by phone at 001-613-562-0880 ext/poste 227, by fax at 001-613-562-9502 or by e-mail at sally@acpd.ca.

5. New staff and web sites

Prior to the World Conference against Racism, Migrants Rights International (MRI) hired a new Project Manager, Ms. Genevieve Gencianos. Genevieveís background includes policy research and advocacy on international financial institutions in Washington DC, project design and implementation work on social development projects in the Philippines and Southeast Asia and refugee volunteer work in Australia. She can be reached at gencianosmri@yahoo.com. Genevieve will be working closely with Hector Mareque at MRI.

MRI is undergoing an upgrade of its emailing system. Its current email, migrantwatch@vtx.ch is having problems. It is therefore requested that urgent mails to MRI be sent directly to the staff emails, gencianosmri@yahoo.com or to marequemri@hotmail.com until further notice.

The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), Bangkok, Thailand informed us that Ms. Deep R. Rai has joined GAATW in September as the new International Co-ordinator. Ms. Deep has over 15 years of experience with a British INGO, Action Aid and worked as a consultant on several issues including gender and child rights. Email: gaatw@mozart.inet.co.th Website: http://www.inet.co.th/org/gaatw

The APMRN (Asia Pacific Migration Research Network) website has a new address : http://www.capstrans.edu.au/apmrn/

6. http://www.december18.net updates

French page: Papers

Les droits de la personne au sein du systËme interamÈricaine : la place accordÈe ý la protection des droits des migrants par Isabelle Laroche (also available in English and Spanish)

SÈminaire tripartite sur les Migrations de Travailleurs et les normes de líOIT ñ RÈgion de líOcÈan Indien par Patrick Taran, Juin 2001

English page : Articles

Race Dimensions of Trafficking in Persons

South Africa: Attacks on Migrants

Three Waves of Labor to Malaysia

The 1951 Convention: a new Supervisory Mechanism, Talk Back edition of 01/10/01

English page : World Conference against Racism

Refugees and Migrants at the World Conference against Racism by Rachael Reilly, Talk Back edition 01/10/01

English page: new page with Databases and Statistics on different aspects of migration.

Regular update of the international calendar, the IMD page and press releases.

END

Spanish and French translations made by Maria Ruiz (Spain) and Catherine Thomas (France)