(back)Comments on the GREEN PAPER on ECONOMIC MIGRATION
Comments (of PICUM and others)
The aim of the Green Paper, which was launched on 11 January 2005, is to launch a public debate on what kind of common migration policy the EU should develop.
The Green Paper
stresses that Member States will always retain their competence for deciding on
the numbers of migrants to be admitted to their countries, the EU will only
develop a system to decide WHO will come, HOW they will come, and WHAT
RIGHTS they will get.
The reasons
it gives for opening this debate is that migration to the EU is not only a given
reality, but that the EU needs economic migrants to help boost its economy. It
also says that a framework for legal migration can help prevent illegal
migration.
The Commission wants to hear your opinion about the ideas outlined below, at 15 April 2005 at the latest! There will then be a public hearing sometime after this date. The Commission will present a policy plan on legal migration, including admission procedures, by the end of 2005.
You can consult the Green Paper in German, English or French at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2005/jan/economic_migration_greenpaper_en.html, and you can send your replies to jls-economic-migration@cec.eu.int.
Here are some reactions of NGOs and others:
Comment of ORCA, the Belgian Organisation for Clandestine Workers
Comment of JCWI, a British NGO working for the welfare of immigrants
Comments of Amnesty International
Comments of the European Platform for Migrant Workers' Rights
Comments of the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland
Comments of FOYER, the Brussels Regional Integration Centre
Comments of Medimmigrant, a Belgian NGO working on access to health care for undocumented migrants
Comments of ACCEM, a Spanish organisation working with migrants and refugees (in Spanish)
Comments of four international Christian Organisations based in Brussels
Reaction of a coalition of NGOs, led by GISTI (France)