Reception and settlement in the Federal Republic of Germany of refugees and resettlers of German origin coming from countries in Central and Eastern Europe

Recommendation 1106 (1989)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 9 May 1989 (2nd Sitting) (see Doc. 6039, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, Rapporteur : Mrs Hennicot-Schoepges). Text adopted by the Assembly on 9 May 1989 (2nd Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Recalling the commitments entered into in relation to the free circulation of persons by the countries which participated in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) ;

2. Considering that any interference with minorities' right to their own cultural identity constitutes a violation of human rights ;

3. Noting that, in recent months, the number of refugees and resettlers from countries in Central and Eastern Europe has increased considerably in the member countries of the Council of Europe ;

4. Noting that, of these refugees and resettlers, the very great majority of those of German origin have been received and have settled in the Federal Republic of Germany ;

5. Welcoming the efforts made by the governments of member states, and particularly by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, to assist these refugees and resettlers and successfully to integrate them economically, socially and politically ;

6. Paying tribute to the policy pursued by the Hungarian authorities, in co-operation with those of the Federal Republic of Germany, with a view to preserving the cultural identity of the German minority resident in Hungary ;

7. Noting with satisfaction the adoption by the Polish authorities of a more liberal policy on the granting of visas to Polish nationals of German origin wishing to leave their country ;

8. Recalling its own longstanding concern for the rights of minorities and noting, in particular, its Resolution 910 (1988) on rural policy in Romania ;

9. Deeply disturbed by the measures adopted by the Romanian authorities relating to the various minorities resident in Romania ;

10. Deploring the arrests by the authorities of the German Democratic Republic of persons who submit applications to leave the country ;

11. Considering that the Federal Republic of Germany is the country which has accepted the largest number of refugees and resettlers from countries in Central and Eastern Europe ;

12. Recalling that the Council of Europe Resettlement Fund, an ideal instrument of European solidarity, contributed in the early 1950s to the funding of certain projects for the benefit of refugees and resettlers of German origin who had arrived in the Federal Republic of Germany,

13. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a study the measures which should be taken to resolve the problems faced by certain member states because of the arrival of a large number of refugees and resettlers from countries in Central and Eastern Europe ;

b encourage the member states concerned, and particularly the Federal Republic of Germany, to use the facilities made available to them by the Resettlement Fund in order to fund projects intended to improve the conditions of reception and settlement of refugees and resettlers from countries in Central and Eastern Europe ;

c make use of the work done within the Council of Europe in the sphere of culture and education for the benefit of the minorities which exist in certain countries in Central and Eastern Europe ;

d invite the governments of states in Central and Eastern Europe, signatories of the Helsinki Final Act and the Vienna agreements, concluded within the CSCE framework, to ensure that minorities living on their territory enjoy conditions permitting them not to see migration as the sole option for their future.