CCME

“A report published in 2004 by the UK House of Commons² clearly shows that the costs of migration are outweighed by the economic benefit migration brings. Therefore the Commission’s initiative is a good starting point for a shift of paradigm in the political debate. Migration should no longer be regarded as an indication of crisis and deficit but as a chance and resource for the countries of origin as well as for the hosting societies.”¹

“people migrating for reasons of labour, usually as a main priority, seek thereby to improve their own life and the lives of their families ... come with individual hopes, challenges and skills, interests, and inalienable human rights...Migration can be a source of income and the unofficial social security system for the families of migrants. Moreover, migration contributes to increased knowledge and in some cases improves the economic standing of a country. In other cases it might completely deprive the country of its most needed skilled or highly skilled labour.”²

Links migration to the unequal impact of globalization.³

“The point to be taken from this is that migration in the modern world, in both its forced and ‘voluntary’ versions, has to be understood as arising for many people as an act of necessary adaptation to developments beyond their individual control. In many instances, people migrate in order to ensure their basic survival; in others, because the task of living with a degree of dignity and the hope for a marginally better future requires movement to another country.”⁴

points to the fact that actions designed to combat terrorism affect the issue of remittances.⁵

“approaches the issue of migration as one of “service providers”. This logic in our view raises strong concerns about a perspective, which exclusively sees migrants as a workforce, but hardly as human beings with hopes, plans, dreams and, foremost: rights.”⁶

points to the disaster of the guest worker system in the 1970s and claims that immigration policy needs to take into consideration that whether people stay or return often has little link to their initial intentions.⁷

1Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 2.

2Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 2.

3Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 2.

4Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 3.

5Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 4.

6Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 6.

7Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe “Comments on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations” COM (2005) 390 final Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage available online at www.ccme.be [Accessed September 10 2008] 7.