Speech: Remarks of Commissioner Avramopoulos at the OECD High-Level Policy Forum on Migration

European Commission - Speech - [Check Against Delivery]

01 December 2014

Paris

The Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopulos i, made the following remarks at the press conference of the OECD High-Level Policy Forum on Migration:

Let me first congratulate the OECD for the release of its 2014 International Migration Outlook. For years now, this annual report constitutes a precious tool for all interested policy makers.

In view of my own initiative to re-design Europe's policy on regular migration, this report will surely be an important tool.

In recent years, many European Union countries have attracted immigrants, since they are perceived as alternative destinations to the United States, Canada, and Australia. At the same time, emigration, which characterised Europe for centuries, has not stopped.

Europe is also confronted with daily migration challenges: people who are crossing our borders illegally, hoping for a better life or looking for protection.

Nevertheless, there are over 20 million non-EU nationals who immigrated and live legally in the European Union and account for 4% of the EU's total population. This development has become a significant factor in European societies and their labour markets.

I know it is difficult to make the case for migration at times of economic crisis and of high unemployment levels. But we need to change the narrative on migration. We need to show its positive impacts.

Europe is an ageing continent and, without migration, the EU's working age population will decline by 15 million this decade alone (2010-2020).

Well-managed migration and, in particular, labour migration, can help Europe to address the ageing phenomenon and enhance its competitiveness.

One of my priorities, during my mandate, will be to develop a new European policy on regular migration focusing on highly skilled migrants and the benefits they can bring to our economy and to our society as a whole.

Also, we cannot ignore the existence of the large 'underground' economy in Europe, which largely relies on irregular migrants. To tackle the problem, we need to create adequate legal immigration channels and improve existing policies, rather than relying on unpredictable regularisation campaigns.

Having said this, we must bear in mind that most migrants from outside the EU come for reasons other than employment. But they also bring with them their knowledge and skills. It is, therefore, in the interest of host countries to allow them to contribute to their societies with their full capabilities.

Thus, labour market integration of legal migrants is an area where we will be working increasingly at the EU level: with enhanced monitoring and with continuous support to Member States' integration policies.

Moreover, when developing strategies to maximise opportunities of legal migration, we should seek the involvement of the business community and social partners.

Of course, the success of any migration policy also depends on the admission policy set by the country of destination. It, therefore, pleases me to see that the OECD was able to bring together at the same table many ministers with different portfolios, who are ready to debate all these issues here today.

SPEECH/14/2271

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