Migration and Development at the European Development Days- December 2011

The European Development days (EDD) took place on 15-16 December 2011 in Warsaw. It is a unique forum organised annually by the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Forum brought representatives from all over the world to give the opportunity to reflect upon and assess progress to date on development cooperation related issues. The Red Cross/EU Office and the Malian Red Cross participated as co- organizers of a panel discussion. The Austrian and Norwegian Red attended to the event which focused, this year on the link between "democracy and development”. Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development cooperation stated, "Development policy can lead to better governance; and better governance can be a crucial factor in poverty reduction. So development and democracy should go hand in hand.”

Migration, Development and human rights on the Agenda of the EDD.

The benefits of migration for development depend on the degree to which migrants are protected and empowered by countries from which they come and the Member States in which they live and work regardless of their legal status. UNDP has observed that people are the 'real wealth of nations 'and their human development is the basis for economic development. On 18 November 2011, the European Commission has released a new ‘Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM)’, , which calls for ‘a migrants centered approach’ and the mainstreaming of human rights protections throughout the migration cycle. In parallel a new European agenda for the integration of non-EU nationals has been proposed in July 2011, which seeks to increase economic, social, cultural and political participation by migrants and creates opportunities for increased policy coherence for development (PCD).

The speakers addressed the state of play of the various facets of the external dimensions of EU migration policies giving particular focus to the push factors of migration, the situation of most vulnerable migrants and the access to international protection.

Mamadou Traore, Executive Secretary of the Malian Red Cross highlighted the need of a human rights-based approach as a key driver of European Migration policy saying that "whatever we try to do, human beings must be at the centre of all that we do. [We] need to focus without discrimination on the most vulnerable on an impartial and systematic basis. A vulnerable migrant is someone who is in transit, but who has not yet arrived.”

Federica Giannaotta and Ignacio Packer from Terre des Hommes highlighted the growing phenomenon of child mobility and the field evidences that children on the move experience low standards of living and are unable to access basic social services necessary to ensure their social reintegration in the host society. In the wake of the uprising across North Africa and the outbreak of war in Libya, the example given was the situation of vulnerable migrants such as migrant children and unaccompanied minors arriving in Lampedusa following the 2011 North Africa events. Michael Oberreuter from Solidar and Charito Basa from the Filipinos Women's council, (EUNOMAD Italy) gave an interesting overview of the decent work agenda and the situation of domestic workers that has been denounced as the modern twenty first century slavery. It is estimated that there are 100 million Domestic Workers worldwide. In fact, domestic work constitutes 5-9% of employment in industrialized countries. A majority of these workers are migrants (often irregular) and many are women.

The European Commission was invited to present its strategy towards further mainstreaming of the human rights, and social and human aspects of mobility component into the Migration and Development nexus through the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) which set the policy framework for the EU’s relations with all non EU countries (EC Communication of November 2011).

This event was the good opportunity to highlight in depth the need to further seeking for Policy Coherence between EUmigration and development policies and make sure that the social and human implications as well as of mobility the human rights of migrants are fully taken into account.

In its recommendations, the Red Cross insisted on the Migration Resolution (entitled "Migration: Ensuring Access, Dignity, Respect for Diversity and Social Inclusion”) adopted in November 2011 during the last International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescentin Geneva. The Red Cross highlighted the need for the Red Cross/Red Crescent to be ensured effective and safe access to all migrants without discrimination and irrespective of their status. The IFRC Resolution calls upon "States, within the framework of applicable international law, to ensure that their national procedures at international borders, especially those that might result in denial of access to international protection, deportation or interdiction of persons, include adequate safeguards to protect the dignity and ensure the safety of all migrants”.

Source:

· Programme of the High Level Panel discussions

· Background note on migration and development

· EC Communication on the "Global Approach to Migration and Mobility” (GAMM), November 2011

· EC Working Staff Paper on Migration and Development, November 2011

· EC report on Policy Coherence for Development launched, December 2011

· 2011 Concord report on Policy Coherence for Development

· IFRC Resolution on Migration, November 2011

For more information, please contact: camille.gutton@redcross-eu.net or catherine.stubbe@redcross-eu.net