19/05/2008 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Strasbourg, 19.05.2008 - The PACE's Committee on Migration today asked European governments to give migrants an equal role in the democratic process and help them to play a more active part in society. Levels of democratic participation are low in Europe, said the author of the report, John Greenway (United Kingdom, EDG), and are even lower among migrants.
The members of parliament considered a number of proposals from the rapporteur to make it easier to obtain nationality, grant long-term resident status, regularise the situation of certain immigrants currently in their country illegally and grant migrants voting rights, if only in local elections.
The report approved by the Committee will be put to the vote of the Assembly in a debate on democracy in Europe in Strasbourg on 25 June 2008.