Migration

As Canada’s most famous Ex-Canadian, Mr. Conrad Black was found guilty on some of the charges today in a Chicago court for some of the counts of fraud and taking millions of dollars from shareholders and most notably obstruction of justice. While most of the offences Mr. Black was accused of were quashed and Mr. Black will surely appeal any convictions against him, the path towards the American court and accusations against him in defrauding his company Hollinger International is an interesting case of what it is to be a citizen of a country and how important that status is in the realm of international law.

Mr. Black arose to media fame in the Canadian province of Quebec where he worked as a journalist and eventually ran his own publication in the early part of his career. With the expansion of Mr.Black’s media empire, he gained more influence and critics in Canada and eventually abroad. As a Canadian, Conrad Black was eligible after his years of work to be granted a Lordship in Britain as Canada is a major part of the British Commonwealth. The situation at the time however was not favorable to Black, as with his newly minted conservative cross Canada publication The National Post criticizing Liberal Prime Minister Chretienat the time, the Prime Minister was seen by many as violating his customary powers of office and disallowed Mr.Black from being granted his Lordship in the UK. While the Prime Minister of Canada rarely if ever disallows a Lordship from being granted under customary traditions, it was felt by Black that the right of the media to criticize politicians was not respected by Mr. Chretien and as a personal assault the Prime Minister at the time was denying Mr. Black the honours of the Crown he rightfully deserved. As a result, Conrad Black renounced his Canadian citizenship to spite Mr. Chretien and was given honorary British citizenship with his Lordship.

As time passed the different commercial and corporate laws of the UK, Canada and the US were applied against Mr. Black and his activities in running his media empire. With legal issues abounding, Mr. Black sought to reestablish his Canadian identity post-Chretien and with the varying legal risks between other countries and the US it was thought by many in Canada that he wanted to re-instate his status as a Canadian for legal issues, while many others saw Canada as a country that would take any refugee and saw no reason why a son of Canada should not be granted citizenship in his place of birth.

With a change in the Government in Canada from the Liberal Party to the Conservatives coming due to the corruption of Canada’s Prime Minister’s Office under Jean Chretien in the Sponsorship Scandal, Conrad was also accused in the US of charges of fraud and obstruction of justice. Mr. Black as not being Canadian was not granted any favoritism or assistance in his former country where he grew his life and career, and came to Chicago to face trial. With the results of today’s trial it is unclear to the public if Mr. Black is the man who Chretien wanted the public to believe, or if he was a victim of a Canadian Prime Minister who tried to punish Conrad for promoting freedom of speech and who subsequently disappeared in the wake of the Sponsorship Scandal and has yet to face trial himself. The legacy of Conrad Black is one of many great publications and a trial which will frame the remainder of his life.

Much happened in migration related matters across the globe this week. Following the conservative victory in the parliamentary elections, the French president moved ahead on realizing his new restrictive immigration policies, while at the same time creating the most inclusive government in the country’s history. Elsewhere, US conservatives are stepping up the pressure to move ahead on the immigration bill, while the UK joins the chorus of European countries introducing measures to attract the most talented migrants to the country to fill existing skills gaps. This week’s news roundup also features two new pieces of analysis from the MPI and ECRE. Happy clicking:

