Brussels, 15/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - Immigration and development are “complementary” issues, European Development Commissioner Louis Michel said during a hearing at the European Parliament on European immigration and development policies organised by MEPs Patrick Gaubert (EPP, France) and Alain Hutchinson (PES, Belgium), rapporteurs on illegal and legal immigration and integration policy. Mr Michel pointed out that the European Commission is preparing a communication for June on migration and development, centred on the exodus of competences, the role of the Diaspora, circular migration and south-south migration. Mr Michel noted the positive aspects of emigration for the developing countries, as it brings in foreign currency and reduces pressure on the labour market, but also negative phenomena such as people smuggling and the brain drain. One must work on “transforming the brain drain into brain mobility”, the former Belgian Foreign Minister said. Louis Michel placed emphasis on the fact that development policy “should not be used as a lever for readmission agreements” for illegal migrants. He went on to answer a question by saying that the “development budget must not be used for means other than development”. Jean-Louis de Brouwer, Director for Immigration at the European Commission, admitted that the “European Union has probably committed an error” by stressing several issues including re-entry. This “has had a very adverse effect compared to the EU's approach toward third countries and has cast doubt on the partnership we are proposing”, he said during the hearing. Mr de Brouwer, like Commissioner Michel, also stressed the “extreme sensitivity of the Member States” with regard to the immigration issue.
Many participants called during the hearing for a better organised immigration policy. Patrick Gaubert felt that “Europe must open up its borders to legal immigration in an orderly fashion”. Furthermore, “active co-development policy in cooperation with third countries is essential, so that their inhabitants are no longer forced to leave for Europe and elsewhere”, he said. Given the demographic deficit that faces Europe in the future, immigration is necessary but “it must be better prepared than at present”, Alain Hutchinson said.