Migration and development
Globalisation is making the world smaller
and smaller. Goods, services and capital cross national borders at a rate never
seen before. So do people. Last year, there were more than 200 million
international migrants, compared with 75 million in 1960. Only 5 per cent of
these are refugees. According to the OECD, a third of all migrants move from
South to North, a third from North to South, and a third from South to South.
Many leave their home country in search of work and a better life for
themselves and their families. Others are forced to migrate. In all cases, it
is important to ensure a positive outcome for the migrants themselves, for
their country of origin and for the host country.
At national level, Norway has to ensure that the private and public
sector has access to the workforce it needs, that migration to and from Norway
is regulated, and that immigrants have equal rights and good opportunities to
take active part in society. At international level, the aim is not to stop
migration, but to deal with it in a better way. This means reinforcing the
positive effects of migration and counteracting the negative aspects. Ideally,
the decision to migrate should be based on a real choice, rather than factors
such as force or poverty. This is in Norway’s interests also.
In April 2006, the International
Development Minister took the initiative to reorganise efforts on international
migration and development as a project, with a view to creating a better
platform from which to deal with these issues. This is a joint project involving
both political staffs (i.e. Foreign Affairs and International Development) to
ensure that this area of expertise is developed and coordinated across the
Ministry. The project will cooperate with other ministries and specialist
agencies, starting with the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, the
Norwegian Directorate of Immigration and the Norwegian Agency for Development
Cooperation (Norad). We will include the Norwegian civil society in these
efforts, particularly NGOs and immigrant organisations. Norway also intends to learn from
the experiences of other countries, the EU and international actors.
Norway’s message in New York
Norway will focus on four main areas:
- Support
for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s proposal for the establishment of an
informal forum under the UN umbrella for dialogue on international migration
and development. The Government believes that the UN is the
best arena for dealing with global challenges.
- Common
interests between North and South. Migration is an international process that requires regulation
at international and national level in order to realise its positive potential.
It is expected that international migration will increase in extent and
complexity due to demographics, conflicts and economic disparity. The
underlying factors that lead to uncontrolled migration must be reduced.
Migration should linked to common interests: the improvement of economic and
political framework conditions in the country of origin, protection of rights,
and regulated and reasonable mobility.
- Labour
rights. The
Government is working towards a more equitable distribution, not just between
countries, but also between the rich and poor in individual countries. We are
actively encouraging all countries to respect and apply the ILO’s fundamental
conventions.
- Women
and children. Today
almost half of all migrants are women, but they have little presence as
development actors. Migration also affects a large number of children, although
little mention is made of them in the documents that have been produced prior to
the UN high-level dialogue. Norway will highlight the priority that is given to
the rights of women and children in Scandinavian countries.
Efforts
in these areas will be followed up through the measures that have been
initiated. We are not engaged in these efforts primarily for idealistic
reasons, but because experience shows that this is a good way of boosting stability
and the conditions for economic growth.
Norway will also work on concrete measures
within the following areas:
Flexibility
Flexibility
in the pattern of migration is important. Access to knowledge and competence is
vital for development. An important area for international cooperation is
ensuring good basic conditions for circular, non-permanent migration. A growing
number of people live outside their country of origin for short periods, and
have a valuable opportunity to develop and exchange skills and knowledge. This
is something Norway
wishes to promote, and more flexible regulations for dealing with different
types of migration will be considered in connection with the drafting of new
immigration legislation.
Efforts
to limit the brain drain
An
important reason for promoting circular migration and transfer of competence is
that it does not lead to a brain drain. Finding ways of limiting the number of
people who take valuable skills and qualifications from countries that need
them is a global challenge. There is a tendency for the top political thinkers,
researchers and other highly qualified people in the least developed countries to
move to more attractive employers in other countries, including Norway.
Norway
particularly wishes to prevent the brain drain from the health sector of
developing countries.
Money
transfers
Norway
wishes to develop a cheaper and more secure system for private money transfers
via finance institutions. Cooperation with countries and institutions with
experience in this area will be important. The establishment of secure transfer
systems will mean that more people use the official channels and a larger share
of the money reaches the people it is intended to reach.
Continued
efforts to combat human trafficking
Norway
will continue to be an important actor in the international efforts to combat
human trafficking. Our efforts are along three axes: prevention, protection and
prosecution. Norway
is helping countries of origin to strengthen their efforts to prevent
recruitment and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Norway provides support and
protection for the victims of trafficking and is actively combating the
international networks that are behind these crimes.
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