"Migrants in our societies: Policy choices for the 21st Century" - Conference of European Ministers responsible for Migration Affairs - Helsinki (Finland), 16 – 17 September 2002

 

Closing remarks by Gunnar Jansson, General Rapporteur

17 September

 

The conference discussed challenges in connection with

integration policies and

migration management.

I will stick to that structure in my closing remarks.

Integration policy was described by many speakers as a strategy by which states both nationally and internationally are able to meet the challenges that occur when millions of people seek entry and residence in other countries due to various and often alarming reasons.

Integration policy should, at least, contain four elements:

ensuring that migration to and from a country takes place in an orderly manner,

immigration under regulated conditions,

right to asylum must be carried safeguarded, and

integration policy must be carried out under procedures characterised by the principle of rule of law, humanity and respect for human rights of the individual, bearing in mind the provision in Article 2, § 2 of the Additional Protocol No 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights, which reads: "Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his/her own".

Thus, migration is a fundamental human right and demands regulation in the country of destination, because immigration is not a human right, you have the right to leave any country, but you cannot enter any other, on your free choice, than your own.

The challenges in connection with integration can be divided into

general challenges and

specific challenges

when an alien freely wants to take up residence in a new country.

The general challenges are both positive and egoistic in respect of our Council of Europe member states. Again, many speakers confessed that Europe needs labour forces; otherwise our generations must work until we are 77 years old; a globalised, computerised economy depends upon a globalised labour market; the cultural diversity contains obvious advantages. The creation in 1648 of national states was a means to bring an end to the religious wars in Europe, but there is no space for aggressive nationalism on our continent any longer.

The general challenges are also demanding, not only in respect of the international co-operation, but also on states, regions, local authorities and even on smaller units when it comes to everyday needs such as housing, work, language training, health and social care, because of a simple human reason: behind every migrant is a human being and in every human being there is a hope.

The specific challenges defer from the main stream. In respect of Kaliningrad we face a sui generis situation which should be resolved as a sui generis – a special case. Also the Crimean Tatars deserve special attention, as does the whole question in connection with the external border of the EU.

The specific challenges demand specific measures when it comes to all those irregular phenomena which were pointed out in the discussion and which violate human rights of individuals in the most cruel way, and they must be combated in all civilised societies. Severe illnesses demand strong medicines.

The second theme – challenges in connection with migration management – could be summarised as a strategy of proper implementation of the integration policies in the international co-operation and in the domestic policies on all, above-mentioned levels and in all areas concerned.

The measures to meet the management challenges can be divided into a) preventive measures and b) repressive measures both in the country of origin and in the country of destination as it was pointed out by several participants.

As we learn from the statistics, most cases are properly handled under the four elements I mentioned earlier. But abuses are regular – the prevention has failed – the management must be strengthened, if needed by repression, as in all human activities where money is involved.

Smuggling, trafficking, prostitution, organised criminality are, indeed, human

phenomena but combating them must be subject to both prevention and repression.

I will conclude with the following remark: 27 years ago, in this very hall, the process started where the protection of human rights and minorities was made a subject of international co-operation. In 1990 that principle was adopted at an OSCE Summit in Paris. This conference is an evidence of the observation that the process must go on, especially inside the Council of Europe member states.