Reply to the 21st report on the activities of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- See Doc. 4444, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 22 November 1979.
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Having examined the 21st progress report of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) (
Doc. 4388) and the report in reply to it by its Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography (
Doc. 4444);
2. Noting that, owing to economic and political difficulties, several countries with a long tradition of welcoming foreigners have had to review their immigration policy and criteria ;
3. Noting the efforts that have been made by ICEM, often in difficult conditions, to help refugees and their families wishing to join them, including Jews from the Soviet Union, and refugees from Indo-China and Latin America ;
4. Noting the efforts of ICEM in connection with the resettlement of persons returning from the former Portuguese territories in Africa ;
5. Appreciating the growing co-operation between the various international organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, on behalf of refugees and migrant workers ;
6. Wishing to impress upon governments and parliaments in the industrialised countries their responsibility towards the third world, in order that the disparities which are often the cause of emigration may not be made worse,
7. Urges ICEM, with the assistance of the governments of Council of Europe member states, to continue carrying out its regular programmes in conjunction with other governmental and non-governmental international organisations, and in particular to step up its efforts to assist refugees, and to reunite families as provided for in the Helsinki Final Act ;
8. Calls upon the governments of European member states of ICEM to continue affording ICEM political and financial support ;
9. Asks its own members to make every effort, through national parliaments and by approaches to their governments, to support and further the essential role of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, which is to confront, through assisted migration programmes, problems arising from serious political, economic and social pressures which exist in several host countries and countries of origin of migrants and refugees.
