On 5 October 2020, the Committee is organising a Webinar on the importance of migrants' remittances in times of crises. The webinar addresses the importance of remittances sent by migrants to their families and which is representing a vitally important source of income for households to survive in countries of origin. Global remittances may decline by about 20 percent in 2020 due to the economic crisis provoked by the Covid-19 pandemic. This decrease will affect the lives of the poorest populations in the developing world. It is very important that governments facilitate formal remittances by diasporas to their countries of origin during the crisis by lowering transfer fees and ensuring the security of operations, and collecting all such funds in the local currency for onward transfer, thus ensuring safer and better-controlled transfers. The webinar will bring together international experts dealing with remittances, members of parliaments and members of the Parliamentary Network on Diaspora Policies to discuss how to increase the attractiveness of formal remittances, which significantly contribute to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of some countries and help reduce government borrowing costs on international debt.

Climate change and a report on humanitarian consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic for migrants and refugees

On 16 October 2020, at its next meeting, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) will hold an exchange of views with Ms Dina Ionesco, Head of Division Migration, Environment and Climate Change of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), for the preparation of a report on Climate and migration (Rapporteur: Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez, Switzerland, SOC). This report will touch upon key issues of human rights protection for persons forced to move due to major environmental changes in Europe and beyond. Environmental phenomena risk sparking conflicts, as populations move to survive, giving rise to competition for access to resources. The report will assess the repercussions of climate change on migration, with a view to mitigating the fall-out, and planning ahead for the political and practical developments that will accompany that change. It will take into considerations the deliberations of the Council of Europe Conference on Environment and Human Rights to be held on 5 October 2020.

On 7 September 2020, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, approved a draft Resolution on the Humanitarian consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic for migrants and refugees. The report highlights that the evolving economic crisis will hit countries of origin harder than Europe’s comparatively stable economies, thus creating important additional migratory pressures and migration management issues. Member states are encouraged not to succumb to a fortress mentality. They should instead recognise the special needs of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees and value fully migrant workers’ contributions. Furthermore, they should implement the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Practical Recommendations and Good Practice to Address Protection Concerns in the Context of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the report, member states are also recommended to show greater solidarity towards developing countries in the context of the pandemic and consider debts relief, maintain or increase development cooperation, and implement measures to simplify the transfer of remittances by diasporas. The report will be debated at the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday 13 October 2020.

In addition, three new PACE rapporteurs were appointed to carry out reports on: Safe third countries for asylum seekers (Ms Stephanie Krisper (Austria, ALDE), Alternative care for unaccompanied and separated migrant children (Ms Maria Menzentseva (Ukraine EPP/CD) and Climate change and migration (Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC).