Second Report on the activities of the Intergouvernmental Committee for European Migration
Report
| Doc. 268
| 08 September 1954
1
1.1 Developments during the period 1 May to 31 August, 1954
1.1.1 I. Operations
1. Previou s reports from the Migration Committee have pointed out that the volume of migratory movements carried out under its auspices was considerably increased during the latter months of 1953 and that this improvement continued during the early months of 1954, with the result that over 40,000 persons were moved between 1st January and 30th April, 1954. The average rate of 10,000 movements per month which is necessary to ensure the achievement of the Committee's target of 118,400 movements during 1954 is being maintained. By the 31st July movements for the year had reached 72,766 — and total movements since the Committee began its operations to 237,956. Exact figures for the month of August are not yet available but it is likely that they will show that movements for the first eight months of 1954 have, exceeded 80,000. The Migration Committee expects to move its 250 thousandth migrant during the early part of September. . Appendix IV which is attached shows the total number of i migrants moved between 1 February, 1952 and 31 July, 1954, broken down by emigration and immigration country.
2. By the end of June, the Migx'ation Committee had moved a total of 98,610 refugees since its inception : of this number 56,726 were within the mandate of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the remainder national refugees, chiefly expellees and East German refugees from Germany or Italians from Vene-zia Giulia coming from Trieste.
3. The Migration Committee, endeavours, insofar as it lies within its power, to ensure that the movements it carries out are well-balanced demographically and include reasonable proportions of young and old people and women as. well as men of working age. Provisional figures now available regarding the age. and sex "breakdown" of movements carried out during the first six months of this year demonstrate the success of this policy (see Appendix V). Or the total of 64,874 persons moved, 27.5% were males between the ages of 20 and 59 ; 44.9% were persons under 20 or over 60, while 49.5 % were women.
4. The various migration services, particularly those concerned with the processing of emigrants before departure and their placement in employment after arrival in the immigration country, have been continued along the lines previously reported. Efforts have, however, been made to expand training programmes. An experimental programme is being worked out in agreement with the Greek Government for the vocational training of some 400 tirban workers destined eventually to emigrate to Brazil. The first group of 80 students has begun training in Salonika and a course for a similar number will start shortly in Athens. Further plans are also being developed for giving vocational training to prospective migrants in Italy. In view of .the demand in immigration countries for skilled workers, this vocational training programme is likely to have increasing importance. Its objective is not so much to create skilled workers out of persons totally unskilled, but rather to develop and increase the capacity of persons already semi-skilled. It is realised that the migration of one skilled worker may well create opportunities in the immigration country for several unskilled workers.
5. The need for rapid and effective systems of teaching the essentials of the English, Portuguese and Spanish languages to emigrants is becoming more apparent. The Committee is in contact with specialised institutes in order to evelve the most effective teaching system, employing simple and up-to-date methods. When such a system has been evolved it is hoped that it will be applied as early as possible before the departure of the migrants and continued on board ship and in the immigration country.
6. The Committee has continued to assist interested Governments in the preparation of projects for the land settlement of immigrants. As a result of the visit to certain Latin American countries of its land settlement specialists, the Committee has been requested to send an expert mission to Chile to survey plans being-developed in that country and to assist their completion. This mission is expected to leave within a few weeks. Other projects, including the settlement of Italian families in Venezuela and Dutch families in Chile, are likely to be put into operation in the near future.
1.1.2 II. The Constitution of I. C. E. M.
7. When Part II of this report, "Developments during the period 1 January to 30 April, 1954", was transmitted to the Council of Europe, eight Governments had accepted the Constitution which had been approved in Venice in October, 1953. Since that time the Governments of Paraguay, Austria and Greece have advised the Director of their acceptance. The eleven Governments which have so far accepted the Constitution are : Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Austria and Greece.
Legislation incorporating acceptance of the Constitution has been passed by the United States Congress, and official notification of acceptance is expected in the immediate future. When the acceptance of the United States has been received, the acceptances of four further Governments will be required in order that the statutory requirements for the coming into force of the Constitution, i.e. acceptance by sixteen Governments whose total contributions exceed 75 %, of the administrative budget, will have been met. It is clearly most important for the future of its work that the Committee should have the stability which the acceptance of its Constitution would give it. It is therefore very much hoped that four more Governments will notify the Director of their acceptance within the next two months, so that the Eighth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee, due to take place in Geneva on the 30th November, may mark the coming into force of the Constitution.
Appendix
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR EUROPEAN MIGRATION
Numbers of Migrants Moved by Country of Emigration and Immigration
1 February, 1952 - 31 July, 1954
| Area of Emigration of migrants who have finally departed from embarkation centres or other ports of embarkation |
COUNTRY OF IMMIGRATION |
| |
Total |
Argentina |
Australia |
Brazil |
Canada |
Chile |
Israel |
United States of America |
Venezuela |
Others |
| AUSTRIA |
20,594 |
119 |
1,669 |
1,249 |
6,661 |
40 |
104 |
10,587 |
91 |
74 |
| GERMANY |
99,863 |
191 |
20,293 |
2,754 |
43,707 |
828 |
181 |
30,143 |
5S6 |
1,180 |
| GREECE |
9,790 |
206 |
5,698 |
2,586 |
861 |
7 |
39 |
41 |
40 |
312 |
| ITALY |
64,037 |
28,427 |
664 |
22,988 |
2,060 |
1,477 |
120 |
699 |
7,264 |
338 |
| NETHERLANDS |
13,008 |
21 |
10,731 |
636 |
837 |
2 |
8O |
269 |
— |
432 |
| SHANGHAI / HONG KONG |
5,320 |
42 |
987 |
2,453 |
220 |
31 |
236 |
95 |
13 |
1,243 |
| TRIESTE |
6,082 |
27 |
3,764 |
676 |
476 |
127 |
1 |
166 |
156 |
689 |
| OTHERS |
19,262 |
337 |
1,204 |
903 |
5,328 |
108 |
3,114 |
7,856 |
108 |
304 |
| Total |
237,956Note |
29,370 |
45,010 |
34,245 |
60,150 |
2,620 |
3,875 |
49,856 |
8,258 |
4,572 |
Provisional report of the age and sex of migrants transported with the assistance of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
1 January — 30 June, 1954
| Age groups |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| 0 — 14 |
10,464 |
9,846 |
20,310 |
| 15 — 20 |
3,838 |
3,135 |
6,973 |
| 20 — 59 |
17,850 |
17,915 |
35,765 |
| 60 — |
613 |
1,213 |
1,826 |
| |
32,765 |
32,109 |
64,874 |