• This week’s edition of the Economist features an article about Malta’s changing attitude towards migration and the start of Operation Nautilus II, designed to control the waters between Africa and European islands.
• We recently reported that France’s new government is moving swiftly to implement changes to existing institutional structures governing immigration affairs and changing legal requirements for family members looking to join migrants in the country. Well, not without a fair amount of opposition, as is the French tradition. Plans for a national ministry of immigration and national identity caused controversy during the Presidential campaign and drew protest from various groups. Now, the IHT reports a new petition has been published in the left-leaning newspaper Liberation. These types of protests will have little impact on M. Sarkozy’s plans, but are a part of the French democratic tradition.
• While he seems to be cracking down in his policies, M. Le President’s most recent cabinet reshuffle (following the parliamentary elections) produced the most inclusive government France has ever seen. In what is largely interpreted as a move to reconcile withe the minority groups he isolated throughout his campaign and his tenure as interior minister, Sarkozy has named three women (WOMEN!) of Northern African origin to his cabinet. Two new junior ministers now join the already appointed justice minister, Rachida Dati, around the president’s cabinet table.
• In the run-up to the presentation of Germany’s national plan for migrant integration on July 12, a number of federal states are publishing and promoting their individual approaches. On June 21st I attended a panel discussion hosted by the Koerber Foundation, which featured one of Berlin’s leading integration policy makers, Guenter Piening. He presented parts of the new program, which is available in full here (in German). The plan includes a number of functional changes that will facilitate access to basic social services, including full and equal access to education and the full integration of migrants into the work force - changes, which are long overdue. Monitoring and measuring the success of integration policies is another new element introduced in this updated plan. I will review Berlin’s approach in the context of Germany’s new  toward integrating migrants in a separate post. To understand the evolution of Berlin’s integration concept, Piening’s 2005  policy action plan (in English) is an interesting read.
• The Senate immigration bill is still one of the hottest topics on the Hill. On Thursday, Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff went on the record to oppose an amendment, which could make a new program to stop businesses from hiring illegal workers less burdensome. In a letter to Senators he said that taking such a decision “would be a serious step backwards in our enforcement effort.” This statement came as news broke that Federal agents had arrested 81 suspected illegal immigrants during a raid at a manufacturing plant in the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania. The company said an agency that provided temporary workers was , the IHT reports. Mr. Chertoff, meanwhile, might have other recent worries: the ACLU is suing the Department of Homeland Security in the name of two migrants who say they were drugged by department officials to ease their deportation. Just days earlier and hoping to influence the Congressional debate on the immigration bill, the White House released a study citing the positive effects of immgrant labor on the nation’s economy. The New York Times has a full report.
• The first Muslim prayer site was opened on Friday in Athens, Greece since the end of the Ottoman Empire, the New York Times reports.
• We recently reported that German industrial organizations were pressuring the German government to ease up their requirements on admitting labor migrants into the economy. Britain seems to be interested in doing the same. Where only a mere three years ago, critics complained that the generous welfare system was attracting too many unwanted migrants, the Guardian is now reporting that immigration minister Liam Byrne is planning to launch an “an international marketing campaign designed to attract businesses and people with the right skills” - the global war for talent is on.
• On the reports and analysis front: the always prolific Migration Policy Insitute issued a new report coinciding with World Refugee Day entitled “Bridging Divides: The Role of Ethnic Community-Based
  Organizations in Refugee Integration” (pdf).   As the German EU Council Presidency comes to a close and the Portuguese government prepares to take over, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles has prepared a memorandum on EU asylum and refugee policy over the next six months.

This week’s news roundup covers the aftermath of the failed reforms US Immigration policy initiative as well as covering further developments on the tragedy of the missing migrants and the EU response to this new scandal. Also a story on possible inequalities in the UK immigration system for skilled migrants is included:

• The Financial Times discusses the perplexing political issues with both Democrats and Republicans over the lack of support for real reform of US Immigration Policy. FT states that in reality no one fully supported the new policy, or if they did support it, perhaps they did not think it would actually be successful. To see this interesting commentary see the link to the June 12th article here.
• The EU and the EU Commissioner for Migration, Franco Frattini are facing many questions regarding the death of 27 migrants who spent 3 days sitting in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with no assistance from the EU (see last week’s Update). The responsibility and legal obligations of the EU and its member states to protect illegal migrants has become a very heated issue among member states, as some have more control over resources than others, while certain states like Spain and Malta absorb much of the burden in finding and protecting illegal migrants. For a further discussion see the Reuters article here.
• Immigration reforms in the UK since 2003 seek to qualify applicants for citizenship based on skills, age, education and previous earnings as opposed to family links. Recently there has been some controversy as retroactive rules which apply to skilled migrants who came before the programme are said to not comply with the UK’s race equality assessment measures which gave a failing grade to the new highly skilled migrants programme (HSMP) that has been in effect since 2003.  See the Guardian article here.

The UK’s immigration policy has always been viewed as one of the most open in Europe and possibly worldwide. Since 1997, the Labour government has adopted a relaxed immigration policy, swelling the immigrant population in the UK by 1.5 million people since the Labour government came into power in 97’.

