Speech
College of Europe, Bruges 04 March 2009
Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy
(Minna Ljunggren, State secretary)
Towards a new approach for managing the migration challenge
Speech at the College of Europe, Bruges/Brûgge, March 4. 2009.
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all I would like to thank the College of Europe for organising and hosting this conference on this important matter. It has been very interesting to listen to the discussions this far. I would also like to pass on a message from Minister Billström. He regrets that he is not able to attend the conference here today, but since he is due to become a father for the first time today (!) he had other priorities...
As has been recalled several times today, ten years has passed since the adoption of the Tampere programme and five years since the adoption of the Hague programme. Significant steps have been taken in order to develop a Common European Migration and Asylum policy. I would like to take this opportunity to outline my view on some important aspects of the development of a new approach for managing the migration challenge. It covers issues on legal migration, asylum and EU's need to develop its relations with third countries in the field of migration.
Last year important steps in the policy development were taken with the presentation of the Future Group's reports on "European Home Affairs in an open world" and the adoption of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum by the European Council. These documents provide a good basis for the coming work. Through the Pact EU and its Member States express their commitment to conduct a fair, effective and consistent policy for dealing with the challenges and opportunities in the migration area and it will be a central element when we continue the discussion of the new five-year programme and beyond.
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Migration and human mobility are no new phenomena. People have always moved and human mobility has often been a source for both economic, cultural and technical development. The movement of capital, goods, services and people across boarders are the fundamental principles of the European Union and a defining feature of our increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Even if increased mobility poses significant challenges, the benefits that can be realized through well-managed global migration cannot be put into question.
For countries of destination, well-managed migration can help to prevent labour shortages and bottlenecks in the labour market, increase tax revenues, and make economies and cultures more dynamic. For countries of origin remittances and the temporary - or permanent - return of migrants can facilitate investment and the transfer of new knowledge and social capital. Even in times of global economic crisis, migration can play a vital role in the recovery. The development of a forward-looking, broad and comprehensive European Migration Policy that can benefit all stakeholders should be the goal of the EU. Restricted mobility and protectionism is not the answer to our future challenges. Mobility and openness must thus continue to be embraced!
The new policy must take into account that most, if not all, countries in Europe will face demographic challenges and labour shortages in a wide range of sectors within a few years time. According to demographic data the working population in Europe will have shrunk by 48 million between now and 2050 while the number of people aged 65 and above will increase so that the EU will change from having four to only two persons of working age for each citizen aged 65 and above. If we are to fulfill the goal set out in the Lisbon strategy that the EU should remain a competitive player in the global economy, we will have to face, among other things, the problem of a shrinking population. Facilitating expanded opportunities for labour migration is crucial also in fulfilling the objective to make the European labour market as attractive and competitive as possible as well as the targets of full employment and maintaining the high standard of Europe's welfare systems.
In my view, an effective, flexible and demand driven labour migration policy will best meet Europe's needs. Sweden recently adopted a new system for labour immigration. In short, the reform means that as long as salary conditions and other relevant social insurance conditions are fulfilled, it is the needs of the labour market that should be decisive when applications for work permits are examined. I hope that the Swedish reform can serve as an inspiring example.
We will not be able to prevent migration - on the contrary! In an increasingly globalised and inter-dependent world we can foresee continuous mobility of people. Thus, the new EU policy must explicitly recognize the role third country nationals residing in the EU can play both in our economies and in the development of their countries of origin. The natural propensity of many migrants to move back and forth between their countries of origin and destination must be encouraged, The policy should therefore seek to avoid obstacles to voluntary return and circular migration. In this context, more attention should also be given to strengthening the many positive aspects of migration for countries of origin, countries of destination and the migrants themselves. Increased coherence between different policy areas is desirable.
A successful European Migration Policy is dependent on a deepened and broadened dialogue and cooperation with third countries. The signals we send to the rest of the world are easily misinterpreted. Therefore, a continuous development and efficient implementation of the Global Approach to Migration remains a priority and should be fully integrated into all relevant aspects of the EU's external policies. The Global Approach should be based on genuine partnership and joint ownership with third countries and it should be carried out in a spirit of solidarity among EU Member States. Increased focus and resources must be devoted to intensifying implementation of the migration and development agenda. Asylum and the protection of refugees must remain a key element of the Global Approach to Migration.
