Enlaces News #8 (November 2004)

CONSENSUS STATEMENT
Hemisferic Workshop on Migration Policies
First Social Forum of the Americas - Quito 2004

Considering the commitments assumed by the various governments through different political processes about migration, i.e. the Regional Conferences on Migration, the South American Conferences on Migration, the Decisions and Resolutions of the Community of Andean Nations, the Specialized Forum on Migration of MERCOSUR and associated countries (Chile, Bolivia and Peru); as well as their reiterated adherence to the international norms and agreements, more specifically the American Convention on Human Rights the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights, the International Pact on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families, the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees; Considering that declarations issued by the States of the region reaffirm their pledge to assist and protect the human rights of immigrants and their families, as well as promoting development in the border areas and providing reciprocal consular assistance among countries of South America; Consi-dering that the increase in emigration in the region is closely related to the adoption of neo-liberal economic policies by the governments; Considering that migration is a factor in development, and that migrants are individuals with rights, who contribute culturally, socially and financially, both to the country of origin as well as the destination country. And, Considering that it is necessary to strike a balance between States’ rights to defend their internal security, and the obligation they have to guarantee the rights of migrants, within the frame of international norms of Human Rights, and the respect to the principles of refugee protection.

OUR CONCERNS ARE:

• That after the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States, and the events of March 11, 2004 in Spain, some of the governments in the region and in developed countries are promoting restrictive and selective migration policies, which result in the criminalization of migrants and grouwth of irregular migration and smuggling of migrants.

• About the excessive control at the borders and in the interior of some countries, and about mass deportations which do not respect due process.

• About the continuous violation of migrants’ human rights in the countries of origin, transit and destination.

• About the conditions in border zones, where the human rights of migrants are not acknowledged, notably at the the Ecuador-Colombia, Dominican Republic-Haiti and Mexico-United States borders.

• Especially, about the conditions of refugees, de facto or by law, who flee their countries because of the general violence and the massive violations of their human rights, only to encounter multiple obstacles in obtaining international protection.

• About the widespread utilitarian perception of migrants, whether as potential voters, generators of monetary remittances or cheap labor.

WE DEMAND FROM THE GOVERNMENTS:

• A participatory and democratic process to shape public policies, taking into consideration the shared responsibility of the State parties and the active participation of the multiple actors who comprise this process: local and national governments, migrant organizations, families of migrants, and other institutions of civil society which are familiar with, and committed to this issue.

• Adoption and implementation through appropriate mechanisms of a comprehensive hemispheric agenda.

• Implementation of judicial reforms in every one of the countries of the region, moving toward national legislation that complies with international guidelines on human rights and migration.

• Creation of development and co-development projects in the countries of origin.

• Adoption of preventive measures in the countries of origin, through information campaigns, warning potential migrants about the risks involved in undocumented migration.

• Implementation of migration policies which incorporate human rights standards, norms and principles, as the central axis of all the components of a migratory process, including issues like monetary remittances, security policies in fighting terrorism, and the measures against migrant smuggling.

• Promotion of a wholistic approach to the migration issue, taking into consideration short, medium and long term goals; at local, national, regional and international levels, regarding the departure, reception and social integration of migrants.

AS CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO:
• Launching a process for citizen inspections and accountability of public policies developed around migration and migrant populations, while establishing appropriate evaluation indicators.

• Monitoring the implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families, signed and ratified by some governments in the region; and at the same time, promoting the presentation of alternative reports about the Convention.

• Utilizing existing international mechanisms to file complaints and identify human rights violations against migrant populations, demanding solutions and reparation.

• Strengthening organizations of migrants and their families, finding funding for their education, empowerment a nd encouragement of their social and political participation.

• Promoting an International Summit of Migrant Organizations to share experiences and consolidate their work.

• Taking advantage of existing spaces and networks in the civil society to promote debate and disseminate civil society proposals.

Issued in Quito, Ecuador, July 27, 2004
Participating organizations and institutions from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Ireland Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.