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16 April 2002 By John Sparrow, in Berlin The fear of losing public support - and funding - should not deter the Red Cross and Red Crescent from speaking out on the rights of migrants. Failing to stand up for its principles held far greater perils, conference delegates agreed yesterday in Berlin. Despite controversy already surrounding Red Cross provision of humanitarian assistance to so-called illegal immigrants, a concensus was emerging at the 6th European Regional Red Cross and Red Crescent Conference that ad hoc response to migrant needs must be replaced by a comprehensive and coherent plan of action. Calls from leading international organisations to forge partnerships with them bolstered resolve among delegates from some 50 nations gathered in the German capital to counter growing human abuse, vulnerability and discrimination. "The biggest danger," said Kari Tapiola, Executive Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), "is that we all go on working in our own little worlds. We all have different strengths and yours is humanitarian engagement. We must combine them." Other calls for collaboration came from the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Population Division. It was a day of perspective at the conference which runs to April 19. Warned Jean-Pierre Gonnot of the UN Population Division, "Migration has become an increasingly visible phenomenon and, in many parts of the world, a highly politicized and controversial issue. Migration is viewed through a variety of polarized lenses that makes it often difficult to hold a rational debate. Getting the facts right about international migration is in itself a challenge." The statistics on migration flows and changes that would provide governments with a solid basis for policy were often lacking, and many irregular flows remained undocumented, he said. One popular notion was laid firmly to rest. "The analysis of migration trends since the late 1960s leads to the unambiguous conclusion that, up until now, the developing countries experiencing the fastest population growth have not been the main sources of migrants to the developed world, nor have those with the largest populations." Despite an increase in south-to-north migration, movement still occurred mostly within a regional context, he said. As a consequence, the majority of international migrants live in developing countries. Over one third live in Asia while, in comparison, North America and Europe make up about 20 per cent each of the total stock. But, he said, immigration from countries of rapidly growing populations could be a solution to the declining and ageing populations of the developed world. By mid-century, the populations of Japan and virtually all European countries would most likely decline. Some countries, like Italy, could lose up to a fifth of their numbers. "The perspective of a pervasive ageing has raised serious concerns for the future of developed countries: the decrease in the supply of labour, the increase in the economic burden put on the working-age population, and the long term prospect of population decline and demise." Related links: More from the VIth European Conference in Berlin |
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