Doc. 10017

9 December 2003

Immigrant-group marriage patterns in Norway

Written Question No. 431 to the Chair of the Committee of Ministers

Reply from the Chair of the Committee of Ministers

I. Written Question No. 431 by Lord Russell-Johnston (Doc. 9911)

To ask the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers

Whether the Committee’s attention has been drawn to the report of the Norwegian Parliament on immigrant-group marriage patterns in Norway,

Whether the evidence of resistance to integration which this provides, has been discussed and whether any common approach has been considered;

II. Reply by the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers

The Netherlands has just assumed the Chair of the Committee of Ministers and one of the themes that will dominate the Dutch chairmanship will be integration and social cohesion.

In this context, the Netherlands has invited the European Committee on Migration (CDMG) to convene its next meeting on 8 – 10 December 2003 in Rotterdam to share ideas on integration policy, to look at the progress made in member States and to further promote co-operation amongst the member States in the field of integration. This is one of the areas in which the value of the Council of Europe comes to the fore. With its expertise and overview it can help member States analyse the problems and find concrete solutions.

The report mentioned in the question is entitled “Feminine integration” by Human Rights Service, an NGO located in Norway for which neither the Norwegian Parliament nor the Government is responsible for its content.