Land Center for Human Rights issues a report in the series of the economic and social right, no. (81). The report addresses the situation of migrants and European partnership. The report, in the introductory part, deals with the situation of the European Community, which adopted the five key actions: supporting economic reform in Mediterranean countries and encourage private investment, and increasing aid finance for private investment, and improve access to the European market for export and boosting the economic political dialogue with the neighbors in the south.
In order to achieve such result, there have been several events including the Conference of Barcelona on 27 and November 28, 1995, which was attended by 15 member States of the European Union and 12 countries of the Mediterranean region: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the West Bank and Gaza Gaza.
The Conference adopted a comprehensive agenda aimed to strengthen the linkages in various areas of common interest: political and security issues, and economic and financial issues, social and humanitarian issues.
The report of Land Center for Human Rights confirmed that, over time, there were many points of disagreement between the parties of the partnership, whereas one of the most important issues is the issue of migration and migrant workers, which was formed and has been an important and sensitive file in Arab- European relations, especially as the European public orientation tends to minimize the migration. In addition, there is the difficult environment and discriminatory practices in which migrants live, even those who spent long periods on their presence in the receiving countries, especially in recent years.
The first axis of the report reviews reflections on the European partnership between the North and South, providing a brief on the efforts and various attempts of the European countries to restore the European role that is missing in the Mediterranean countries, and the commitment of the EU principles of human rights, which has long advocated by the regional states, and then attempts to detect the real objectives of the partnership initiatives of the European Mediterranean countries, and the position of the United States of America.
The line between North and South, regardless of differences in nomenclature conventions and levels of both (Union for the Mediterranean - Mediterranean Union - Euro-Mediterranean Partnership .. etc) and variations of previous projects (such as the new Middle East - the Greater Middle East - Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. . etc.), but there is a sure fact that the Mediterranean has remained as it is; the embodiment of the disparity between the developed countries, everything you want from the countries located on the beach the other, do not provide anything to what has led to increasing inequality in economic indicators, demographic, social, cultural, political, regulatory and institutional and other specific indicators of social progress, growth and well-being of children.
In this regard, the report stressed on the great disparity in wages, productivity and the net of social safety, and the average income and poverty between the shores of the Mediterranean, and remained with the Mediterranean, as described by many observers to the issue of partnership between the North and the South that it is defined as a sea of trouble.
The report of the Land Center for Human Rights raised many of the concerns about this project in the beginning and perhaps most important: the priority to the economic side, particularly because it includes developing countries such as (Albania - Algeria - Libya - Tunisia - Syria - Morocco - Egypt) and the more developed countries (such as Greece - Cyprus - Malta - Yugoslavia).
Land Center for Human Rights stressed that, in spite of all these clear and explicit texts, which stresses the importance of respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in the partnership being sought, but that the Barcelona Declaration and agreements of bilateral engagement did not propose a practical mechanism for implementation. Also, it did not put any requirement for all members to apply it, and did not mention- from near or far- to the consequences of non- application by any country. It did, only, share bilateral agreements concluded between the EU and any other Mediterranean country non-member of the text that the relations between the two parties will, in addition to all the terms of the agreement itself, respect for human rights and democratic principles that guide their policies and Interior constitute an essential element of the Convention.
Also, the Land Center for Human Rights confirms that all this situation remains governed by the tension between the principles and interests; whereas when there is conflict of the interests for European countries, with democracy and the rule of law and human rights, they choose their interests, in total disregard to the principles and values. It means that there is lacks of principle, making these countries prefer simultaneous interest, then the countries do not soon have to pay the cost of this option, security and stability and the vibration of its credibility in the eyes of the people
Land Center for Human Rights believes that the issue of human rights has not yet become a key issue in international relations, but, on the contrary, the international relations tend more and more away from the moral ideal. You could even say: The conflict between scientific progress and moral decay is still the hallmark of the world order and international relations; economic globalization is the most visible expression of this conflict.
The report goes on presenting an overview of European nations are suffering from the influx of immigrants from Mediterranean countries, especially through regular and irregular emigration is warranted by the market need European cheap labor of the army of labor reserved in poor countries, pushing them on the local workforce, generating feelings of xenophobia and deepening. One of the other side, it is a migration generated by poverty, unemployment and the steady rise in population as well as the oppression and tyranny and political unrest. All States has consistently to open their borders to goods and services, and capital, and closed down in the face of the work
Then the report is subjected to the agreements of the European Partnership as a new instrument of colonialism, citing an agreement of many experts that the so-called "Economic Partnership Agreements" that Europe is pushing to be imposed on 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, will pay their people further into poverty, and preventing the achievement of the objectives of the Millennium endorsed by the United Nations, and South-South integration, and agree that the benefits outweigh harm to the people of African, Caribbean and Pacific.
