Memorandum submitted by The Panos Institute,
Paris
IMMIGRANT AND
ETHNIC MINORITY
ORGANISATIONS (IEMO):
LEGITIMATE STAKEHOLDERS
IN UK AND
EU DEVELOPMENT POLICIES
The Panos Institute is an international non-governmental
organisation aimed at supporting media pluralism and media freedom
around the world. The Panos Institute supports the emergence of
the legal, technical, financial and organisational conditions
needed for the growth of an independent, pluralist and professional
media in Asia and Africa. The Panos Institute strengthens the
capacity of media in these areas to produce information on specific
themes including human rights, peace, good governance, migration
and HIV/AIDS and to increase the international dissemination of
this information. The Panos Institute initiates and informs public
debate on these themes both in and between developed countries
and developing and transition countries such that all peoples
can be heard.
The first Panos Institutes, Panos London, Panos
Paris and Panos Washington, were established in 1986. From their
efforts Panos has developed in different parts of the world, three
further autonomous Panos Institutes now operate in West Africa,
Southern Africa and South Asia. Two new Panos Institutes are being
established, in Eastern Africa and the Caribbean Islands. These
different entities are members of the Panos Council, a regulatory
body which encourages collaboration and internal co-ordination.
The Panos Institute Paris was initially focused
on West Africa. Since the establishment of an autonomous Panos
Institute in this area in 2000, Panos Paris has refocused some
of its activities on Central Africa and the southern coast of
the Mediterranean. It is also developing projects and programmes
with global scope, such as the International Migration and
Media programme.
THE INTERNATIONAL
MIGRATION AND
MEDIA PROGRAMME
The International Migration and Media (MIME)
programme aims at producing and disseminating innovative and multi-faceted
information on international migration and its impact on economic,
social, political and cultural dynamics within human societies.
This programme has three objectives: (1) better informing policy-makers
and leaders of civil societies, (2) encouraging diversity of opinion
within professional media circles, and (3) stimulating public
debate.
Several projects are developed within the MIME
programme. IEMOs in Europe is one of them. It is a comparative
project based on an interactive approach in association with IEMOs
of six European countries. The objective is to analyse and to
publicise the development roles of IEMOs in their countries of
origin and the impact of IEMOs in their host countries with regard
to citizenship and civic participation. The project aims include:
(1) Enlarging the European network for the exchange of IEMOs'
practices, (2) The communication of innovative experiences, (3)
Changing public perceptions of immigrant and ethnic minority communities
and (4) Disseminating information on IEMOs' initiatives.
This submission to the IDC's inquiry into Migration
and development is informed by the results of the above IEMOs
in Europe project.
What is the nature of the relationship between
migration and development (specifically, poverty reduction) and
what determines the nature of this relationship?
There are many ways to analyse the nature of
the relationship between migration and development. According
to the Panos Institute Paris and our work since 1992, a vital
and often ignored factor that plays a significant role in the
migration/development dynamic between home and host countries
is that of the immigrant and ethnic minority groups.
Immigrant and ethnic minority groups form communities
of many millions in Europe. Many of these people have developed
organisations and projects on issues relating to immigration,
fight against discrimination, citizenship and development. These
organisations and their practices are often ignored, at best not
known, by other actors (NGOs, local, national and European authorities)
involved in policies and programmes relating to the same issues.
The transfer of national authority on immigration,
fight against discrimination, integration and development policies
to the European Commission is currently much debated in Europe.
During the last three years, the EC has published four official
communications covering the main issues and key points relating
to this transfer [communication on immigration and asylum (11/00),
on immigration and EU relations with third countries (12/02) and
on integration (06/03]. These EC communications give an insight
into a European Union with a future common immigration policy.
This global vision is causing much debate in
member States. Both policy makers and leaders of civil societies
are currently engaged with this issue but in this debate, IEMOs
are insufficiently included and their actions are mostly ignored
by governments and other actors. The IEMOs experiences and practices
can generate a better understanding of the immigrant and ethnic
minority groups they represent including their dynamic and approach
to the migration/development issue. To understand the IEMOs and
to take their point of view into account is an important challenge
but the result will be a better definition and implementation
of new common European policy on migration/development matters.
