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Presented by Commission Co-Chairs Jan O. Karlsson and Mamphela Ramphele

Migration Policy Institute, Washington DC
April 29th, 2004

MPI Director Kathleen Newland began the briefing by describing the history of the newly-created Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) and noting that the GCIM is soliciting input from many quarters. She introduced the speakers as well as the Commission's executive and research directors, Rolf Jenny and Jeff Crisp, respectively.

Introduction:

Jan O. Karlsson, Co-Chair of the GCIM, began his presentation by noting the significance of international migration. We see it everyday, he said, but how do we understand it? The nation-state remains the most important actor today, but all are increasingly interdependent - this is an especially noticeable phenomenon with respect to the migration issue. The main focus of the Commission will be to encourage states to cooperate on the issue of migration.

Brief background to the Commission and its work:

The UN Secretary-General's Migration Working Group issued a report in spring 2003 which presented three recommendations: 1). to close the legal and normative gaps in the international migration regime; 2). to use enhanced coordination to fill the existing institutional gaps; and 3). to create a Global Commission on Migration.

The Commission began its work in January 2004 and expects to issue its final report to the Secretary-General by the summer of 2005. It is comprised of a "Core Group" of governments from around the world as well as up to 15 Commissioners. As Mr. Karlsson noted, because of the long history of international migration and the extensive literature on the subject, there is a danger that the Commission could end up merely writing a long history or "compendium" on the subject that would not be widely useful. Rather, from the outset the chairs decided three things:

• The Commission is independent. Independence may come with a tradeoff in terms of relevance, but the Commission has tried to solve this potential problem by attracting a diverse and balanced membership
• Principle of "no surprise." There will be a series of broad consultations with all stakeholders. The proposals brought forth by the Commission will therefore not be shocking but should be stimulating.
• Be strategic because of the short timespan. The Commission will benefit extensively from its close contacts with academics, think tanks, etc., and will begin with the results of what such institutes have already done.

The mandate of the Commission is threefold:

• To place international migration on the global agenda;
• To analyze gaps in current approaches to migration and examine the inter-linkages with other issue areas; and
• To present recommendations to the UN Secretary-General and other stakeholders.

Mamphela Ramphele, Co-Chair of the Commission, divided her presentation into two major areas: 1). Why is the Commission relevant? and 2). What is the Commission's value-added?

Why is the Commission relevant?

• Migration is the one area of globalization that has been neglected for years - as have the implications of migration;
• The many inter-relationships surrounding the international migration issue cannot be dealt with by only one region or one group of states - they must be looked at globally;
• Migration involves acute demographic imperatives, on the part of both sending and receiving countries; and
• Security issues are key, particularly in the discussion of sovereignty "versus" globalization.

What is the value-added?

• The diversity of the commissioners provides opportunities for creativity;
• The Commissioners are aware of the complexity because they come from sending, receiving and transit countries or some, like South Africa, that are all three;
• The Commission will bring the national, regional and global levels together to find policy options that address issues, concerns, and opportunities; and
• The Commission will collectively point out ways to manage the risk and perceptions of risk through evidence-based policymaking. The goal is to close the gap between the experts and the policymakers.

Jeff Crisp, the Commission's Director of Research, outlined the major inputs to the final report:

• Commission meetings
• Regional hearings (in each of five regions) which will involve meetings with stakeholders to solicit opinions on migration issues and dilemmas
• Thematic stakeholder consultations, including with NGOs, civil society, migrant associations, the media, corporations, etc.
• Policy analysis and research with the aim of developing new policy proposals. The Commission is actively looking for partnerships with other institutions, etc.. There are several main "issue clusters," including:

• Migrants in the global labor market, including trends in supply and demand, technology, demographics, etc.;
• The links between migration, economic growth, development and poverty reduction, including remittances, brain drain, etc.;
• Irregular migration and state and human security;
• Migrants in society, including family reunification, the impact on host communities, state responses for integration, etc., and
• The governance of international migration, including institutions and regional initiatives
• Regional studies tracking policy and policy development
• A global migration perspectives series with the goal of moving outside of the usual suspects as authors.

Question and answer/Discussion:

Comment:

Demetri Papademetriou of the Migration Policy Institute noted that migration is critical to growth in host societies as well - this is what has changed in recent years. It is important that this fact be front and center in the research.

Both Rolf Jenny and Jeff Crisp clarified that migrants are to be at the center of all of the Commission's work, particularly in the second "issue cluster" (the links between migration, economic growth and poverty reduction). The Commission will also bring the private and corporate sectors, a voice that has been largely missing from the migration discussion up to the present.

Jan Karlsson added that the issue clusters do not represent, for example, chapters of the final report. Rather, the Commissioners aim for a final report that is short and axiomatic. Another part of the Commission's value-added the wide-ranging input it will have had through the regional consultations. It will not be ethnocentric. Mr. Karlsson cited the Ten Commandments as a model.

Question:

Rick Swartz, an independent consultant, asked if the Commission was going to engage the political, and look at what inhibits politicians from doing what they want to or should do in terms of migration (for example, anti-immigrant sentiment, etc.). He noted that the political challenges are found at all levels - local, state and federal. How can one effectively lead, given how different the issues are? He also noted that it is important to include social and political remittances (including the risks) along with monetary remittances.

Jan Karlsson responded that shared interest and interdependence will make sound politics, which is the key. What people want, he said, is the confidence that "someone is watching the store;" they are not necessary truly anti-immigrant at heart. People are most often ambiguous, not angry or enthusiastic. The other issue is that of the welfare state, and it must be portrayed in a practical manner, not as a cataclysm.

Mamphela Ramphele added that this question highlights the importance of the media and of how the media chooses to portray the migration issue. It is important to have key messages in the public domain, consistently, as early as possible, and to look at both history and the future. The media should help the public to think "beyond the now."

David Martin of the University of Virginia School of Law continued the discussion by noting that it is not just committed xenophobes who are against immigration. The challenge is to listen closely to these voices - they are not all focused on economics. Some raise issues of sovereignty, for example. It will be important for the Commission to also look at better enforcement regimes at the same time as looking at the benefits of migration, and to look at the impact of migration on the existing poor in society.

The Commission should not just support a preconceived notion that migration is good. Rather, it should raise the hard questions, such labor market impacts. A visible openness to hearing other perspectives will be important.

Mamphela Ramphele responded that the Commission sees migration as a phenomenon, not necessarily good or bad. It will speak with different audiences with different perspectives and different interests. Even for sending countries, migration is not always good (brain drain, disruption of families and social networks, etc.). The starting question for the Commission, she said, is "Migration is a complex issue. How can we best understand it?"

Comment:

Joseph Chamic from the UN Population Division noted that demographics are key, especially in Europe. Change will not come about from humanitarian concern, it will come from sheer need, as Europe is losing a significant percentage of its labor force through retirement and low birth rates.

Question:

Alexander Aleinikoff of the Georgetown University School of Law asked where human rights would be addressed within the issue clusters. He also noted that the third cluster (irregular migration and state and human security) was a bit problematic in that it too easily promotes unsavory linkages (i.e.: that irregular immigrants are a national security threat).

Jeff Crisp responded that gender and human rights would be mainstreamed through all of the issue clusters, though he is sensitive to the fact that this often means they are ignored. He believes the individual Commissioners will help to ensure that these issues are appropriately addressed.