TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION, REFUGEES AND DEMOGRAPHY
SECRETARIAT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Synopsis No. 2001/049
3 May 2001
The Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, meeting in Strasbourg on 23, 24 and 27 April 2001 with Mr Iwinski (Poland, SOC) and then Mrs Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC) in the Chair:
As regards:
– Humanitarian situation of returnees to Kosovo (Rapporteur: Mr Connor, Ireland, EPP/CD): was informed by the Rapporteur on his fact-finding mission to Kosovo (3-6 April 2001) and adopted a revised report;
– Demographic change and sustainable development (Rapporteur: M. Paslaru, Romania, SOC, presentation by Mrs Lörcher, Germany, SOC): took position on one amendment to the report;
– Situation in the Middle East: held an exchange of views and appointed Mrs Zwerver (Netherlands, SOC) to present, during the general debate, an oral opinion on its behalf;
– Rendering more humane the procedures for expelling illegal immigrants and rejected asylum seekers (Rapporteur: Mrs Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC): considered a draft report;
– UNHCR and the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Convention (Rapporteur: Mrs Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD): considered a draft report;
– The Propiska System applied to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Council of Europe member State: effects and remedies (Rapporteur: Mr Cilevics, Latvia, SOC): considered a memorandum;
– Humanitarian situation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Chechnya (Rapporteur: Mr Iwinski, Poland, SOC): was informed on the humanitarian situation in Chechnya by the representatives of the UNHCR and ICRC and heard a report by Mr Einarsson on the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on Chechnya (Moscow, 20-22 March 2001);
– Refugees and displaced persons in the South Caucasus (Rapporteur: Mrs Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC): was informed by Mrs Shakhtakhtinskaya on the state of the preparations of the Conference which the Committee will organise in Baku (Azerbaijan) from 17 to19 May 2001;
– The right to family life for migrants and refugees (Rapporteur: Mrs Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD): heard a statement by the Rapporteur, and agreed to propose to the Bureau that the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights be seized for opinion on the report;
– Conference on the prevention of irregular migration in the Mediterranean region and the preservation of the irregular migrant's human dignity, (organised by the European Committee on Migration (CDMG), Athens, 3-4 October 2001): heard a statement by the Chairman and decided to appoint an ad hoc Sub-Committee to attend the Conference;
– Committee's priorities and work programme: held an exchange of views;
– Appointment of Rapporteurs:
§ Adoption of a charter of intent against clandestine migration (Doc. 8859): Mr Wilkinson (United Kingdom, EDG);
§ Receiving conditions and capacities in European seaports for asylum seekers (Doc. 8861): Mr Gaber (Ukraine, SOC);
§ OECD and the world economy: Mrs Aguiar (Portugal, EPP/CD) for opinion;
§ Activities of the Council of Europe's Development Bank: Mrs Zapfl-Helbling (Switzerland, EPP/CD) for opinion;
– Reports:
§ by Mr Tkác (Slovakia, EDG) on the meeting of the European Population Committee (CAHP), Strasbourg, 6-8 February 2001;
§ by Mrs Zwerver (Netherlands, SOC) on the visit of the Sub-Committee on the Middle East of the Political Affairs Committee to Israel and the Territories under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, 19-24 March 2001;
– Appointment of representatives:
§ Mr Tkác (Slovakia, EDG) for the meeting of the European Committee on Migration (CDMG), Strasbourg, 6-8 June 2001;
– Replies by the Committee of Minsiters: took note of the following documents:
§ Reply to Recommendation 1470 (2000) on the situation of gays and lesbians and their partners in respect of asylum and immigration in the member states of the Council of Europe (Doc. 8999);
§ Reply to Recommendation 1491 (2001) on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – recent developments (Doc. 9005);
§ Reply to Recommendation 1492 (2001) on the rights of national minorities and Recommendation 1500 (2001) on the participation of immigrants and foreign residents in political life in the Council of Europe member states (Doc. 8984);
– Changes in sub-committees:
§ Sub-Committee on Demography: add Mrs Torrado (titular), Spain
– Decided to hold its next meetings as follows:
§ Baku (Azerbaijan), 17-19 May 2001, Plenary Committee, Conference on refugees and displaced persons in the South Caucasus;
§ Belgrade, 5-6 June 2001, Sub-Committee on refugees, Conference on refugees and displaced persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
§ Strasbourg, during the 3rd part of the session 2001 (25-29 June 2001);
§ Geneva, 6-7 September 2001, Plenary Committee (subject to confirmation and authorisation by the Bureau);
§ Strasbourg, during the 4th part of the session 2001 (24-28 September 2001);
§ Yalta (Ukraine), 4-6 October 2001, Plenary Committee, Conference on the follow-up to the Recommendation on repatriation and integration of the Tatars of Crimea (subject to confirmation and authorisation by the Bureau);
§ Budapest, 15-16 November 2001, Sub-Committee on Migration, Hearing on the specific problems of young migrants (subject to confirmation and authorisation by the Bureau);
§ Paris or Brussels*, December 2001, Plenary Committee (subject to confirmation *and authorisation by the Bureau).
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The Sub-Committee on Migration (of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography), meeting in Strasbourg on 23 avril 2001, with Mr Connor (Ireland, EPP/CD) in the Chair:
– elected Mr von Schmude (Germany, EPP/CD) Vice-Chairperson of the Sub-Committee;
– decided to hold its next meeting as follows:
§ Budapest, 15-16 November 2001, Hearing on the specific problems of young migrants (subject to confirmation and authorisation by the Bureau).
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The Sub-Committee on Refugees (of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography), meeting in Strasbourg on 24 April 2001, with Lord Judd (United Kingdom, SOC) in the Chair:
As regards:
– The situation of refugees and displaced persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Rapporteur: Mr Iwinski, Poland, SOC): held an exchange of views with the special guest delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and prepared the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Refugees and the Conference on the subject to be held in Belgrade on 5-6 June 2001 (subject to authorisation by the Bureau);
– Sub-Committee's priorities and work programme: held an exchange of views;
– decided to hold its next meeting as follows:
§ Belgrade, 5-6 June 2001 (Conference on refugees and displaced persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia).
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The Sub-Committee on Demography (of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography), meeting in Strasbourg on 27 April 2001, with Mrs Lörcher (Germany, SOC) in the Chair:
As regards:
– Demographic change and sustainable development (Rapporteur: M. Paslaru, Romania, SOC, presentation by Mrs Lörcher, Germany, SOC): held a hearing on demographic trends with interventions of:
§ Professor Robert Cliquet, Chairman of the European Population Committee on Recent demographic trends in Europe and worldwide (Activities of the European Population Committee (CAHP));
§ Mr Neil Datta, Secretary to the IEPFPD on the activities of the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD);
– left it to the Chair to decide on date and place of the next meeting.
Halvor Lervik/Agnieszka Nachilo/Markus Adelsbach