It is also a challenge because the impact of this new policy will
firstly impact on immigrant and ethnic minority groups. Yet, these
groups are the least informed regarding the process and its possible
impact on them.
What can and should the UK and its partners in
international development do to maximise the benefits and minimise
the risks and costs of migration for poor people, developing and
transition countries ?
The Panos Institute Paris is of the opinion
that the risks and costs of migration for poor people, developing
and transition countries are mitigated by the important role played
by IEMOs. Thus, to maximise the benefits that the UK and its partners
in international development can bring to bear on this issue,
it is critical to produce and to disseminate information on IEMOs
and their practices and to create an environment where they can
be heard. To this end, the Panos Institute Paris has a number
of propositions as follows:
1. Enlarging a first European IEMOs network
to exchange best practices and experiences on matters relating
to immigration, fight against discrimination, citizenship and
development. The focus of this network will be to strengthen the
competencies of immigrants and members of ethnic minorities and
their organisations, by facilitating the sharing of know-how and
experiences. The enhancement of the individual abilities and institutional
capacities will enable different actors to play a more concrete
and effective role in the definition and implementation of policies
and programmes relating to race and immigration at European level.
2. Identifying and highlighting innovative
experiences and practices initiated by IEMOs in Europe on migration
and development matters. The objective is to produce scientific
and analytical information on best practices of immigrant and
ethnic minority organisations in Europe—regarding citizenship,
fight against discrimination, immigration management and development.
One of the priorities will be an analytical and comparative inventory
of the actions undertaken in Europe by IEMOs relating to migration
and development matters. This information will provide knowledge
to effectively lobby and advocate change where appropriate in
European directives and programmes, and will include the critical
contribution of ethnic minorities in the definition and implementation
of new policies.
3. Effectively disseminating information
and analyses on IEMOs' practices and initiatives to policy makers,
leaders of civil society and media professionals involved in the
migration and development debate. The Panos Institute Paris has
many years of experience in best communication methods utilising
traditional media, Internet, seminars, case studies and so on.
How coherent is UK and EU migration policy with
policy on other development-related matters and how might a more
holistic and longer-term approach to migration be beneficial to
the UK and its development partners?
The Panos Institute Paris has initiated a number
of studies (see below) relating to the coherency of migration
policy vis-a"-vis broader policies relating to development
in the more general sense of the term.
To support a more holistic and longer-term approach
towards UK and EU policy regarding migration and development,
the Panos Institute Paris suggests:
1. Building a European network and a global
plan of action for the exchange and production of regular information
on IEMOs' practices which will initiate national and European
lobbying and advocacy for better informed migration and development
policies.
2. Increased dissemination of information
on IEMOs initiatives, practices and expertise.
3. An in-depth understanding of how IEMOs
in Europe can contribute to greater involvement in the implementation
of policies and programmes that relate primarily to their own
constituency. This will build lasting partnerships between IEMOs
and other actors.
4. A greater inclusion of immigrant and ethnic
minority groups, as legitimate stakeholders in the definition
of European policies and programmes based on their practices and
experiences.
CONCLUSION
The Panos Institute Paris is critically engaged
in issues relating to migration and development with particular
emphasis on IEMOs in Europe. As the accepted experts on the important
role of IEMOs and the untapped resource therein, the Panos Institute
Paris would be delighted to assist the International Development
Committee with their inquiry into migration and development. Indeed,
the implementation of the above proposals would be a follow up
to a previous project initiated by the Panos Institute Paris in
2000. This project focused mainly on IEMOs' development programmes
operating between Europe and their home countries. Consequently,
the Panos Institute Paris has valuable resources and knowledge
(see attached overview of selected activities and curriculum vitae
of the MIME programme director) already in place relating to the
complex domain of IEMOs and their practices. The Panos Institute
Paris has worked successfully with the Department For International
Development (DFID) on a number of projects in the past, mainly
regarding pluralism of information and media in Central Africa
and the peace building process.
