Brussels, 30/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - The very first political forum on international migration, held in Paris on 29-30 June by the OECD, has given ministers and high ranking officials responsible for migration in the OECD countries the opportunity to exchange their viewpoints and experiences on priority issues, such as: (1) the current economic crisis and its likely effect on international migration, (2) managing migration given the need for highly- and less-skilled labour, (3) integration of the immigrants and their children into the labour market. During a working lunch given by OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria, ministers discussed the political economy of migration and, in particular, migration and public opinion, trying to find a way, for example, to avoid and/or respond to anti-immigration sentiment during the economic crisis. The 2009 International Migration Outlook, which provided the basis for discussions, stresses the need to “keep the door open for immigrant workers to meet long-term labour needs”.
Speaking at the forum, Social Affairs, Employment and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimir Špidla said that “successful integration of newcomers to our society is by no means automatic. Simply being in Europe does not mean the person is integrated. We have to focus our efforts on this issue every bit as much as on migration itself”. The commissioner noted that “promoting good integration of first generation immigrants is a doubly attractive investment since it also encourages the integration of their children. Our immigration policies have to be able to respond to the expectations of immigrant families, whether in terms of work, housing or education”. With regard to the role of the European Union, Špidla highlighted the fact that “immigration has become a major political challenge for the EU just as it is for member states”. He said that “it is our duty to support migratory flows economically and also in human terms, for the good of our economy, our citizens and the new arrivals”. (G.B./transl.rt)