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Resolution 2310 (2019)
Labour migration from eastern Europe and its impact on socio-demographic processes in these countries
1. Labour migration from eastern European
countries to the European Union and other European countries is
a complex phenomenon, with both positive and negative consequences
for the countries of origin. The positive effects include the reduction
of unemployment and of the resulting social tension; the steady
influx of remittances which, on an individual level, raise the living
standards of families back home and, on the national level, improve
the balance of trade of the countries of origin; possible investments
in joint enterprises; and promotion of the culture of these countries
abroad.
2. There are also negative consequences that cannot be ignored.
Some countries experience a brain drain, a fall in population, or
a lack of contributions to the social funds, which may become problematic
in the long run. The countries of origin may face serious social
problems within families and local communities. The situation of
children left behind by parents who have emigrated in order to work
is particularly worrying.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly calls for concerted action by both
sending and receiving countries to alleviate the negative impacts
of labour migration on the countries of origin, while doing everything
needed to preserve the positive aspects.
4. The Assembly invites national parliaments to regularly monitor
progress in the implementation of the European Social Charter (revised)
(ETS No. 163), giving specific priority in this context to all provisions
of Article 19 of the revised Charter; it invites those countries
that have not done so to ratify the revised Charter.
5. As regards sending countries, the Assembly:
5.1. invites national parliaments
to regularly assess the situation in the member States with regard
to labour migration and to mitigate the negative effects of this
migration, including through job creation in sectors where labour
migrants are employed abroad, by fighting bad management practices
and corruption, by introducing legislative reforms encouraging the
return of skilled workers and by preventing human trafficking and
smuggling of migrants, especially women;
5.2. calls upon the authorities in the sending countries to
take urgent action to support the vulnerable populations, especially
families affected by the departure of a primary caregiver, in particular
the mother, to prevent family crisis, weakening parent–children
relationships and risks of indefinite separation that may cause
the alienation of children from their parents and have long-term
negative psychosocial consequences;
5.3. calls for the improvement of social care and support systems
in order to address and prevent the abandonment and neglect of children
left behind by parents working abroad, which is detrimental to their development.
Specific measures are also needed during these children’s transition
into adulthood. Systems such as “SOS families” should be supported,
allowing children to stay in the system until they can be reunited
with their parents. All measures taken must be in the best interest
of the child;
5.4. asks that measures be taken to ensure that children left
behind because of parents’ employment abroad do not drop out of
school or risk finding themselves in a lower level of education
as a result of this. Specific psychological support and counselling
should be provided in this context, as necessary;
5.5. encourages public authorities to set up support systems
for potential labour migrants, providing clear information on opportunities
and risks associated with labour migration, including through public awareness
campaigns. Channels of communication, including in rural areas,
should be set up to inform labour migrants about new opportunities
in their home countries;
5.6. proposes that governments adopt policies to facilitate
labour migrants’ return to and resettlement in their countries of
origin, which recognise and validate their vocational experience
acquired abroad;
5.7. encourages member States to consider other specific action
and good practices, such as: local focal points for migration to
act as a link between diasporas and their communities of origin;
databases that map the impact of migration and help to identify
investment opportunities; consultation of migrants on local priorities,
and integration of their suggestions into development plans; and
the establishment of “hometown associations” that bring together
local governments, local populations, internal migrants and the
diaspora to collaborate on local development initiatives and, in
the process, strengthen transparency and build trust between the
diaspora and the local governments.
6. Given that most countries of origin are not members of the
European Union, the Assembly invites the European Union institutions
to bear in mind both the positive and the negative consequences
of labour migration when devising their labour mobility policies.
It invites the European Union institutions to include specific measures
in their co-operation programmes and action plans addressed to non-European
Union Council of Europe member States from which European Union
labour migrants originate.
7. As regards receiving countries, the Assembly calls for:
7.1. every effort to be made to put
a stop to unofficial labour migration, which can, in the worst cases, lead
to forms of modern slavery and trafficking, as identified by the
Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking
in Human Beings (GRETA);
7.2. public authorities to make greater efforts towards the
integration of labour migrants so as to enhance the positive impact
of labour migration and promote diversity and living together, endeavouring to
ensure that such processes become self-evident and naturally embedded
in the everyday functioning of European societies;
7.3. the social integration of labour migrants to be improved
through specific measures addressed to them, available in the languages
of the countries of origin, and communicated through various channels, including
through diaspora organisations and social media;
7.4. improvements in the frameworks for recognition of qualifications
of third-country nationals and related procedures to facilitate
professional insertion;
7.5. provision for extending national retirement pension systems
to cover temporary migrant workers and guarantees for the preservation
of the labour rights they acquire.
8. The Assembly calls upon European Union member States to:
8.1. develop European Union-wide
job-matching databases compatible with labour migration channels
and schemes;
8.2. increase opportunities for intra-European Union mobility
by lowering barriers, such as income requirements, for seasonal
workers, students who have graduated, and other legally present
third-country nationals;
8.3. harmonise administrative procedures and the transferability
of labour and residence rights, allowing for a certain degree of
standardisation regarding test procedures and application forms
for labour migrants, for example.
9. Receiving countries should also allow refugees to access more
favourable labour migration schemes. The Assembly calls for a greater
application of the Council of Europe initiatives towards the recognition
of qualifications of refugees, and, namely, of the European Qualifications
Passport for Refugees.
10. Finally, the Assembly, recalling its Resolution 2175 (2017) and Recommendation 2109 (2017) on migration
as an opportunity for European development, invites national parliaments
to review progress in implementing the recommendations put forward
therein. It reiterates its invitation to enhance co-operation between
the Council of Europe, the International Organization for Migration,
the International Labour Organization, the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development and the European Union, with a view
to promoting a positive image of migrants in Europe by developing
joint activities in the fields of human, economic and social development.