"Migration in the 21st century: challenges and opportunities"

By Tuíla Botega and Charles Pintat

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, in partnership with the Brazil-European Union Parliamentary Group, the Chamber of Deputies, the Federal Senate, the Institute of International Relations of the University of Brasilia and with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Brazil, sought to reflect on the current challenges for building a common agenda between Brazil and the European Union. In this sense, the "XIX Brazil-Europe Forum - Migration in the 21st century: challenges and opportunities" presented political, social, economic and environmental challenges for these countries in the context of the new dynamics of global mobility. CSEM was present at the event, which took place in Brasilia on August 29 and 30, 2012.

The first day of the seminar highlighted the new challenges for Brazil on the international migration scene. Due to the country's high levels of economic growth, coupled with the financial crisis that has hit the European Union and the United States, Brazil is attracting many specialized immigrants, mostly Portuguese, Spanish, Italians and Americans, as well as immigrants with little academic or technical training, as in the case of the recent influx of Haitians.

The migration policies of the European Union countries were analyzed in the light of the impacts of the financial crisis, seeking to understand whether the countries were hindering the entry of immigrants and/or their access to basic social services. As the member countries of this bloc have different migration control mechanisms, it is difficult to establish common policies in relation to immigrants.

On the second day, the discussion centered on the practices and policies of attracting migrant workers in order to solve demographic issues related to the falling birth rate and the high rate of aging of the local population, and also to meet local needs for skilled labor in the countries of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan.

Within this context is the experience of Germany, a country which currently has, according to German MP Peter Wiess, a fifth of its population made up of immigrants. In this country there is a high demand for skilled workers and a lower demand for workers in the informal sector. In this sense, he said, the country has no interest "in migration for unemployment" and that "there are few chances of employment and integration for low-skilled migrants". This situation challenges the country's government actions to prepare immigrants to take on jobs in the formal/skilled market, given that around 42.8% of first or second generation migrants have no professional training.

In addition, it was pointed out that increasing language proficiency is fundamental for professional success and also for successful integration into society, so there are compulsory language courses and others for immigrants' professional qualifications.

Thais Faria, representing the ILO, pointed out that the organization makes no distinction between skilled and unskilled migrants, and that its conventions seek to guarantee respect for fundamental rights, the promotion of decent work and the appreciation of migrant workers. According to her, "the fact that migrants are unskilled does not mean that they do not contribute to the world of work and that they do not deserve to have their rights guaranteed". Finally, she recalled that the ILO conventions suggest to countries the need to preserve the migrant's culture and values, as well as having spaces that allow them to experience this culture in a foreign country.

Although the ILO does not distinguish between skilled and unskilled migrants, countries make this distinction in their policies, said Elena Lazarou, a researcher at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. There is an appreciation of skilled migrants that translates into attraction policies, visa facilities and so on. In addition, there is a protectionist practice in which countries open their doors to some sectors of the economy and close others.

Regarding the Brazilian context, the researcher stressed the need for education policies aimed at qualifying Brazilians to take on vacancies in the formal labor market in the long term. In addition, it would be necessary to attract qualified migrants from abroad back to the country.

The representative from Portugal, Pedro Góis, contributed to the debate by explaining that the logic of the brain drain is a challenging path for the ethical issue, because there is a search in southern countries for qualified migrants, but there is no provision for any form of compensation or recomposition of this workforce. In this way, the effects of this "brain drain" will be felt in the future with a shortage of skilled labor and could be very damaging to the development of these countries. Finally, he stressed that it is essential to develop a practice of collaboration and respect between countries, which could prevent a series of problems, such as human trafficking, non-recognition of diplomas, exploitation, etc.

When discussing the relationship between migration and climate change, Luiz Fernando Godinho, a representative of the UNHCR, noted that there is no international legal framework for the protection of so-called "climate refugees", which is why countries need to be willing to receive individuals who migrate for this reason. In this sense, the work of NGOs and civil society is essential to demystify the fear that societies have of receiving immigrants and to promote a culture of welcome.

For researcher Eduardo Viola, it can't be said that migrants are exclusively climate-driven, but rather that climate is one of the factors that make up the causes of migration. Climate change is increasingly associated with other factors that also lead to forced displacement. In this sense, it contributes to global instability and generates humanitarian impacts that need attention and practical measures. What is clear is that the international community is concerned about climate change and its effects, but not enough about the individuals affected by it.

Some forced migratory movements, such as refuge and human trafficking, were approached through the lens of humanitarian actions. In this context, Brazil's work with Haitian immigrants was highlighted, as the country, through joint action between the CNIg and CONARE, granted humanitarian visas to these immigrants, claiming that returning them to Haiti would be a violation of human rights. For Paulo Sérgio de Almeida, the CNIg's work has helped to overcome the shortcomings of Brazilian legislation on migration. He believes that it has been a successful migration and that it has been favorable for both the immigrants and the country. ICMPD representative Lucas G. pointed out that human trafficking is a multifaceted phenomenon with a global dimension and is a humanitarian challenge that requires coordinated action in conjunction with the international community.

The UNHCR representative warns that current humanitarian actions cannot resolve existing requests or prevent future conflicts and new cases of forced migration. It is therefore necessary that migration policies do not prevent people who have chosen irregular means to enter another country from having their rights respected and guaranteed.