20/03/2023

“LINK2007” presents its proposals for a new approach to migration policies

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March 20, 2023

To address the issue of migrations it is essential to get out of the emergency logic and ideological conflicts, starting a constructive and lasting confrontation that involves all the realities capable of providing a concrete contribution. A few days after the umpteenth tragedy of the sea, ” LINK2007 – Cooperation on the net ” renews its commitment to dialogue by presenting the document “Government of immigration and cooperation with countries of origin”, which intends to lay the foundations for a new approach to migration policies and the management of refugees and asylum seekers. The coordination network – which brings together important and historic Italian NGOs of international cooperation and solidarity – asks all the actors involved, starting from the Government and the Parliament, to valorise the extraordinary wealth of experience and capacity for action of the civil society organizations that they have been working alongside migrants for decades.

Not considering migrations a structural phenomenon , which as such requires to be governed with systemic and coordinated strategies, would mean perpetuating a serious mistake. It is therefore necessary to move from the Viminale policy to the Palazzo Chigi policy , abandoning the current approach focused on security and containment. To embrace a broader vision it is first necessary to fill the many gaps and distortions of the dominant narrative. Starting with the spotlight turned almost exclusively on the rescues of NGOs in the central Mediterranean, which in the last five years have only been involved in 12-14% of the total landings. Equally unavoidable is a revision of the legislation, which has been based on the law for over twenty yearsBossi-Fini law , today even more inadequate to provide answers in a rapidly changing world.

However, supranational institutions, especially the UN and the European Union , which certainly need to be more active, are often relegated to the margins, while they could favor global governance of migration provided they receive the necessary delegations of powers from the national states. In this sense, the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migrationand the Global Compact on Refugees , approved in 2018 by the Assembly of the Glass Palace, are also of great importance, providing useful models to Governments for elaborating of coordinated policies.

At European level it is essential to change the rules as soon as possible. To govern the phenomenon, clear rules are needed that define entries on the basis of the socio-economic indicators of the individual countries. Only in this way is it possible to transform the needs of destination countries into opportunities for newcomers, ensuring regular entry and stay. The much-desired European pact on migration has never seen the light, while the reform of the Dublin agreements on asylum seekers is not currently on the agenda. The latter will require time and negotiations, but in the meantime Italy can adopt a reception system for refugees and asylum seekersspread throughout the peninsula, with small numbers for each region and province, so as to strengthen the link between the territory, hospitality and inclusion.

Despite the difficult economic situation, there are many actions that can contribute to changing the global picture: from ensuring the poorest countries the 0.7% of the gross national income promised by the OECD countries (Italy is stuck at 0.25% ), to readmission and repatriation agreements signed with a view to partnership and true cooperation; from the granting of citizenship to the new generations of immigrants inserted in our social fabric, to the fight against traffickers in Libya and elsewhere.

By 2050, Africa ‘s population will double to about 2.3 billion people , with a probable pool of 750 million people of working age. At the same time, Italy’s population is projected to decrease by 15 million. We must now see the opportunities of these developments: Africa needs Europe and Europe needs Africa. The creation of a permanent Euro-African partnership , with sufficient resources, can pave the way for a renewed cooperation between the two continents. The link between migration and developmentit is in fact strong and requires a reflection on the type of complementarity between Africa and Europe, based on common interests and shared values, putting an end to the senseless sense of superiority in order to listen and define a common path. Among the first concrete signs, the question of the debt of African countries , evaluating the opportunity to convert it into investments in local currency for the creation of wealth and new jobs. Investments to be integrated also with the role of the private sector, encouraged through a dedicated Africa Fund.

Contrary to what the common vulgate affirms, the majority of migrants do not come from countries in conditions of extreme poverty, but have the minimum resources and education necessary to be able to imagine and implement emigration. Many of them are educated and speak multiple languages. Many show marked entrepreneurial initiative, investing both in Italy and in their countries of origin. Their transnationalism – that is, the fact of being integrated, while maintaining close ties with the communities of origin – can favor co-development initiatives at a territorial level , involving immigrant communities and public administrations in Italy and in the territories of origin.

These are some of the proposals put forward by LINK2007 in the new position paper, with the aim of helping to define effective and shared policies for the reception and management of migratory flows. Faced with the perpetuation of deaths, exploitation and shipwrecks, a profound rethinking of the current rules is essential. More than 26,000 people have drowned in the Mediterranean in the last 10 years . Years of clashes and political exploitation have not improved in any way the condition and management of foreigners who leave their country in search of fortune. The time has come to turn the page.

LINK2007 is a consortium coordination association that brings together important and historic non-governmental organizations of international cooperation and solidarity: Amref, Cesvi, Ciai, Cisp, Coopi, Cosv, Elis, Corti Foundation, Icu, Intersos, Le Reseau Association, Lvia, Medici With Africa Cuamm, Soleterre, Weworld, World Friends . It was created to share and pool values, knowledge, experience and know-how, to give greater strength to development cooperation and humanitarian aid, enhancing their different specificities while maintaining their profound meaning.

HERE the complete document

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