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

SECRETARIAT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Synopsis No. 2000/046

20 March 2000

The Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, meeting in Paris on 17 March 2000, with Mr Díaz de Mera in the Chair:

–          held an exchange of views on the Committee's priorities and work programme for 2000; 

–          approved the following modifications in the membership of its Sub-Committees:

Sub-Committee on Migration: Mr Wilkinson (United Kingdom, EDG) becomes alternate to Lord Ponsonby (United Kingdom, SOC); 

Sub-Committee on Refugees: Mr Lauricella (Italy, SOC) becomes member in place of Mr Wilkinson (United Kingdom, EDG), with Mr Polenta (Italy, EPP/CD) as alternate;

Sub-Committee on Demography:  Mr Laakso (Finland, UEL) becomes member with Mrs Kautto (Finland, SOC) as alternate. Mr Telek (Turkey, SOC) becomes member. Mr Lauricella (Italy, SOC) becomes alternate to Mr Brunetti (Italy, UEL); 

–          heard a report by Mr Iwinski on the visit of a Parliamentary Assembly delegation to Moscow, Chechnya, Ingushetia and North Ossetia from 9 to 12 March 2000, and held an exchange of views on the humanitarian situation in Chechnya with the participation of Mr Toutakov, Member of the Parliament of Chechnya;

–          was informed by Mr Gross (Switzerland, SOC) on the state of preparation of his report on arrival of asylum seekers at European airports; 

–          considered a memorandum on expulsions of migrants born or brought up in the receiving countries (Rapporteur: Mrs Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD); 

–          considered a memorandum on demographic change and sustainable development (Rapporteur: Mr Paslaru, Romania, SOC); 

–          considered a memorandum on immigrants' and foreign residents' participation in political life in Council of Europe member states (Rapporteur: Mr Luís, Portugal, SOC); 

–          considered an outline for a report on the "Propiska system" applied to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the CIS countries: effects and remedies (Rapporteur: Lord Ponsonby, United Kingdom, SOC); 

–          appointed Mrs Aguiar (Portugal, EPP/CD) as spokesperson for the enlarged debate on OECD and the world economy, and to participate in the preparatory meeting of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development in Paris on 31 March 2000; 

–          appointed the following representatives:

            .           European Meeting of the Exodus Working Group "Refugees at the borders", to be held in Stockholm from 11 to 14 May 2000: Mr Gross (Switzerland, SOC), it being understood that no expenses would be borne by the Parliamentary Assembly; 

            .           Specialist Group on Roma/Gypsies (MG-S-ROM), Strasbourg, 13-14 April 2000: Mr Tabajdi (Hungary, SOC), in place of Mr Cilevics, prevented; 

–          decided to hold its next meetings as follows:

            .           Paris, 24 March 2000, Sub-Committee on Refugees, 9 am-4.30 pm (Hearing on population displacement in the Caucasus) (Council of Europe Office)

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

            .           Paris, 17 April 2000, Sub-Committee on Migration (Hearing on "Rendering more humane the procedures for expelling illegal immigrants and rejected asylum seekers") (Council of Europe Office)

            .           Paris, 26 May 2000 (Council of Europe Office)

  .           Strasbourg, during the third part-session 2000 (26-30 June2000)

            .           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*

.           The Hague, 16-18 November 2000**, full Committee and Colloquy on policies on integration of immigrants 

.           Paris, 15 December 2000

______________

*          subject to confirmation

**        subject to authorisation by the Bureau

The Sub-Committee on Demography, meeting in Paris on 17 March 2000, with first Mr Díaz de Mera then Mr Laakso in the Chair:

–          elected Mr Laakso (Finland, UEL) to the Chair by acclamation; 

–          elected Mrs Lörcher (Germany, SOC) as Vice-Chair by acclamation; 

–          held an exchange of views on the follow-up to the interparliamentary Conference on demographic change and sustainable development, Bucharest, 21-23 October 1999 (Rapporteur: Mr Paslaru, Romania, SOC); 

–          left it to the Chair to convene the next meeting.

  Simon Newman/Markus Adelsbach