'Mobiliteit is een positieve factor voor ontwikkeling'

Statement by Minister Tobias Billström at seminar in Paris on migration in the Mediterranean, December 14, 2009. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Your excellencies, dear colleagues,

First of all I would to thank you Eric for inviting me as representative of the Swedish Presidency to participate in this seminar. Issues on mobility and migration are something which is of great interest to me and it has indeed been interesting to listen to the discussion this far.

I will start by some observations on migration in general, then move over to the development of an EU migration policy and after that give some examples of the Swedish policy and legislation. I will conclude with some remarks on the importance of mobility for students and young people.

Migration as a positive force

Migration is a fundamental feature of human existence, and is a positive force in our increasingly globalized world. Throughout history, people have chosen, for one reason or another, to leave their countries of origin on a temporary or permanent basis to seek new opportunities or a better future elsewhere. Fundamentally, this is a completely natural and positive impulse that should be welcomed.

In many respects, the story of the development of the modern world is a story about migration. Without migration and mobility across borders, which facilitate the transfer of new knowledge and ideas, it is unlikely that we would have succeeded in making all the political, economic, social, cultural and other advances that we have made.

The world is changing. New technologies are developing rapidly and we can now travel and communicate with people all over the world more easily, and above all, at a significantly lower cost. Mobility and openness are therefore swiftly becoming keywords in understanding how societies all around the globe can become prosperous. With new influences and more of inspiration for development of new ideas and innovation, countries can become more vibrant and dynamic.

Even if increased mobility poses significant challenges - for the countries of destination as well as for the countries of origin - the benefits that can be realised through well-managed global migration cannot be put into question. Migration is a positive force that we neither can, nor should, try to restrain. But we should try to harness and manage it in a more efficient manner.

Thus, political efforts to reduce barriers for mobility must continue, even in times of low demand for labour.

Well-managed migration is a driver for economic growth, development and cultural enrichment. From a European perspective, migration can enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of the European Union in keeping with the objectives of the Lisbon Agenda. Increased mobility for legal migrants can contribute to advancing the development goals of countries of origin as well as benefit countries of destination, while enabling migrants to gain new skills and knowledge.

Student mobility is also a major factor for growth and employment - and is a particularly important issue for the EU. We live in an internationalised labour market, therefore it is only natural that we have more and more international students.

These aims and objectives can be realised through the development of effective, flexible and forward-looking policies, both at European and national level, and through a deepened cooperation between the European Union and third countries which is based on mutual interests.

EU migration policy

We have seen the emergence of a European migration policy for many years but the speed at which it develops has increased during the last couple of years. From the adoption of the Tampere and Hague Programmes, through the adoption of the European Pact on immigration and asylum last year during the French Presidency, to the adoption of the Stockholm Programme last week at the European Council.

The Stockholm Programme, which sets the course for the European Union’s work on these issues the coming years, reiterates what was stated in the Migration Pact, that migration is a positive force that can be beneficial to all stake-holders. Moreover, it states that mobility and access to EU’s territory for those who have a legitimate interest needs to be more effective and efficient, inter alia through the further development of a common visa policy.

The programme calls for the development of a comprehensive and sustainable migration policy framework, which can adequately and proactively manage fluctuation in migration flows. We need to increase the coherence between different EU policies, such as migration policy, foreign policy and development policy. The implementation of the Global Approach to Migration should be accelerated through a strategic use of the instruments it provides, for example through an expanded use of the Mobility partnership instrument. In line with the Global Approach to Migration, the positive effects of migration should be maximised, whereas its negative effects should be minimised. Ways to ensure efficient, secure and low-cost remittance transfers need to be developed and international migration could be aligned more closely to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Stockholm Programme also states that the EU should encourage the creation of flexible admission systems that are responsive to the priorities, needs, numbers and volumes determined by each Member States and enable migrations to take full advantage of their skills and competence. To this end, existing policies on skills recognition should be evaluated, and if needed, improved. Finally, the programme stresses the need to develop the cooperation with third countries in this policy area by devoting a whole chapter to the issue of EU’s external dimension. It is underlined that such a cooperation must be based on true partnership and mutual interests.

