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Recommendation 1840 (2008)
State of democracy in Europe
Measures to improve the democratic participation of migrants
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers
to its Resolution 1618
(2008) on the same subject.
2. The Council of Europe has an important role in promoting the
democratic participation of migrants and has already contributed
to this process, inter alia, through the adoption of the European
Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers (ETS No. 93),
the European Convention on Nationality (ETS No. 166) and the Convention
on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level
(ETS No. 144).
3. The level of democratic participation of migrant women and
men in Europe remains low, however, and further steps are needed
to improve the situation, including integration measures which facilitate
the participation of migrants in democratic life and society.
4. Therefore, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:
4.1. instruct the European Committee
on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) and its Committee of Experts
on Democratic Participation and Public Ethics at Local and Regional
Level (LR-DP) to analyse the implementation, in all member states
of the Council of Europe, of the standards laid out in the Convention
on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level
and examine the obstacles to ratification of this instrument;
4.2. instruct the European Committee on Migration (CDMG) to
examine how integration programmes and equal treatment and opportunity
programmes in member states should be adapted in order to promote
the democratic participation of migrants;
4.3. instruct the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH)
to examine the restrictions on the political and other fundamental
rights of migrants (in particular the right to join political parties
or form political associations) with a view to furthering the democratic
participation of migrant women and men;
4.4. instruct the European Committee on Legal Co-operation
(CDCJ) to examine the implementation, in all member states, of the
standards under the European Convention on Nationality and its state
of ratifications;
4.5. instruct the Steering Committee for Equality between Women
and Men (CDEG) to evaluate the democratic participation of migrant
women and men of all ethnic origins when monitoring the implementation
of Recommendation Rec(2003)3 of the Committee of Ministers to member
states on balanced participation of women and men in political and
public decision making;
4.6. invite the European Commission for Democracy through Law
(Venice Commission) to examine the constitutional impediments to
granting migrants the right to vote, primarily at the local and
regional levels, and to provide assistance with constitutional reform
to these states as necessary;
4.7. invite the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
(ECRI) to monitor continuing discrimination, racism and intolerance
as a hindrance to the democratic participation of migrants, and respect
its advice.