MIME—INTERNATIONAL
MIGRATION AND
MEDIA
OVERVIEW OF
SELECTED ACTIVITIES
Articles
South of North: European Immigrants' stakeholdings
in Southern Development pp. 231-243 in: Bryceson, Deborah &
Vuorela, Ulla, The transational family, new European frontiers
and global networks, Oxford and New York, Berg, 2002.
Migration et De«veloppement : un de«bat
aujourd'hui devenu europe«en, demain international? in: Blion
R & Rigoni I, (Eds), D'un voyage a" l'autre—des
voix de l'immigration pour un de«veloppement pluriel,
Paris, Karthala/Institut Panos, juil 2001.
Economies et transferts migratoires, re«ve«lateurs
des contradictions entre politiques et pratiques migratoires?
in: Blion R & Rigoni I (Eds), D'un voyage a" l'autre—des
voix de l'immigration pour un de«veloppement pluriel, Paris,
Karthala/Institut Panos, juil 2001.
Associations issues de l'immigration et solidarite«
internationale—Migrations Socie«te«, vol
12, no 72, Nov-Dec 2000, pp 107-117.
Du Se«ne«gal a" New York, quel
avenir pour la confre«rie Mouride?— Hommes et Migrations,
no 1224, March-Apr 2000, pp 36-45.
Epargne des migrants et outils financiers adapte«s:
le cas des Maliens et des Se«ne«galais de France, Migrations/Etudes,
no 82, September/October 1998, 16 p.
Publications
Une politique d'asile en question—Le cas
français—Neuchatel, Forum suisse pour les migrations/Panos,
to be published in October 2003.
Immigration management in France—Strategic
elements for a common policy on immigration—Bruxelles, Migration
Policy Group/Panos, May 2003.
D'un voyage a" l'autre—des voix de
l'immigration pour un de«veloppement pluriel—Blion
R & Rigoni I (Eds)—Paris, Karthala/Institut Panos, July
2001.
Les immigre«s, acteurs de de«veloppement
Nord/Sud—Seminar organised by Panos Paris—14 June
1999, Migrations Socie«te«, vol 12, no 67, January-February
2000.
Epargne des migrants et outils financiers adapte«s
: le cas des maliens et des se«ne«galais de France—two
tomes—Paris, Ministe«re de l'Emploi et de la Solidarite«,
July 1998.
Les migrants, partenaires pour le de«veloppement—Migrants,
partners in development co-operation—He«le«ne
Libercier, Harmut Schneider—Paris—OCDE—1996—synthesis
of seven case studies by PANOS, Paris.
La contribution des travailleurs immigre«s
au de«veloppement de leur pays d'origine—PANOS Paris/OCDE—Development
Centre, Paris, L'Harmattan, 1996.
Papers
L'Internet, espace renouvele« d'actions
pour les femmes—Un outil au service de la Dame'spora—Paris,
Panos, Juil 2003—Paper presented at the Summer School on
new technologies of information and communication—St Laurent
de Neste (France)—July 2003.
Migration/De«veloppement, un de«bat
europe«en devenu d'actualite« Paris, Panos, June 2003—Paper
presented at the national meetings of Italian (Florence, June
2003) and Portuguese (Lisbon, July 2003) IEMOs.
Seventh International Research and Advisory
Panel—The Refugee Convention at 50—International Association
for the study of Forced Migration—ESKOM Center—Johannesburg
(South Africa)—January 2001.
Symposium—Black Diaspora in Europe—University
of Liege (Belgium)—December 1999.
European Conference—Migrant families
and Human capital Formation—Afrika Studies Centrum—Leiden
(Netherlands)—November 1999.
National Conference—Immigration Laws
in United Kingdom—London (United Kingdom)—JCWI
(Joint Council on the Welfare of Immigrants)—October 1999.
Forum Interculturel Fundacion SERGi—Immigre«s—acteurs
de de«veloppment Nord/Sud?; quelles perspectives? —Girona
(Spain)—Fundacion SERGi—September 1999.
Euro-Mediterranean Summer School—Co-de«veloppement;
quelles perspectives pour le Maghreb? —Dunkerque (France)—Association
Rencontres—July 1999.
European Seminar europe«en—Nouvelles
migrations et de«veloppement—ITECO/MRAX—Brussels
(Belgium)—December 1997.
