| 1. Discussion continues on Council Directive
for short term permits
The latest version of the Council
Directive on residence permits issued to victims of trafficking
in human beings (17 December 2003) has been referred to the
European Parliament for their opinion, (available here as a
PDF download. See bottom of page about reading
PDF files.)
Marialiese Flemming, drafting for the Committee on Women's
Rights and Equal Opportunities, has suggested that the Article
6 should be amended to establish a set 30 day reflection period.
Currently Article 6 states that the reflection period should
be granted to trafficked people to allow them to recover and
escape the influence of traffickers and make an informed decision
as to whether to cooperate with the authorities, but the duration
of the reflection period shall be left to national law. A separate
amendment tabled by Elena Martinez-Orozco proposes a three month
reflection period.
Another amendment proposed in the draft opinion of Flemming
seeks to delete the right to access the labour market and to
vocational education and training on the grounds that this would
be "unreasonable". All
proposed amendments can be accessed here from the European
Parliament's website.
Interested organisations should lobby their governments to
support amendments in favour of a statutory reflection period
and to oppose any amendment which would deny trafficked people
who have been granted a residency permit access to the labour
market and to education or training. You can view a comparison
of current legislation on victims and witness protection in
EU member states, which was put together by the IOM, (available
here as a PDF download. See bottom of page about
reading PDF files.)
2. European Parliament debate considers
immigration issues
The European Parliament's (EP) annual debate on liberty, security
and justice on 11 February also considered immigration policies.
Most MEPs argued that legal immigration should be given a higher
priority on the European Union (EU) agenda, since the increase
in the trafficking in human beings and illegal immigration is
closely linked to the absence of legal avenues for migrants
who want to come to the EU for work purposes. However, the Irish
Minister of Justice, Michael McDowell, noted that the strengthening
of border controls against illegal immigration will continue
to be a Council priority in 2004.
3. Trafficking in East Africa
Elaine Pearson has completed research
on trafficking in East Africa for GTZ which covers Ethiopia,
Kenya, Tanzania as well as Nigeria. The report compiles existing
information on the current trafficking situation in each of
the countries, based on reports and interviews, and makes recommendations
on areas which need to be addressed. (Available here as a PDF
download. See bottom of page about reading
PDF files.)
4. UK migration inquiry takes more evidence
The International Development Committee continued its inquiry
into Migration and Development with its second evidence session
on 15 March. You can access the transcripts
from earlier sessions, along with written evidence that
the Committee has received from numerous organisations from
the UK Parliament website.
5. Migration publications and research
The International Catholic Migration Committee has published
a do-it-yourself kit on How
to Strengthen Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of Their
Families with International Human Rights Treaties, January
2004. This document provides cross referenced information on
relevant human rights standards applicable to migrant workers
and members of their families.
UNESCO has published research on the Identification
of the Obstacles to the Signing and Ratification of the UN Convention
on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members
of Their Families. The Asia-Pacific Perspective October
2003.
A Network
of Excellence in the Field of International Migration, Integration
and Social Cohesion (IMISCOE) has been established to provide
theoretical and empirical knowledge on migration issues that
can form a reliable basis for policy. The network brings together
19 established European research institutes and some 300 researchers.
For more information on IMISCOE's plan of work see their website
or e-mail info@imiscoe.org
The latest edition of MIGRANT NEWS
is available (as a Word document). It includes developments
in the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant
Workers and Members of Their Families; a who's who in the Global
Commission on International Migration; information on the UN
Commission on Human Rights; and an International Migrants' Rights
Calendar.
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