Ministeri Siimeksen puhe WIDER-instituutissa 27.9.2002

UNU-WIDER Conference in Helsinki, 27 September, on

POVERTY, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND ASYLUM
Opening Address by Ms. Suvi-Anne Siimes, Minister for Development Cooperation of Finland

Professor Shorrocks - Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me first of all thank you for offering me the opportunity to address this conference at its opening. When I studied the list of participants, the scope of topics and wide range of background papers, I was indeed impressed by the academic effort vested in the very important and timely theme of Poverty, International Migration and Asylum. Or should I rather say the three themes, each of which is indeed challenging in its own right, and even more so in a combination of the three.

International migration is not a problem in itself. Mobility of labour may in some circumstances be beneficial for the economies of both the source and destination countries. For the migrants themselves having an option to change labour market is clearly an opportunity. Yet migration may become a problem where there is a mismatch between the push factors in source countries and the policies of destination countries. This seems to be increasingly the case in our times, to a point where migrational pressures are perceived as security threats.

The trend towards increased international migration appears to result from all aspects of the globalisation process in combination and of continued huge income gaps between different countries. Globalisation clearly boosts the pull factors of migration through increased flows of knowledge, media coverage, ideas and cultural values as well as through increased mobility of tradable goods and services as well as capital. Increased travelling and familiarity with opportunities in foreign countries triggers increased mobility of people. In addition poverty, environmental degradation, political instability and human rights abuses clearly fuel the push factors for migration from some regions of the world.
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A direct link between poverty and migration is particularly obvious in some situations. Unexpected disasters, such as droughts, floods or conflicts may deprive people of their means of subsistence and force impoverished populations to move. We may at times loose sight of the large numbers of poor displaced populations hosted in developing countries neighbouring the source countries. The efforts of these countries deserve our sincere recognition and support.

Destination countries can and should contribute to the management of migration through cooperation with source countries in combating poverty, environmental degradation and discrimination. The need to prevent mass exoduses is yet another reason to recommit ourselves to the global millennium goals for development, especially the goal of reducing by half the number of people living in absolute poverty by the year 2015. Appropriations for develoment cooperation need to be adjusted with a view of meeting the internationally agreed goal. Key exports of developing countries should be ensured more fair conditions on the global market.
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Poverty and asylum are an odd couple. Poverty is among the reasons causing persons to migrate but poverty as such is excluded from accepted grounds for protection. I assume it is not a coincidence that the two words are placed apart in the title of the conference. Under international refugee law asylum may not be sought for reasons other than certain forms of persecution. Even under human rights law a prohibition to return somebody to his own country may only be sought from treatment deemed as inhuman or degrading. A clear distinction between managing migration for the purpose of work and protecting the right of everyone to seek asylum is essential.

At the same time it should be noted that poverty and human rights problems often occur together in poor social conditions and in connection with humanitarian problems. Disadvantaged minorities may face situations of poverty, which are both the results of and causes for discrimination, if not persecution. Large income inequalities or humanitarian emergencies may implicate human rights problems relevant to asylum applications.

The prevention of unmanageable migrational pressure is a common international concern. Destination countries may want to include such considerations in their development cooperation strategies. They must in that event conform with the overriding goal of reducing poverty and the development goals of partner countries. They must also respect the right of everyone to leave his or her country of residence, enshrined in international human rights law. Finland was very active in the European summit in Seville to ensure that development cooperation is used only as a positive incentive in these respects.
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An important question under discussion is the question of gender based discrimination which at times amounts to persecution or inhuman treatment in the sense of international law. Recent examples, such as the sentencing to death by stoning of Amina Lawal in Nigeria, has drawn attention to discriminatory cultural practices that violate the human rights of women. In Sweden killings of young minority women in the name of perceived honour have had a similar awareness raising effect. Violence against women, including as female genital mutilation, is a severe form of discrimination in many parts of the world. For me it seems important to acknowledge in any proper asylum regime, that persecution in the meaning of the Geneva convention may occur solely on the grounds of gender.

In order to retain the treaty based asylum system functional and legitimate we need to have a correct understanding of the threats against it. An abundance of unfounded or abusive asylum application is one significant threat as it overburdens the system. On the other hand the criteria for presuming an asylum request manifestly unfounded should not put in jeopardy the right to individual inquiry. Another threat that may undermine public support for the asylum system is the stereotyping of asylum seekers. Labelling asylum seekers collectively as so called “economic migrants” or “economic refugees” not only stigmatises the asylum seekers but in practice also the refugees already in the country and indirectly all ethnic minorities of migrant origin. Stereotyping in these terms also seem for many to imply an assumption that refugees are more of a burden to the host country than a human resource.
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Poverty is fuelling the supply of victims for traffickers in human beings. Most victims of this contemporary slave trade are women and girls. Criminal organisations make them indebted and dependant and control their economic exploitation in the destination country. The victims of trafficking serve in fear of violence and of being revealed to the authorities. In order to be able to fight these traffickers it is essential that victims of trafficking are treated primarily as victims rather than accomplices to the crime and be offered appropriate witness protection measures.

Trafficking may often be done using legal means of entering the destination country. It is never sufficient to combat trafficking through fighting clandestine smuggling of persons. International cooperation against trafficking in human beings need to be comprehensive and address not only measures against people smuggling and crime prevention but also the root causes related to poverty and the status of women and girls in countries of origin as well as rehabilitation victims. The prompt ratification by all states of the trafficking protocol to the UN convention against trans-national organised crime and the protocol on the sale of children to the UN child convention are important first steps, which Finland is preparing to take.

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At the Johannesburg Summit the world leaders reiterated their commitment to poverty eradication based on a broad agenda for sustainable development. Economic development is closely interlinked with social and environmental policies and must be based on democracy and respect for human rights. The world community needs to address also the migration issues, not only as a matter of border control but as an aspect of pursuing sustainable development.

Thank you.