Political participation for migrant Diaspora

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13272 | 03 July 2013

Signatories:

Mr Giacomo SANTINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Lennart AXELSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Marek BOROWSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr António BRAGA, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Mikael CEDERBRATT, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr El Mokhtar GHAMBOU, Morocco ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Sergey KALASHNIKOV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Ms Athina KYRIAKIDOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Thierry MARIANI, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksandr ONYSCHENKO, Ukraine, EDG ; Mr Oleh PANKEVYCH, Ukraine, NR ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Mr Rovshan RZAYEV, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksandrs SAKOVSKIS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Giuseppe SARO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Jim SHERIDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Eric VORUZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Migration and the globalisation of economic markets have made it possible for many people to live and work outside their countries of origin.

However, although members of Diasporas actively contribute to the socio-economic well-being of their countries of origin, including through highly valuable remittances, not all countries of origin offer them opportunities for political participation, and in particular the right to vote in elections and referenda.

Members of Diaspora are also limited in their possibilities of political participation in host countries. At national level they are restricted in their right to vote unless they become citizens, and at a local level many member States of the Council of Europe have not signed up to the minimum requirements of the Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level (ETS no. 144).

The Parliamentary Assembly should investigate further the problem of disenfranchisement of Diaspora coming from or living in Europe, and come forward with recommendations on how to fix the demographic deficit found, keeping in mind the important link that members of diaspora secure between countries of origin and destination.