Press Articles and audio reports
Te«le«rama—La solidarite«
par les racines—July 2001.
PANA Press—Immigrants and the development
process—Panafrican news agency—July 2001.
Imagine—Les migrants: acteurs du de«veloppement—March
2001.
Libe«ration—Une vie ici, des projets
la"-bas—July 2000.
Internationale Samenwerking—Immigrant
blijkt ontwikkelingsnet-werker van formaat—January 2000.
Africa International—Western Union
veut votre argent—July 1999.
Te«moignage chre«tien—L'e«pargne
ici, le de«veloppement la"-bas—January 1999.
Le journal de l'emploi—CANAL + Documentary,
"Des immigre«s prennent l'initiative", Emission
Le journal de l'emploi—February 2002.
Tete-a"-te®te—RTBF—Belgian
national radio—a 52' radio show based on the book "D'un
voyage a" l'autre—Des voix de l'imigration pour un
de«veloppement pluriel" (Panos/Karthala, July 2001)—November
2001.
La semaine du Mali—RFO—Supporting
RFO (French international TV channel) in the definition of the
objectives and content of the week, contribution to a radio programme
on migration and IEMOs issues, contribution to a TV debate on
decentralised development co-operation in Mali—November
2000.
Contribution to a TV documentary movie on
TV people (Broadcast in 46 countries, including USA, Asia
and Middle-East)—This documentary highlights the role of
immigrants and ethnic minorities in the development of their home
countries—January 2000.
Aujourd'hui a" Paris; Debate chaired by
Evie Dally (60 man)—Africa no 1—Paris—June 1999.
CONFERENCES AND
OTHER SYMPOSIUMS
International and organised by Panos Paris
European seminar—IEMOs in Europe: what
future for development?—Panos/Cidac—under the Presidency
of Ms Maria Jose« RITA, first Lady of Portugal—Lisbon
(Portugal)—October 2003.
International workshops—Transfers and
exchanges of skill and know-how: sharing experiences between immigrant
and ethnic minority women' organisations and women' organisations
of the South—Paris, Feb. 2001—Casablanca (Morocco),
Nov 2001 and Bamako (Mali), August 2002.
European seminar—IEMOs in Europe : identity
and practices—AID/AFFORD/Panos—Birmingham (United
Kingdom)—October 2002.
Workshop—Transfers and exchanges of skill
and know-how: sharing experiences—Panos—Paris (France)—July
2002.
Workshop—Transfers and exchanges of skill
and know-how: sharing experiences—Panos—Paris (France)—July
2001.
Working seminar—Immigration—a chance
for development?—A follow-up of a network—Panos—Paris
(France)—February 2001.
Working seminar—Internet, a tool of exchange
between immigrant women' organisations and women organisations
of the South—Panos—Paris (France)—February 2001.
Workshop—Transfers and exchanges of skill
and know-how: sharing experiences—Panos—Paris (France)—July
2000.
Working seminar—Immigration, a chance
for development—a network for what?—Panos—Paris
(France)—June 2000.
European Seminar—Immigre«s—acteurs
de de«veloppement Nord/Sud?—Paris (France)—14
June 1999—initiated by Panos Paris and bringing together
60 participants (researchers, journalists, members of NGOs or
immigrant and ethnic minority groups) from six European countries,
with the aim of launching a first stakeholders network.
European Summer School—l'Education au
de«veloppement en partenariat avec le Sud; l'alte«rite«
a" l'e«preuve des pratiques—Marly—le-Roi
(France)—PPF ONGD/UE, CLONGD/UE—Direction and methodological
conception—July 1999.
International initiatives by other organisations
International seminar—Trade and immigration—OECD
/ IOM / World Bank—Geneva—Nov 2003.
Euro-american symposium—How to regulate
Immigration?—ASPEN Institute Italia—Roma—October
2003.
International conference—UN international
convention on migrants' rights—Un Association—House
of Parliament—London (United Kingdom)—December 2002.
European conference—Discrimination and
citizenship in Europe—University of Warwick—Coventry
(United Kingdom)—December 2002.
European symposium—International mobility
of skills—ISSP—Neucha®tel (Switzerland)—November
2002.
