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1. Kofi Annan urges EU to liberalise
its migration policy
On 29 January, UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan told the European
Parliament that asylum seekers and migrants "should not
be made the scapegoats for a vast array of social ills".
He noted that the public has been fed images of a flood of unwelcome
entrants which threaten their societies and identities and that
"immigrants have sometimes been stigmatised, vilified,
even dehumanised".
Kofi Annan observed that EU asylum systems "are overburdened
precisely because many people who feel they must leave see no
other channel through which to migrate". He urged the EU
to recognise that a "closed Europe would be a meaner, poorer,
weaker, older Europe. Migrants are part of the solution, not
part of the problem".
2. European Parliament calls for managed
migration into the EU
On 14 January, the European Parliament passed a resolution
on immigration, integration and employment. The resolution recognises
that migration flows are a reality which must be "harnessed
to the mutual benefit of host countries and countries of origin".
It also notes that without more legitimate economic migration
opportunities the pressure on asylum policy and all illegal
forms of migration will not decrease and that "facilitated
access of migrants to the labour market may reduce both supply
of and demand for illegal work".
The resolution calls on Member States to:
- put the positive case for managed migration;
- undertake the regularisation of immigrant workers who pay
taxes and social security contributions, but do not have a
residency permit;
- address the root causes of migration movements;
- undertake additional measures for social, cultural, religious
and political integration, including voting rights in local
and European elections for immigrants residing legally in
the EU.
The resolution underlines that migrants must not be seen "as
disposable workers who can be used and then discarded"
and that the fight against illegal immigration and trafficking
must not lead to the introduction of repressive policies towards
illegal immigrants. It also stresses that
managed migration cannot mean undermining developing countries
by cherry picking all their skilled workers or abusing migrant
workers under unacceptable conditions.
The Irish Justice Minister announced that the EU is committing
30 million euro to assist in the return of illegal immigrants
as a key element in tackling human trafficking and illegal immigration.
This raises concerns about the EU's counter-trafficking strategy
and whether the Parliament's resolution or the Secretary General
comments (see above) will have an impact on EU Council members.
For more on this go to article
on EU fund for return of illegal immigrants
3. East Timor ratifies Migrant Convention
The Legal Treaties and Human Rights Division of the Timorese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the instrument of
ratification for the 1990 UN Convention on the rights of migrant
workers was forwarded to the UN. However, as yet no official
confirmation has been received from the UN Office of the High
Commissioner on Human Rights.
4. Policy developments in the UK
The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants,etc.)
Bill, which contains the new offence of trafficking people
for exploitation, was discussed in Standing Committee. An amendment
was tabled by Neil Gerrard MP to close the loophole which would
make it difficult to prosecute traffickers who were exploiting
children, but not using force, threats or
deception. The Government is considering this amendment. To
read the debate go to Asylum
and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill,
Clause 4, trafficking people for exploitation.
The Government has also updated its trafficking toolkit, which
is available at Crime
Reduction Toolkits: trafficking of people.
5. Publications, campaigns and other
information
The International Rescue Committee has produced Issue
3 of Trafficking Watch (available here as a PDF download.
You will need Adobe Acrobat software to read this document,
Adobe Acrobat is available for free, click to download. ).
This features statistical information on trafficked persons
in the US and an interview with the Coordinator of the Office
of Refugee Resettlement Trafficking in Persons Program, US Department
of Health and Human Services. In addition there are news briefs;
policy and legal updates; features on anti-trafficking activities
being carried out by Boat People SOS and the Coalition for Immokalee
Workers; and a calendar of events on trafficking and related
topics in the upcoming months.
The IOM has published a report by Bridget Anderson, University
of Oxford and Julia O'Connell Davidson, University of Nottingham
entitled Is Trafficking in Human Beings Demand Driven?
(Migration Research Series No.15). The report sets out some
of the findings of the pilot study and ongoing research concerning
employer demand for domestic workers in private households,
and consumer demand for commercial sexual services in selected
European and Asian countries. For more information or to order
the report email: publications@iom.int
Each year Anti-Slavery International presents an organisation
or individual with the Anti-Slavery Award in recognition of
their work to combat slavery. The deadline for the submission
of nominations for the 2004 Award is 31 March. For nomination
forms and background information on the award go to:
http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/award.htm
UNESCO has set up a Database
on Human Rights Instruments in Asia and the Pacific
which gives information on human rights provisions in all national
constitutions of UNESCO's Asia and Pacific member states; the
status of core international human rights conventions; nationally-instituted
Human Rights Commissions/Committees; and some factual data on
each member country.
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