It is also important to improve measures to combat illegal immigration and human smuggling. It is indeed a problem that people are entering the EU illegally and risk being exploited. However, such measures must be implemented with respect for fundamental human rights and in such a way that they do not undermine the right to apply for asylum. I believe that illegal immigration is best combated by the creation of more legal ways into the EU rather than building walls at our borders.
Without going into details, it should be mentioned that a successful integration policy is a key factor for realising the positive impact of migration, both for the individual for society as a whole. Integration policy addresses the consequences of migration and is interlinked with both migration and other policy areas such as social and employment polices.
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
International migration has several faces. A world where people migrate only out of choice, to realize their potentials, is not foreseeable in a near future. If the European Union is to be able to constitute a safe haven for those who are in need of international protection, the full establishment of a Common European Asylum System must remain a key objective for the EU. This system should be based on a full and inclusive application of the Geneva Convention and other relevant international treaties.
As I see it there are three core objectives which the Common European Asylum System must fulfill. Firstly, EU must be able to provide access to a fair and efficient asylum system which grants protection to those in need of protection.
Secondly, the system must be credible and sustainable. As we all know, the number of asylum seekers differs substantially between Member States. In some Member States more than 70 percent of asylum applications are approved, whereas in others the approval rate is less than two percent. One reason is that there are still significant differences between national provisions in terms of procedures, status determination and reception conditions.
The answer to this is proper implementation of already existing EU legislation and continuation of the work to further harmonise national legislation along with a harmonized decision making and the development of a common practice.
The third objective concerns solidarity. Some Member States find themselves under particular migratory pressure and here we need to further explore different possibilities of solidarity mechanisms for sharing the responsibilities between the Member States. The Common European Asylum System forms the common grounds to promote solidarity within the EU.
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Access to the asylum system will continue to be an important issue. Further development of resettlement schemes should therefore also be developed. Often the most vulnerable people do not have the possibility to come to Europe and apply for asylum. Instead they end up in refugee camps in neighbouring countries where the conditions are very difficult. This is also a heavy burden for the receiving countries. With the establishment of a European resettlement scheme the EU can show solidarity both with the most vulnerable people and with the countries, for example in Africa, that receive the major part of the refugees.
However, when developing a Common European Asylum System we do not start from scratch. The existing legal instruments in place must be evaluated through an independent and impartial evaluation mechanism to make sure that there is convergence in asylum decision-making between Member States. These findings, together with the practice from the European Court of Justice, are relevant in the future work of further improving the system. In addition, practical cooperation in the asylum area between the Member States is essential for the implementation of the existing legal instruments. The European Asylum Support Office will play an important role in promoting and fulfilling this work.
The credibility of the Common Asylum System also depends on how the EU manages to promote refugee protection and durable solutions in third countries for those who do not have possibilities to leave their regions of origin. In terms of showing solidarity with third countries by strengthening their protection capacity, the Regional Protection Programmes play an important role and should be used more frequently. UNHCR has been given a global mandate to provide protection and assistance to refugees. Naturally, any development in this area needs to be in close cooperation with and support to the UNHCR.
It is crucial if the Common European Asylum System is to maintain its credibility that those who are not in need of protection are identified and secured. Consequently, Member States must ensure that failed asylum seekers leave their territories. This principle should be effectively applied by all Member States with due respect for the law and for the dignity of the persons involved, giving preference to voluntary return. In this context, EU should continue to stress the importance it attaches to the principle - already laid down in the Cotonou agreement - that all States are required to readmit their own nationals who are staying illegally on the territory of another State.
To this end, further readmission agreements should be concluded at EU level with those countries with which this is necessary. Each Member State should have the legal instruments to ensure that third-country citizens illegally staying in a Member State can be returned.
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As a conclusion, I would like to underline that we have a challenge ahead of us for the future, but there are also great opportunities to seize. It will take a lot of work if we are to reach our ambitious goals. However, I believe it is worth the effort. A first step would be for the Union to agree on an ambitious new five year programme. That will be a top priority for the Swedish Presidency. The benefits of establishing common European migration and asylum polices cannot be overestimated and I look forward to cooperate with you on this matter.
Thank you for your attention, I look forward to our discussion.
