Print
See related documents
Resolution 1972 (2014) Final version
Ensuring that migrants are a benefit for European host societies
1. One of the consequences of the
economic crisis which struck in 2008 is that many European States
have taken a hard look at migration, leading to debates that have
not always been based on fact but rather more on fears and prejudices.
2. While some legitimate concerns have been raised at the highest
political levels about Europe’s experience of multiculturalism,
particularly in relation to second generation migrants, the debate
should focus more on how to successfully integrate migrants and
ensure that the benefits of migration are felt by the host societies,
the countries of origin and the migrants themselves.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly is concerned that all too often
migrants are unfairly portrayed as being a burden on public finances
and a threat to economic prosperity and social cohesion in host
societies. This view has been exacerbated by the economic crisis
and widespread austerity measures. Worryingly, this context has led
to an increasingly hostile environment and public discourse on immigration
in many Council of Europe member States.
4. Both the media and politicians have played a role in allowing
misconceptions about migrants to take hold in many member States.
While in some instances this has been a result of passivity, in
others it has been deliberate. The opinions of far-right extremist
and neo-Nazi groups are increasingly finding their way into mainstream
politics, either through politicians with significant public support,
or when the rhetoric of these groups is taken up by mainstream parties.
5. The Assembly considers that it is essential to portray an
honest picture of the benefits that migrants bring to member States.
There must be a clear understanding that States have a choice as
to whether migrants become more of a benefit or more of a burden.
This choice will depend on the steps member States take in terms
of the migrants they accept in their territory and their commitment
to integration, which has to be a two-way process involving both
migrants and the host society.
6. There are many ways in which migrants bring benefits to host
countries. On the economic front, the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) has clearly shown that, overall,
they are not a major burden for public finances. Furthermore, the
European Commission has found that mobile European Union citizens
are not a burden on national social security systems.
7. Migrants make an enormous contribution to the labour market,
filling shortages which constrain growth. They find themselves in
the position of having to accept jobs which many Europeans shun
because they are low paid, insecure, dangerous and difficult. In
some countries, whole sectors of the economy would come to a halt
without migrants, for example construction, seasonal agriculture,
tourism, health services or domestic services. Their contribution
as entrepreneurs, employing 2.4% of the total employed population
in OECD countries, is substantial. In addition, their links with
foreign markets provide new outlets for business growth, and the
contribution that international students make through spending and
then providing a pool of highly qualified labour with the requisite
language skills should not be underestimated.
8. Europe is ageing and the working age population in the European
Union is set to fall by 10.5% by the year 2050. Current fertility
rates are also low and below the replacement level in many European
countries. For example, they stand at 1.74 children per woman in
Armenia, 1.42 in Germany and 1.54 in Russia. It has been projected
that Europe will need between 40 and 60 million immigrant workers
by 2050 to sustain its level of prosperity and welfare.
9. The benefits of migration cannot only be measured in terms
of economics and demography. Migrants can be a source of cultural
enrichment through literature, film, art, sports, food and fashion,
and potentially increase intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
10. The Assembly considers that member States should do more to
ensure that the benefits that migrants can bring are maximised.
More specifically, the Assembly recommends that member States:
10.1. challenge the misconceptions
that exist about migrants, and in particular those that portray
them as being a burden on public finances and a threat to economic
prosperity and social cohesion. They should do this by:
10.1.1. providing
a fair and accurate portrayal of the fiscal and other impact of
migrants in terms of labour, entrepreneurialism, demography, higher
education, culture and co-development;
10.1.2. encouraging the media to use impartial and accurate information
and research, proper terminology and less emotive language when
reporting on the situation of migrants and migration;
10.1.3. urging politicians to show responsibility in the debate
on migrants and migration and not allowing extremist views and terminology
to become part of mainstream discourse. Furthermore, politicians
should be encouraged to lead the public debate away from misconceptions
which damage migrants and their prospects for integration;
10.1.4. encouraging further research and data collection on the
impact of migration in order to provide an evidence-based approach
to the issue;
10.2. ensure that the benefits of migrants and migration are
maximised, through the integration of migrants as part of a two-way
process, inter alia by:
10.2.1. promoting their economic participation through the removal
of legal and other barriers, such as the non-recognition of qualifications,
which restrict their participation in the labour market, whether
as employed or self-employed workers or entrepreneurs;
10.2.2. increasing their education levels and achievements so
that they reflect more closely those of the total population;
10.2.3. combating discrimination and promoting equality, taking
into account the recommendations of the Council of Europe’s monitoring
bodies, such as the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance
(ECRI), the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, the
conclusions of the European Committee of Social Rights and the No
Hate Speech Movement of the Council of Europe;
10.2.4. facilitating their democratic participation, including
through granting nationality/citizenship and the right to vote,
in particular at local level, in accordance with the Council of Europe’s
Convention on Nationality (ETS No. 166) and the Convention on the
Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level (ETS No. 144);
10.2.5. promoting the advantages of diversity resulting from migration
and integration, considering migrants as a resource for local economic,
social and cultural development, and not only as vulnerable groups
in need of welfare support and services, or a threat to social cohesion;
10.2.6. encouraging their sense of belonging by allowing dual
citizenship, particularly for those in mixed marriages and for their
children;
10.2.7. ensuring that higher education remains attractive to overseas
students by facilitating an efficient and straightforward visa process;
10.3. recognising that integration for the most part takes place
at the local level, make use of the experience of the Congress of
Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the Intercultural
Cities Programme including its Intercultural Cities Index;
10.4. ensure that labour immigration policies match realistic
labour market needs and recognise that some avenues of immigration
cannot be regulated to the same extent as others without conflicting
with human rights and humanitarian obligations. This is particularly
the case with regard to refugees and asylum seekers and also with
family reunification policies.
11. The Assembly recognises that large-scale movements of migrants,
asylum seekers and refugees place responsibilities and burdens on
southern Mediterranean States, in particular when they do not have
the necessary infrastructure or economic resources to effectively
deal with them. The Assembly calls on member States to help these
countries to better meet their human rights obligations when handling
migrants’ needs and prevent misconceptions about migrants and the
spread of xenophobic rhetoric in public discourse.