Link between migration and development? The Global Approach to Migration

1. Migration & Development Link between migration and development? The Global Approach to Migration Political dialogue with Africa Africa-EU Partnership on Migration, Mobiliy & Employment Root cause approach Specific priorities General Legal migration Migration & Development Impact of the financial crisis? Challenges for the future… Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

2. Link between migration and development? • Development policies contribute to address root causes of migration • Migration can contribute to development • Major progress in building a consolidated policy agenda: • Integrating migration issues in development policy • Integrating development issues in migration policy • Our challenge : to make migration work for development Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

3. Link between migration and development? • Overall policy framework • EU priorities on migration and development • Impact of the financial crisis? Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

4. The Global Approach to Migration To formulate comprehensive and coherent policies that address the broad range of migration-related issues, bringing together justice and home affairs, development and external relations so as to enhance dialogue and cooperation on migration in partnership with third countries. Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

5. Political dialogue with Africa • National level :EU migration missions • Regional level : Rabat conference on migration and development (2006), Paris conference (2008) • Continental level : Tripoli Africa-EU conference on migration (2006) & EU-Africa Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment(2007) Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

6. EU-Africa Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment • Reflects shift in European thinking on African migration; • Establishes robust framework for intra-continental dialogue and dialogue; • Integrates agreed priority actions and innovative instruments; • International organisations, third countries, civil society are welcome to join… Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

7. Root cause approach Address the push factors of migration… • Poverty, lack of jobs • War, conflict • Persecution, human right violations • Environmental degradation, climate change • Bad governance …to make migration a choice, rather than a necessity Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

8. Specific priorities - general Fill the information gap • Migration profiles: pool all the information required to develop policy and monitor the impact of the policies implemented. • Regional ObservatoriesNetwork: collection, processing and dissemination of information on migration movements • Cooperation Platforms: information sharing, discussion and joint action Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

9. Specific priorities – legal migration Promote circular migration … a triple win? • For the EU, itwill be able to fill specific (temporary) gaps in the labour markets • For the country of origin, individuals will send money home and will eventually return with new skills • For migrants, theywill acquire income, knowledge and skills, without giving up roots in country of origin Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

10. Specific priorities – legal migration Negotiate Mobility Partnerships … agreements with selected countries EU offers: • short-stay visa facilitation; • facilitated access to the labour markets of Member States willing to participate in the scheme and circular migration schemes; • provision of capacity building Partner countries should cooperate on: • fighting illegal migration • return • readmission Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

11. Specific priorities – legal migration Set up Migration Information and Management Centres …. e.g. CIGEM Mali will provide : • information onlegal migration opportunities • information on the risks of illegal migration • training • support to migrants who want to return / invest ….run by Malian government Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

12. Specific priorities – migration & development Enhance the development impact of remittances • Promote innovative solutions for transferring money • Remittances web sites • African Remittances Institute • Leverage for banking reform Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

13. Specific priorities – migration & development Address brain drain • Enhance retention • ‘Training for export’ • ‘Ethical recruitment’ • Return of qualified nationals Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

14. Specific priorities – migration & development Involve the diasporas Africa’s 6th regional community… Investors and source of human capital • Development donors • Representatives of the country of origin • How to effectively involve the Diaspora in our policy discussions? Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

15. Impact of the financial crisis? • Developing countries affected by the crisis • Job losses affecting a number of sectors , labour migration flows affected? • Higher risk of discrimination • Remittances flows resilient compared to other finanical flows • Our response: • Need to further insist on the connection betweeen migration and development • Address the effects of financial crisis in developing countries Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009

16. Challenge for the future… Ensure that migration works for development … in the European Union (labour market management, integration policies) … in countries of origin (circular migration, remittances, investments, transnational communities) … for the benefit of all Presentation by Marie-Laure de Bergh, 17 Feb. 2009