Therefore, the Land Center for Human Rights detect through its report that the Economic Partnership Agreements involving on the agenda of non-development, since all the Millennium Development Goals adversely affected by the economic principles that promote without discrimination and under extraneous considerations, which impose Europe conventions on the former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, and that these agreements will These regions of the free trade zone with Europe and allow European business deals huge monopoly, contrary to the development efforts
Land Center for Human Rights also stressed to these agreements, the European would destroy agriculture and industry in Africa, will give Europe the power and influence on economic policies in the countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific, the transformation of its rulers to a mere local managers interests of European companies and their profits
The report reviews the axis, the second situation of migrant workers ... equity or low, in a bid to get closely acquainted with the most important immigration issues in Europe, and also how to interact immigrants with domestic politics in each country, and then refers to the most important steps and actions taken by the European Union to reduce the problems against migrant workers in Europe, goes on the axis to address the analysis for citizens of the southern Mediterranean in Europe and face the problems and all of that by addressing issues of immigrants and perhaps most important of these issues was the question of cultural diversity of European countries, the problems of political alienation, cultural and social faced by migrants, and understanding of different issues and multi-citizenship and reflected the perception of immigrants, and the relationship between identity or multiple identities and the state.
The report goes on explaining trends of Europe through the establishment of what is known as Blue card Europe, where the plans of the executive arm of the European Union in 2007 is to consolidate the policy of dealing with the file to recruit workers from abroad, and the European Commission launched a project requires establishing what is known as system of blue card, which allows foreign nationals live and work in the European States bloc for economic reasons, according to the Green Card system in force in the United States of America, in order to assist Member States to get specialized labor and stopping irregular migration and contain the fallout from rising numbers of elderly Europeans.
The European Union adopted the Law "blue card" in May 2009 and decided to impose sanctions on employers of irregular migrants, to develop immigration policy and make it more coherent at the European level and to attract foreign expertise in high efficiency, and organization of the establishment of foreigners with the terms of reference rare in countries Union who contribute to bridging the gaps existing in the European labor markets.
And on the sanctions imposed on those who use illegal immigrants and said the Land Center for Human Rights that starts in grams of Finance to imprisonment for a term commensurate with the size of the irregularities which include operating irregular migrant in hazardous conditions or use of minors in the work or the exposure of workers to harm the physical or psychological.
Land Center for Human Rights stressed to the European Union aims behind the enactment of such laws, promoting polarization high level of expertise qualified to work on its territory, which has become known as selective immigration, as does not exceed the proportion of highly qualified foreign banks operating in the Federation, only 1.7% of the total foreign workers , and thus the European Union lags behind the rest of the world for attracting high level of expertise, with an increasing rate in Australia to 9.9% Canada 7.3% United States 3.2%.
Preliminary estimates indicate that more than 3.8 million citizens of the southern Mediterranean countries are currently living in different countries of Europe, countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), and the number of personnel of the Moroccan community about 2 million people and consists of the majority of manual workers who have been displaced from their homes under the brunt of the dire economic situation, in search of work in laboratories and factories of Europe.
Land Center for Human Rights asked; Is this migration or displacement? Where the nineteenth century saw the largest population movements in history, these moves have come as a result of factors of considerable embodied particularly in the colonial ambitions, which was the main engine of that era.
It was not deportation, only a forced part of a wider plan, colonialism aims to convince the exploitation of resources and the peoples of the country that have been subject to him, and monopolize their markets, to promote industrial products, and the impoverishment of its population makes them a reservoir of cheap labor, imported at low cost to do the hard work that took its citizens increasingly shun doing, and pay them - when war and the conditions of rebellion or insurrection - and the forced recruitment and face death rather than its citizens.
Land Center for Human Rights stressed on an important fact, namely that it is not justice in something that does not enjoy the immigrants rights enshrined in the laws and regulations in force in European countries, but seems, on the contrary, that immigrant labor, the greater the productivity as aggravated social conditions for the living or working conditions, where more than 48% of immigrants in Europe, living in places other than health, or in hotels to share in the six or seven members of one room, not to mention they do not enjoy social guarantees necessary.
The report goes on presenting the centered third overview of European partnership with Egypt between development and exploitation, where this part of the report discusses the conditions of Egyptian immigrants in Europe, and the impact of the European partnership agreement. Subsequently, the report exposed to the Convention on the Egyptian-European partnership, and offers a critical vision of this Agreement prior to reviewing the most important developments, and finally tries to answer the important question is: How does the European Union reform in Egypt? And what is the extent from which the Egyptians benefits, including through the Egyptian immigrants in Europe, where the Egyptians, to the issue of emigration look emotional largely? The Egyptian, as well-known, is closely linked to the homeland and the family and the society that created it, no matter how long his stay abroad or had emigrated permanently, dreams of return and settle in his native Egypt keeps looming to him. This takes place even if he was integrated to the community to which he emigrated.
We can not talk about the migration of Egyptians abroad as a general phenomenon except after the second half of the twentieth century and the varied reasons for Egyptians to travel abroad during that period, some are political, economic, educational or completion of study abroad.
According to sources, the device for Mobilization and Statistics, the total Egyptians living outside Egypt, aged approximately ten million Egyptians, including the so-called "temporary migrants" and their means the Egyptians in the Gulf Arab or Egyptian labor. These are the estimated one million and 902 thousand Egyptians make up 69.8% of the total number of immigrants, temporary, and distributed the rest, an estimated 824 thousand Egyptian European countries, North America and so-called "permanent immigrants".
