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Resolution 1696 (2009) Final version
Engaging European diasporas: the need for governmental and intergovernmental responses
1. Migration from other continents
and from eastern to western Europe has long existed and will continue to
spread as long as disparities persist between living standards,
incomes and political situations. However, policies to manage the
many challenges and opportunities that emerge with these movements
have not kept pace with the development of this phenomenon.
2. The Parliamentary Assembly has been engaged in dealing with
the issue of Europeans living abroad and their links to their homelands
for the last fifteen years. It regrets that in the particular aspect
of the establishment of links with European diaspora communities,
policy making has been lacking.
3. There is nevertheless a growing understanding in Europe that
labour mobility, if well managed, can be advantageous both for destination
countries and countries of origin. How best to manage mobility,
multiple identities and diversity in a way that can maximise engagement
of diasporas both in countries of origin and host countries is a
challenge that governments need to tackle today.
4. The Assembly considers it essential to strike and maintain
a proper balance between the process of integration in the host
societies and the links with the country of origin. It is convinced
that seeing migrants as political actors and not only as workers
or economic actors enhances the recognition of their capacity in
the promotion and transference of democratic values. The right to
vote and be elected in host countries and the opportunity to take
part in democratically governed European non-governmental organisations
can enable diasporas to endorse an accountable and democratic system
of governance in their home countries. Policies that grant migrants
rights and obligations arising from their status as citizens or
residents in both countries should therefore be encouraged.
5. The Assembly regrets that, notwithstanding its long-standing
calls to revise the existing models of relations between expatriates
and their countries of origin, relations between member states of
the Council of Europe and their diasporas are far from being harmonised.
Many member states from central and eastern Europe are only beginning
to recognise the potential development and other benefits of engaging
their diasporas in a more institutionalised manner, especially in
the context of the current global economic crisis.
6. The Assembly reiterates that it is in the interest of member
states to ensure that their diasporas continue to actively exercise
the rights linked to their nationality and contribute in a variety
of ways to the political, economic, social and cultural development
of their countries of origin. It is convinced that globalisation
and growing migration may have an impact on host countries in many
positive ways by contributing to building diverse, tolerant and
multicultural societies.
7. The Assembly acknowledges that states have particular responsibilities
towards their expatriate communities where such communities form
a significant national minority in another state. However, it disapproves
of all forms of political manipulation of diaspora communities,
including as a means of promoting expansionist policies. For example,
the Assembly maintains that any large-scale “passportisation” should
be regulated by bilateral agreements between the states concerned
and must abide by the principles of international law.
8. In the light of the above, the Assembly calls on the member
states of the Council of Europe to focus on elaborating migration
policies that are comprehensive and regard diasporas as vectors
of development, to promote an institutional role for diasporas through
dialogue and regular consultation and to offer policy incentives
to diaspora communities or representatives willing to engage in
homeland development.
9. In particular, the Assembly encourages member states, as countries
of origin, to adopt the following policy incentives:
9.1. civil and political incentives:
9.1.1. develop institutions and elaborate policies for maximum
harmonisation of the political, economic, social and cultural rights
of diasporas with those of the native population;
9.1.2. ease the acquisition or maintenance of voting rights by
offering out-of-country voting at national elections;
9.1.3. involve diasporas in policy making, in particular concerning
the issues of nationality and citizenship, as well as political,
economic, social and cultural rights;
9.1.4. gather information on nationals living abroad and allow
them to have their own representation in domestic politics, through
the creation of ministries of representation for diasporas;
9.1.5. use the channel of embassies and consulates abroad to
build confidence with diasporas through the provision of specific
services and useful information;
9.1.6. promote diaspora networks and associations by drawing
up a road map for supporting their establishment, and discuss the
ways in which home and host countries can become active partners
with diaspora networks;
9.2. fostering return:
9.2.1. put in place policies
to encourage permanent or temporary return and promote “brain gain”;
9.2.2. create all necessary conditions for diasporas willing
to return to their home countries to foster adaptation and ensure
full enjoyment of their tax, retirement and other economic benefits;
9.2.3. facilitate the movement of diasporas (multiple-entry visas,
long-term residence permits, entry concessions for diasporas with
host country nationality);
9.3. encourage remittance flows through proactive legislative
and regulatory policies, which avoid the application of double taxation,
create proper legal and regulatory frameworks allowing effective
use to be made of remittances in various investment areas and link
remittances to other financial services (savings accounts, loans,
social insurance, etc.);
9.4. promote diasporas’ entrepreneurship through transparent
customs and import incentives, access to special economic zones
and to foreign currency accounts, and inform them about investment opportunities;
9.5. develop policies for bona fide recognition of diplomas
and certificates obtained outside the country of origin.
10. The Assembly encourages member states, as countries of destination,
to:
10.1. review migration policies
with a view to according migrants greater rights and obligations, harmonising
as much as possible the rights of non-citizen diasporas with those
of citizens in the host countries;
10.2. consider the possibility of granting migrant workers the
right to vote and to stand in local and regional elections after
a residence period of five years;
10.3. adopt a more flexible legal framework that offers regular
migrants the possibility of unrestricted movement between country
of origin and destination country, while preserving their immigrant
status in the destination country;
10.4. elaborate policies allowing migrants to participate in
the development process in countries of origin; promote training
and capacity-building programmes, transfer of competence, know-how
and flows of foreign capital and conduct development projects coupled
with development aid;
10.5. actively involve members of diaspora communities in the
elaboration of integration programmes for labour migrants.
11. The Assembly encourages the international community, and in
particular the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and
the International Labour Organization (ILO), to stay actively involved
in the issues relating to diasporas and development. In particular,
it calls upon relevant partner organisations to:
11.1. clarify the different concepts,
classifications and definitions concerning diasporas with a view
to harmonising the concept at European level, taking into account
the evolving and dynamic nature of the concept of diaspora;
11.2. facilitate collaboration between diaspora organisations,
including professional organisations, and other European development
non-governmental organisations through incentives such as partnership funds,
which could make it possible for the mainstream development agencies
and the diasporas to engage with each other;
11.3. encourage collaboration among academic institutions and
support international research projects related to diasporas and
the migration-development nexus issues.