| The Political Management of Mobility, Economy & Security
September 17 – 19, 2008 in Berlin
>>Opening Speech by Ralf Fücks , Co-President of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung .gif)
>>Speech by Prof. Maria Böhmer, Federal Commisioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration (Summary )
>>Online-DOSSIER European Governance of Migration
International migration is one of the most prominent challenges of societies today. According to official statistics of the United Nations, in 2005 nearly 200 million people were classified as international migrants – 56.1 million of them live in the European Union (7.7 percent of the entire European population). These figures make quite clear the significance that the issue of migration has for countries with considerable emigration, as well as for countries encountering heavy immigration. In particular, western European and North American nations could barely sustain their national economies and the standard of living of their current societies, without a specific and continuous quantity of skilled labor and manpower.
In the course of global trends towards mobility and freedom of movement, the limits on cross-boarder transport of goods and capital have been abolished in the European Union. Above all, the highly qualified workers profit from the increased freedom of mobility and circulation. This new freedom and freedom of movement, however, is accompanied by intensified control of the EU’s outside borders.
The decreasing population size, the aging of societies as well as the declining workforce in many European countries have pushed the question of immigration higher up on the political agenda. The EU migration policy needs urgently to be reformed more than ever before in the past years. Migration can deliver some of the answers to Europe’s pressing questions concerning the labour market, demographic changes and securing the social welfare system. Due to the complexity of the issue, nation-states and governments are extremely overburdened with the challenges of managing migration as single actors. A contemporary migration and integration policy can therefore only be a European one. The European Union’s migration policy must be integrated into the European economic and social agenda.
The international conference “European Governance of Migration” takes place in the run up to the second UN conference Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). The Berlin conference in September 2008 should develop further ideas and impulses for the GFMD debate in Manila in October. The conference “European Governance of Migration” will bring together well known experts and actors in politics, academics, economics, and civil society from Europe and North America as well as from the sending countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. High level representatives in politics particularly from the European Commission and the UN are expected to be in attendance. During the three day conference, the participants will have the opportunity to exchange perspectives, to create options and strategies for cooperation and to formulate concrete recommended actions for a European migration policy.
General Information
Participants
This conference addresses primarily policy makers, researchers, as well as activists in the fields of migration, economics and security. In order to ensure effective discussions, the number of participants in the roundtables and panel discussions is limited. Please use the electronic form to register. Participation is possible upon receipt of confirmation. New Deadline for application: 29th of August 2008
Anmeldung / Registration
Please register by filling out the electronic registration form.
Bitte melden Sie sich an durch Ausfüllen des elektronischen Anmeldeformulars.
Konferenzbeitrag / Conference Fee
15 Euro/Day, 10 Euro/Day ermäßigt/reduced (reduction for students, unemployed persons, retired persons).
Free entrance for the public program of the conference.
Please pay the participation fee only after you have received confirmation of your registration.
Konferenzsprache / Languages
deutsch/english/français
mit Übersetzung/with translation
Tagungsort / Conference Venue
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Schumannstraße 8
10117 Berlin
Lageplan / City-Map
Contact & Information:
E-mail: governance@boell.de
Fon: 0049-30-28534-259
Organizing Partners
in cooperation with
supported by the European Commission
Exhibitions
At the conference two exhibitions will be presented:
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New Young Europeans highlights the dreams and aspirations of young people in Europe today. Their personal testimonies and portraits form the exhibition. |
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Migrantas, a visual language of migration. The project combines tools from the social sciences, graphic design and the visual arts to create a reflection of the migrant condition. |
Media Partners
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