TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION, REFUGEES AND DEMOGRAPHY

SECRETARIAT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Synopsis No. 2000/027

01 February 2000

-            considered a Memorandum on the reunion of migrants' and refugees' families and forced separation of families in the case of the repatriation of illegal immigrants or of persons whose applications have been rejected (Rapporteurs: Mrs Guirado, Spain, SOC, and Mrs Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD); 

-                     held an exchange of views with the Chief of Staff of Eurocorps, Brigadier General Harald Quiel, and Lieutenant Colonel Karl-Ernst von Strachwitz, on the role of armed forces in humanitarian assistance;  

-                     took position on the amendments to the report on clandestine migration from the south of the Mediterranean into Europe (Rapporteur: Mrs Guirado, Spain, SOC); 

-                     held an exchange of views with Mr José Cremades, Directorate General of Social and Economic Affairs of the Council of Europe, on the population census in Albania (Rapporteur: Mr Mutman, Turkey, SOC); 

-                     appointed Lord Ponsonby (United Kingdom, SOC) Rapporteur on the "Propiska" system applied to migrants and refugees in the CIS countries: effects and remedies; 

-                     appointed Mrs Zwerver (Netherlands, NR), and Mr Connor (Ireland, EPP/CD) as alternate, as its representative at the meeting on “Humanitarian Intervention – Who should have the right to issue a mandate”, organised by Young Europeans for Security in Copenhagen on 18-19 February 2000; 

-                     instructed its Chairman to express its concern, by writing to the Chairman of the Armenian special guest delegation, about recent restrictive measures in the asylum procedures in Armenia; 

-                     took note of an invitation from the President of the Parliament of Azerbaijan for the Committee to meet in that country and to organise a Conference on population displacement in the Southern Caucasus;

-                     took position in favour of the organisation, at an appropriate moment, of a meeting on the integration of immigrants; 

-                     appointed Mr Brunetti (Italy, UEL) and Mr Wilkinson (United Kingdom, EDG) as members of the Sub-Committee on Demography; 

-                     decided to hold its next meetings as follows: 

• Paris, Council of Europe Office, 17 March 2000 (9 am - 12 noon and 2.30 pm - 5 pm) and Sub-Committee on Demography (12 noon - 12.30 pm)

• Paris, Council of Europe Office, 24 March 2000, Sub-Committee on Refugees (Hearing on population displacement in the Caucasus) (9 am - 12.30 pm and 2 pm - 4 pm)

•   Strasbourg, during the second part-session 2000 (3-7 April 2000)

•   Paris, Council of Europe Office, 26 May 2000

• Strasbourg, during the third part-session 2000 (26-30 June 2000)

• Skopje, 14-16 September 2000 *: full Committee and Sub-Committee on Refugees (Colloquy on population displacement in the Balkans) **

•   Strasbourg, during the fourth part-session 2000 (25-29 September 2000)

•   Paris, 20 October 2000 *

•   Paris or Brussels *, 16 or 17 November 2000 *

•   Paris, 15 December 2000 *

* subject to confirmation

** subject to authorisation by the Bureau.

The Sub-Committee on Migration (of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography), meeting in Strasbourg on 28 January 2000, with Lord Judd (United Kingdom, SOC), senior member present, in the Chair:

–                    elected Mr Connor (Ireland, EPP/CD) to the Chair by acclamation;

–                    elected Lord Ponsonby (United Kingdom, SOC) as Vice-Chair by acclamation;

–          left it to the Chair to decide on the dates and place of the next meeting. 

The Sub-Committee on Refugees (of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography), meeting in Strasbourg on 28 January 2000, with Lord Judd (United Kingdom, SOC), senior member present, in the Chair:

–          elected Lord Judd (United Kingdom, SOC) to the Chair by acclamation;

–          elected Mrs Fehr (Switzerland, LDR) as Vice-Chair by acclamation;

–          decided to hold its next meeting in Paris (Council of Europe Office) on 24 March 2000 at 9 am (Hearing on population displacement in the Caucasus).

Simon Newman/Agnieszka Nachilo/Markus Adelsbach