Tal
Albufeira, Portugal 19 november 2007
Tobias Billström, Migrationsminister

Tal vid "EU-Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting on Migration"

Mr Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Migration was highlighted as an important issue for co-operation already in the Barcelona Declaration from 1995. However, for several reasons, progress in this field has only been possible in recent years. Sweden attaches great importance to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and has always been an active participant. We want to contribute in a constructive way and we have every interest in promoting peace, shared prosperity and stability in the Mediterranean region. I am pleased to be able to participate in this first Euro-Med Ministerial Meeting on Migration. I would especially like to thank the Portuguese Presidency for arranging the meeting and for its kind hospitality.

Migration is an inherent phenomenon in our increasingly globalized societies and economies. The scale and scope of international migration, as well as the complexity of migration issues, calls attention to the need to develop innovative ways to maximize the positive effects of legal migration and minimize the negative effects, as well as to engage our partner countries in a spirit of partnership.

This necessitates a broad, balanced and long-term approach to migration, where the overall aim to make sure that people migrate out of choice rather than necessity. We need to address the root causes of migration such as poor livelihood options, conflicts, social and gender inequalities, as well as human rights violations. Safeguarding the right of individuals to seek asylum must also be a fundamental part of our cooperation on migration. One key aspect of such a comprehensive approach involves promoting coherent policy approaches that identify and maximize synergies between migration and other policy areas (including development cooperation, trade, and foreign affairs). Another is fostering bilateral, regional and international cooperation and dialogue in the formulation and implementation of our migration policies.

All the Euro-Mediterranean counties are to some extent countries of origin, countries of transit and countries of destination. All Euro-Mediterranean countries have immigrant populations whose human rights we must respect and whose destinies lie in our hands. Respecting the human rights of migrants contributes to their integration and allows them to contribute positively to their host societies. Well integrated and legal migrants also tend to make a more substantial contribution to the development of their countries of origin.

Mr. Chairman,
Refugees who strive to enjoy their fundamental right to seek asylum often move among economic migrants. When facing the reality of these so-called ''mixed flows'' of migrants in the Euro-Mediterranean area, there is an obvious risk that people in need of international protection are not identified, and thus that we neglect the principle of non-refoulement. People in need of protection should be guaranteed access to a fair asylum procedure, irrespective of their legal or illegal status.

At the same time, burden sharing mechanisms need to be found in order to support those states whose infrastructure and societies are strained by large influx of forcibly displaced persons. Providing such support is becoming an increasingly integrated part of the European union's external action.

Mr. Chairman,
The facilitation of legal migration is, and should remain, a cornerstone of relations between the EU and our Mediterranean partners. If well-managed, legal migration represents a tremendous opportunity for all stakeholders, even if it does entail significant challenges that we need to address together in a spirit of partnership. A holistic and coherent approach to legal migration must also include an active recognition of the role that migrants and members of the Diaspora play in promoting development and poverty reduction in their countries of origin, as well as the contributions they make towards the enrichment and prosperity of destination countries.

For the EU, facilitating the growth of the European labour force by opening up for legal migration from third countries is essential in order to ensure that our labour markets remain diverse and vibrant in order to sustain a positive economic growth. For our Mediterranean partners, increased legal access to labour markets in the EU has the potential to spur development at home when labor migrants acquire valuable new skills while abroad, send remittances home to support families and friends, and engage in development work and invest in businesses and infrastructure.

As part of a holistic approach, our efforts to facilitate legal migration must also be based on the recognition that the old paradigm of permanent settlement is increasingly giving way to temporary and circular migration. This calls attention to the need to explore ways to facilitate the increasing propensity of many migrants to circulate between their countries of origin and destination. It is important that this growing recognition of a new EUROMED migration reality is transformed into concrete action.

In Sweden, we have taken up the challenge of addressing legal migration by examining possible changes to our existing legislation in order to facilitate increased labour migration from third countries in order to fill labour shortages. While these proposals have yet to be sent to and adopted by Parliament, they indicate the new Government's strong willingness to open the country for increased labour immigration.

Mr. Chairman,
Sweden believes that close cooperation between the Euro-Mediterranean partners is essential in order to control irregular migration in the Mediterranean region. All countries have the right to decide who is allowed to enter and stay on their territory - this is a matter of national sovereignty. Our ability to uphold fair, accessible and tolerant migration policies depends greatly on the commitment to international obligation of readmission so that returns can be carried out while respecting the rule of law in destination and transit countries.

However, reinforced border controls risk having only a negligible impact on the steady increase of irregular migrants, unless it is part of a broader perspective and approach. As I already mentioned, this must include, among other aspects, measures to address the root causes of migration, as well as the promotion of alternative livelihood opportunities. Measures to fight illegal immigration and the smuggling of human beings must be implemented in such a way that they do not undermine the fundamental right to seek asylum.

To conclude, I would once again like to stress the importance of a holistic approach that encompasses the whole spectrum of migration related issues. This is important for the continued growth and prosperity of our societies. I would also like to reiterate the importance of increased Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. The discussions during this meeting, as well as the political declaration that we will adopt, point to the importance we place on these urgent matters and of working together in a spirit of partnership.

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