Swedish migration policy

However, it is not only at European level that we need a forward-looking migration policy. This goes also for the national policies. It has been my aim since I was appointed Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy to remodel the Swedish Migration Policy and extend its focus to migration issues in a broader context instead of merely looking to asylum issues.

As most of you know, one year ago tomorrow, Sweden became an even more open country.

Our new rules for labour immigration to Sweden entered into force on 15 December last year. This is one of the most significant reforms of Swedish immigration policy in decades. We now have a flexible, employer-led and demand-driven system for labour migration based on the recognition that Swedish employers are best able to assess their own recruitment needs. If a particular vacancy cannot first be filled through recruitment within the EU/EES or Switzerland, and as long as a potential migrant has received an offer of employment that is accordance with Swedish standards, he or she is welcome to come to Sweden to work.

Under the new legislation, all migrants that are admitted to Sweden are given basically the same rights as Swedish citizens and are allowed to bring their family with them from day one. The spouses of labour migrants are also granted full access to the labour market. This is a unique feature, and we consider it to be an important competitive factor in the competition for the skills and workforce and is hopefully also beneficial in terms of integration.

The new rules also mean that visiting students who have completed studies corresponding to 30 higher education credits, or who have completed one term of research education at institutions of higher education, are allowed to apply for work and residence permits without having to first leave Sweden - which was previously the case. This is one way of making Sweden an attractive destination for international students, since we - and indeed the entire EU - are facing competition for the best and brightest with the US, Canada and other destination countries.

In July this year, the Government appointed a parliamentary committee that has been tasked with, among other things, examining how to facilitate increased mobility to and from Sweden and how its positive development effects can be maximised. Since several years Sweden actively supports exploring the links between circular migration and development.

The importance to attract students

As previously mentioned, Sweden is very keen on attracting foreign students. They are a huge asset to, and enhance the quality of, our educational and research institutions, and contribute to the positive development of Sweden.

During the past ten years, the number of foreign students in Sweden has increased from 10 000 to over 30 000. Today, one out of every four students beginning their higher education in Sweden is from a foreign country. During the 2007/2008 school year, 31 000 foreign students studied in Sweden, accounting for about 8% of the total number of students in Sweden.

Foreign students often study subjects which Swedish students are in general less interested in studying - for example technological subjects.

However, it is not only important to attract foreign students to come to Sweden. It is equally important that Swedish students go abroad to study and gain new experiences. Therefore, last spring, the Swedish government allocated specific funding for outgoing mobility to encourage students and teachers at Swedish higher education institutions to spend a period of study or teaching at a higher education institution in another country. We believe that also teacher mobility is imperative to high quality student mobility. This specific investment is being made for a period of two years and will be followed by an evaluation.

I myself benefitted greatly from my studies abroad at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. This experience enabled me to get a different perspective and to interact with people with very different backgrounds and views. The question of mobility of people is a question about the future. It is therefore crucial that we facilitate mobility for young people and make it a natural part of their lives

Since last autumn, the world has seen a steep economic down-turn and a severe economic crisis with rising unemployment as a consequence. This has led to some voices, for various reasons, calling for a restriction of mobility and labour migration. However, such a restriction is not the answer to the problems and will not solve the economic crisis. On the contrary, labour migration can be part of the solution to the current situation.

In times of economic crisis it is therefore important with political leadership and to stand up for the fundamental principles of openness and free movement. Protectionism is not the answer to the problems many countries are facing.

The free movement of capital, goods, services and people across borders are the fundamental principles of the European Union and a defining feature of our increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. To take on the challenge of creating well-managed migration is equal to embracing our future and its possibilities.

Thank you for your attention, I look forward to our discussion.