The Migration Crisis Europe at best or worst Keith Best for TEAM Global Former MP Chief Executive Immigration Advisory Service Freedom from Torture Vice Chair European Council on Refugees amp Exiles ID: 604772
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Diversity & Cohesion within the EUThe Migration Crisis – Europe at best or worst?
Keith Best for TEAM Global
Former MP, Chief Executive Immigration Advisory Service, Freedom from Torture, Vice Chair European Council on Refugees & ExilesSlide2
Current situation
Part of global phenomenon: >19 million people forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression; daily 42,500 more join them
Four million people, nearly a fifth of Syria's population, have fled the country since the war began in 2011 + 1.1 million refugees from Somalia and 2.59 million from Afghanistan
Most are in camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey – often dangerous with no future; EU gave $1.2b in summer – far short of $5.5b in aid that the UN says is needed for these refugees, as well as another $2.9b for displaced Syrians within Syria (UK prepared to offer £475m – 50% aid budget)
Climate change: UN estimates 50m sub-Saharans will move north in next 20 years (
eg
Senegal crops failing)
Lure is jobs + remittances NOT benefits
Spontaneous arrivals in Europe: no attempt to distinguish refugees from economic migrantsSlide3
Response
2,500 drowned this summer; Lesbos cemetery full
NIMBY Fences going up all over Europe – Tusk: risk to
Schengen
Germany 800k – is Merkel mad or shrewd? Profile of Europe
Clearly, no one country can solve – needs united response
Responsibility to Prevent, Protect & RebuildSlide4
We cannot take them all – but can we do more?
International efforts to stop conflict and development to counter need to flee
Refugee camps near to source of conflict with proper facilities, education, welfare etc
Neighbouring countries should take their share (Saudi Arabia?)
Right to take UNHCR mandated refugees from camps – but cannot ignore spontaneous arrivalsSlide5
Valletta Summit11-12 November, Malta
Concerted EU effort more appropriate than individual countries
All things to everyone: five priority domains
Development benefits of migration – boost socio-economic development, enhance employment, EU/Africa vocational training networks, build resilience, self-reliance, faster & cheaper remittances,
diaspora
engagement, prevent new conflicts, support state buildingSlide6
Promote legal migration especially students, researchers, entrepreneurs, facilitate issuing of visas
Reinforce protection of refugees, uphold human rights of all migrants, life-saving emergency assistance (food, shelter, education)
Prevention of irregular migration, smuggling, trafficking, improve intelligence gathering & sharing, fight corruption
Return, readmission & reintegrationSlide7
Problem solved?€1.8 billion Trust Fund: "stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa”
[Marshall Plan for Europe at end of WWII was $13b (c.$130b currently) ie >70 times more than Valletta]
All by end 2016!
UK to take 20k over five years: one refugee per 6,750 households/one per 16,000 people
25k asylum applications in UK (need a sense of proportion); Germany 110k, France 60kSlide8
Integration
NOT being all the same but respecting and enjoying diversity of custom, cuisine, dress BUT
Common communication (English) and shared values (
eg
democracy, rule of law, non-discrimination) – NO to FGM, forced marriages
UK’s history – one of the most diverse populations, tolerance but also xenophobia
Fear of immigration = fear of change, so we should ease itSlide9
Anticipating change
European Refugee Fund (ERF) - funding to Member States to support the reception of asylum seekers, and the reception and integration of refugees
European Integration Fund €825 million for legally arrived migrants (to June 2015): total sum to UK 2007-2013 €110.521m
Why did we not anticipate E European workers to E Anglia etc? Need better planning
Local community initiatives are most effective – ecumenical work, local authorities etc
ENDSlide10
Diversity/Cohesion in EU"United in diversity” [EU motto 2000]
87 distinct peoples of Europe: 33 form majority population in at least one sovereign state, remaining 54 are ethnic minorities
Different recording of ethnicity – France
Different development West (old states) and East (new states)
Germany: FRG/DDR attitudes
Roma Europe’s largest ethnic minority (of 10-12m, 6m live in EU, most of them EU citizens). Many Roma in the EU are victims of prejudice and social exclusion, despite the fact that EU countries have banned discriminationSlide11
What is being done?Europe is “the culture capital of the world”
The 'Business Case for Diversity' shows that diversity management - whereby employers recognise, value and include women and men of different ages, abilities, ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation - makes good business sense -
EU Commission Justice
–
Diversity Charters
Council of Europe report 2011 “Living together: Combining diversity and freedom in 21st-century Europe” to negotiate “the challenges arising from the resurgence of intolerance and discrimination in Europe” – people “tormented by the twin fear of being “swamped” by an uncontrolled influx of immigrants and/or massacred by Islamic terrorists” Slide12
FDR’s inaugural address March 4, 1933 “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance”