Brussels, 15/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - In accordance with its priorities regarding asylum and immigration (see EUROPE of 9 & 10 July, p.18), the Belgian Presidency is organising a European Immigration Conference in Brussels on 16 and 17 October, in the presence of King Albert II, the President of the European Council, Guy Verhofstadt, European Commissioner Antonio Vitorino and EP Vice-President, Gerard Onesta. Taking part in the Conference will be ministers of EU countries, and those of the candidate countries, of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Australia and ACP countries, of Morocco, China and India.
The Conference is being organised into four panels on: 1) managing migration flows; with the participation of Mr. Vitorino, and Spanish and Italian Home Affairs Ministers, Messrs. Rajoy Brey and Scajola; 2) common economic migration policy: with the participation of Commissioner Diamantopoulou, Spanish Employment Minister, Mr. Aparicio Perez, UNICE President Mr. Jacobs, the Confederal Secretary of ETUC, Ms. Hertogs; 3) partnership with the countries of origin: with the participation of Swedish Minister Ms. Klingvall (Migration, Asylum), Austrian Mr. Strasser (Home Affairs), Moroccan Mr. Azziman (Justice) and Romanian Minister of State Mr. Farcas; 4) integration: with the participation of Danish Home Affairs Minister Ms. Jespersen, Finland's Mr. Itala and Portuguese Mr. Texeira, American Undersecretary of State Ms. Eagle and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Mr. Chabert. Conclusions will be drawn by Messrs. Vitorino and Duquesne and the Chair of the EP's Committee on Citizens' Freedom and Rights, Mr. Watson.
Speaking before the press, the President of the JHA Council, Antoine Duquesne, noted that it was "the first conference bringing together officials of such a high decision-making level", that has to lead to a certain number of lessons that may used by the Belgian Prime Minister at the Laeken Summit and "come up with new paths for thought to define the new common immigration policy". He then explained: "Defining an immigration policy is to manage flows while taking account of the fight against crime, the trafficking in human beings, undeclared work. But it is also: - considering the possible needs of new workers avoiding indiscriminately attracting human resources (….) from less well-off countries; - setting up a removal policy for people who will not be able to stay in our countries; - enabling those who may stay (…) here to integrate our societies.