LONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO THE QUESTION OF MIGRATION: THESES OF THE DUTCH 'THIRD CHAMBER'
In FECL No. 38 we published the first part of a contribution to a discussion in the Netherlands, known as the "Third Chamber" - on four big issues within the Dutch left - migration, environment, the welfare state and democracy.
In the following second part, the authors present a number of theses open to debate.
General observations
Long-term solutions to the question of migration can only derive from abolition of the discre-pancy between the rich and poor through actual democratisation.
Migration is a question of poverty before anything else. There are four ways in which poverty may be reduced:
money earned by the rich, makes its way down to the poor;
economic market forces;
provision of the means for economic autonomy;
development aid.
The first method (known as "trickle down") has next to no effect on the prevention of poverty; nor will the current market system eliminate poverty.
The most effective means of combating poverty is through education and the conveyance of property and assets through aid (so-called "endowments").
Besides direct emergency aid, there is the need for provision of the means for economic development of local communities based on economic independence.
Export subsidies and import levies in the West must be abandoned. The market rates of resources and agricultural produce must be fixed so as to ensure fair wages and reasonable working hours and conditions.
Human rights treaties and those as agreed upon by the ILO are to be actively complied with on the level of bilateral economic affairs, and must be subject to inspection through reports by local trade unions, women's organisations and other NGO's.
Local development in third world countries must be further enhanced through suspension of debts and the improvement through aid of local infrastructure, education, and production of primary necessities such as nutrition and housing.
Local democratic NGO's, trade unions and women's organisations are to serve a key role in this development, in order to prevent select cliques from re-monopolising life opportunities. This further implies that Western NGO's are to have substantial influence on the distribution and allotment of, and control over the means reserved for Third world development. A multiple of the current budget (1 per cent of the GNP) must be reserved for development aid.
The arms industry and trade are to be reduced. Obsolete weapons and arms systems in the West are to be immediately destroyed, not exported.
Refugees of war and environmental disasters are to be provided with adequate shelter in their regions of origin. People must have a free say in whether to remain in said regions or not.
"Freedom" here implies that there must be a choice between real options. Said refugee centers are to be mainly financed by the affluent nations. They may not be cut down on development aid funds.
International networks of NGO's on issues such as human rights are to be initiated and extended. They are to monitor existing and potential conflicts. This information will allow them to put political pressure on governments and to instigate their own actions, such as information campaigns or consumer boycotts.
The Netherlands
Refugees must be allowed without exception. In the case of doubt concerning the backgrounds of flight, the refugee must be given the benefit of the doubt and should not, as in current practice, be regarded as suspect. Better to grant a refugee status to a certain percentage unjustly, than to unjustly disallow it and send them off.
Both legal and illegal migrants must, when voluntarily deciding to return to their places of origin, be given support in doing so. Repatriating migrants are to be given a prospect in their own countries or regions through seed money and/or education.
Family reunification or formation are not to be subjected to any restrictions.
Anyone resident in the Netherlands is entitled to basic allowances, regardless of their legal status. Should the authorities fail to enhance such rights, support groups and the general population are to create networks providing these facilities.
Unprecedented spending cuts await us over the coming years. Simultaneously, the pressure of migration may be expected to increase. The victims of spending cuts are pitted against victims of repression and exploitation abroad. Yet the causes underlying both kinds of misery are often the same. A national redistribution of Dutch assets is necessary, if we are to have a compassionate migration policy.
There is, at the present phase, hardly a question of democratic policy-making on migration in Europe. At the same time, there is almost no democratic control over the operations of multinational companies, who are an important factor in undesirable developments in the countries of migration. Environmental, Third world and refugees' support groups must combine forces in order to find their own means of generating political power and democratising society.
Points of debate
1a) As long as world trade fails to provide equal development opportunities for all countries, migration is not to be restricted under any circumstances.
1b) Reduction of migration to Europe and/or the Netherlands is inevitable. Measures such as annual quota must of necessity be taken.
2) Increasing migration means extra costs. At present, these are mainly transferred to the underprivileged sectors of society. Thus, migrants are pitted against sectors such as welfare recipients. The struggle for a fair international distribution of assets has to be coupled with that on a national level.
3) The debate as to (compulsory) migration and its solutions is not to take place on a national, nor even European, but on a global level. This means that Third World countries must be involved.
4) Migration cannot be viewed in isolation from Third World issues, environmental destruction, etcetera. Therefore it is necessary that the refugees and illegal immigrants' support movement should operate in close alliance with other social movements, such as Third World and environmental movements, welfare recipients' support groups, and so forth.
5) There are positive aspects involved in migration. Migration serves to level national barriers, and provides for a multiple cultural exchange. In this respect, it represents an improvement of both the Dutch' and the migrants' lives.
Contact: Ed Hollants, Autonoom Centrum, Bilderdijkstraat 165-f, NL-1053 KP Amsterdam; Tel: +31/20 6126172, Fax: +31/20 6168967; E-mail: ac@xs4all.nlEd Hollants (Autonoom Centrum)
and Jan Muter (St. Opstand)