Conference—Diaspora, development et globalisation—IUED/FSM—Geneva
(Switzerland)—November 2002.
International seminar—Ethnic media in
Europe—London School of Economics—London (United Kingdom)—September
2002.
International conference—09/11 and Media—British
Film Institute/MiraMedia—London (United Kingdom)—September
2002.
Round table—Migration Policy Dialogue—Migration
Policy Group—Brussels (Belgium)—May 2002.
National workshop—IEMOs in United Kingdom:
identity and practices—AID/AFFORD/Panos—Birmingham
(United Kingdom)—October 2002.
National workshop—IEMOs in Netherlands:
a network?—EMCEMO/Panos—Amsterdam (Netherlands)—April
2002.
Round Table—Immigration and Development
with the Portuguese High Commissioner on Immigration—MANIFesta/CIDAC—Tavira
(Portugal)—April 2001.
Conference—Immigration and media—Infosud/SIA—Brussels
(Belgium)—March 2001.
Debate—What role for IEMOs in Belgian
development co-operation policy?—Les Midis du Tiers Monde—CNCD—Brussels
(Belgium)—March 2001.
New California Media Expo—A conference
on ethnic media, organised by Pacific News Service and NCM, a
coalition of ethnic media in California—San Francisco (USA)—February
2001.
Co-development: an alternative or a lie?—Belgian
ecologist deputies' advisors meeting—Federal Parliament
of Belgium—Brussels (Belgium)—December 2000.
Millennium NGO Forum—Participation in
workshops on pluralism of information, media, peace and migration—New
York (USA)—May 2000.
Races and Rules Conference—GRIPP—Preparatory
Conference for US NGO positions at the World Conference Against
Racism—Washington (USA)—May 2000.
Working seminar—Moroccan IEMOs and Morocco;
what types of co-operation and solidarity?—EMCEMO—Amsterdam
(Netherlands)—December 1999.
International Conference—The Awakening
Conference: global citizenship, multicultural citizenship and
globalisation—Queen Elizabeth and Royal Festival Hall—VSO,
OXFAM, Amnesty International—London (United Kingdom)—September
1999.
The Hague Conference organised by the Migration
Policy Group—consultations on the theme of Migration/Development
in the regions around the Mediterranean in view of the participation
of the Dutch government in the Euro-Mediterranean Stuttgart conference—The
Hague (Netherlands)—February 1999.
European Parliament—Migrations/De«veloppement;
quelle politique de coope«ration au de«veloppement?—European
Parliament—MPG/Groupe Libe«ral—Brussels (Belgium)—Januray
1999.
National
De«bat public—Migrations et de«veloppement:
quel ro®le pour les OSIMs dans la politique française
de coope«ration au de«veloppement?—ESPACES—Marseille
(France)—De«c 2002.
De«bat public—Migrations et de«veloppement:
quel ro®le pour les OSIMs dans la politique française
de coope«ration au de«veloppement?—Maison des
citoyens du Monde—Nantes (France)—November 2002.
Forum civil Euromed—Animation et pre«paration
de l'atelier de travail sur les Migrations—Marseille (France)—November
2000.
Regional meetings on decentralised development
co-operation—Se concerter ici pour mieux agir la"-bas—Maison
de la Chimie—Conseil Re«gional Ile de France—Paris
(France)—November 1999.
Preparatory DNCO/MAE meetings for the Euro-Mediterranean
conference—Centre de Confe«rences Internationales du
MAE—PPF ONGD/UE, Ministe«re des Affaires Etrange«res/MILONG—consultations
on the theme Migration/Development in the regions around the Mediterranean
in view of the preparation and participation of the French government
in the Euro-Mediterranean conference, Stuttgart—Paris (France)—April
1999.
Since 1997 PANOS Paris Institute has been the
reporter for the working group on "Migrations et Personnes
en mouvement" CCD (Commission Coope«ration De«veloppement)/Ministe«re
des Affaires Etrange«res, Coope«ration et Francophonie,
having taken part in writing the chapter on "Migrants and
ethnic minorities—a resource for development co-operation"
in the white paper on development co-operation and international
solidarity.
| 