A report by the Land Center for Human Rights discovered a large number in thousands of the scholars of Egypt and distinguished citizens outside the home, according to a study by researchers at the Central Bureau of Statistics and immigration in the past year. There are about 2600 of the Egyptian scientists and experts occupying the highest scientific positions in the areas of medicine, engineering, astronomy space and Microbiology, lasers, computers, electronics, and the humanities outside Egypt, including 844 in the United States of America, 340 in Germany, and 196 in Canada, where there are 8 Egyptian occupying positions of deans of Canadian universities, 142 in England, and 132 in France and 131 in Sweden, and 107 in Switzerland, and 86 in the Netherlands, and others in Greece, Italy and other countries
And the Land Center for Human Rights detects through the report that, Egyptian experts specialized in economy and trade and international, they stressed that the European Partnership Agreement which entered into force since June 2004, according to the European side more than the Egyptian side, where it opened the Egyptian market (about 80 million people ) in front of European products without customs duties, while the Egyptian side does not succeed in taking advantage of the Convention as hoped, nor did it invest the grant of the European development and modernization of the Egyptian industry.
A growing soar of Egyptian exports to EU countries from 3.5 billion dollars in 2004, to 9.8 billion dollars in 2008 took place, also Egyptian imports from the EU during these five years from 9.5 billion dollars and 18 billion dollars in 2008, according to data from the Central Bank of Egypt.
It is of course a difference for the European Union, which managed to earn about 10 billion dollars, which confirms that the trade balance is in favor of the European Union, and it is very difficult to break into the European market, in terms of the difference in level between the quality of Egyptian industry and its counterparts in Europe.
On Europe violating the rights of migrants, the report told us that irregular migration is a global phenomenon found in many countries of the world, particularly the developed. But the migration to Europe has become one of the disturbing issues, which are of great interest in recent years, despite the multiple causes of this phenomenon, but economic motives in the forefront of these reasons.
In general it can be argued that the double standards of the European speech with regard to speaking about respect for human rights, where the report noted that the states of the European Union are violating the rights to movement, which is called by international covenants and treaties. Those states violate civil, social, economic and political rights of migrants on its territory. This will make them second-class citizens of mishandling of dignity and staining it by the mud of racial discrimination. Although the item 13 in its first paragraph, second of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims "the right of any person to choose their place of residence and freedom of movement within any country he wants," It also stresses that "Everyone has the right to leave any country and return to his country of origin."
And the Land Center for Human Rights concludes the report with conclusion which confirms that colonialism and poverty, new economic policies in light of the dominance of uni-polar major source of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
As globalization as involving a standardization of the world on the basis of reverence for the market system, and the free movement of capital, coupled with the widening gap between North and South, especially in light of the growing role of the technological revolution and the revolution in information and communication had led to high unemployment and indebtedness, The failure of development efforts and exacerbation of the deterioration of the South in the absence of equality between the free movement of capital and goods on the one hand, and the movement of manpower from the other hand, also contributed to the new violations of the rights of migrant workers and their families.
Also the conclusion of the report stressed on the sufferings of migrant workers from depriving immigrants of their basic rights. However, the situation of migrant workers in European countries, for example, are affected by policies aimed at reducing their numbers on the one hand, and growing a new wave of racist and xenophobic and amounts to the use of violence in dealing with immigrants.
And manifested forms of discrimination against immigrants they do not have equal opportunities at work, and the denial of certain rights enjoyed by workers of European countries.
In this context, the Land Center for Human Rights sees that the question should be given particular importance in the context of the Arab partnership - Europe.
Centre also believes that the following proposals can contribute to finding solutions to this complex issue:
- The commitment of all European countries on international migration flows on the ILO conventions and the International Convention for the Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1990.
- Commencement of negotiations between European and southern Mediterranean countries to conclude agreements dealing with determining the conditions of residence and employment and to ensure freedom of action for immigrants in all countries of the European Union like other European Communities
- Agreement on the responsibilities of host countries regarding the fate of migrants and their rights to education and vocational training and freedom of movement and to ensure appropriate conditions for living
- Adoption of the principle of choice with respect to the final return home and stay in host countries, while ensuring that provide financial assistance to returning migrants and return all social entitlements.
- Protection of migrant workers from the trends of discrimination against them and attacks those racist tendencies in Europe
The Center:
- The need to respect fundamental human rights for all categories of migrants in host countries, including the residents compelled illegally
- Cancellation of the sponsorship system in force in the Gulf countries
- Claim the entire world to work on:
A) To ensure the free movement of migrants and to take necessary action to ensure equality in economic, social and political relations between immigrants - regardless of country of origin or nationality - on the basis of a uniform policy based on the principle of equality.
B) Take necessary legislative measures to prohibit and criminalize racist propaganda and incitement to hatred, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Land Center for Human rights calls upon the international organizations and local non-governmental organizations to work together to ensure personal safety and life of immigrants in addition to their economic, social, cultural, which stated in human rights conventions and the ILO.
For a copy of the report, please contact the center or on our website