While the UK was praised for such open policies, there has been a recent realization that being British, or becoming British is not as easy as sitting for a 4 O’clock Tea and humming along to God Save the Queen. According to the Daily Express, Britain’s open immigration policy has done much to fuel divisiveness among Britain’s ethnic populations and is fuelling chronic divisions that were “bubbling under the surface” of British society.

As discussed in the LSE Discussion Paper by Manning and Roy: Culture Clash or Culture Club: The Identity and Attitudes of Immigrants in Britain, with the new member states of the EU producing a flood of new immigrants from East and Central Europe towards Britain’s major cities and traditional immigration from former colonies and neighboring countries in the region, there has been a not only a flood of new residents to the UK, but a very culturally and economically diverse challenge in its wake.

Since the London bombing, British society was forced to reconsider its position on what it is to be British, as it was evident in the aftermath of the attacks that being born in Britain and being raised in Britain may not be enough to have someone “feel” British. The idea of “British Values” were reconsidered by many academics and journalists and in communities across the UK when the news was leaked that those who attacked London’s Tube system were born and raised in England itself.

British values have been challenged and moved back and forth since that time. Muslim clerics entering and residing in the UK were often made subjects of debate, as it was felt by some in British society that words against Britain were enough to expel certain clerics from entering the country. Ironically, while Free Speech was considered a right of many clerics to use freely, some others were expelled outright although it was never clear where those rights end or begin.

Recently in Britain, the University and College Union in the UK again challenged Freedom of Speech in the attempted boycott of Israel. While the UK government will likely legally challenge the boycott, there has been much debate surrounding the freedom of Israeli or pro-Israel academics to voice their research and point of view within the UK University system and in British society in general.

When PM Blair departs and British soldiers leave Iraq, the debate on who is British is not likely to subside. The UK still remains a hub for individuals from around the world to work, live and study. The question of culture however seems to be changing, for better or for worse, into a case of origin vs. citizenship. A possible future could become similar as seen in the next article on Canada. The idea of being a citizen as a motive for legal status as opposed to adopting a culture and society may be the post-modern result of a cultural debate which has no real conclusion. In the end, what it is to be British may depend on the legal papers and rights you possess as opposed to historical ties in the land in which you currently live.

Conservative UK daily, the Telegraph, is reporting that official government immigration statistics are flawed and that UK councils are complaining:

“The leaders of Slough, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham say a new method of calculating immigration, introduced last month, does not “remotely” represent the true picture. The new figures suggest London is losing some 60,000 migrants to other parts of the country every month.

The ONS has reduced its estimate of London’s population from 7,517,700 to 7,457,400. But councils say the actual population is nearer to 7,600,000.

Previously the figures were calculated by asking migrants travelling into London where they intended to work. The new system uses a Labour Force Survey covering just 0.2 per cent of the population, together with a passenger survey asking migrants where they are actually working. The figures do not take into account those who have lived in London for less than a year or those living in hostels.”

Councilors feel that a shift in figures means that they do not have sufficient funds to address migrant needs and integration issues. The BBC offers a closer look in this piece (Video download).

Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration and Asylum in the Home Office underscored his willingness to address the issue with Council representatives, but hastened to add that immigrants were a benefit to society in the UK:

“Liam Byrne, the Home Office minister, said immigrants were contributing half a billion pounds every working day to the economy, a figure later repeated by Downing Street.

	Liam Byrne, minister for immigration and asylum

This would amount to £125 billion a year - equivalent to 10 per cent of total GDP.”

In an interview with the BBC he passed the buck right back to the complaining councilors, saying that other areas knew full well how best to address the issue and that councils had to learn from one another through constructive dialogue.

Skewed figures will undoubtedly have an impact on the comprehensive measures council’s plan toward the integration of migrants. The statistics issue must be resolved immediately before embracing Mr. Byrne’s ideas of an exchange of best practice methods among local government officials.

The UK’s Daily Mail is picking up on a comment made earlier this week by London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, regarding the treatment of foreign business travelers by UK immigration staff, in its enlightening article “Welcome to America … from Mickey the immigration officer” .

London’s Mayor had accused immigration staff at Heathrow Airport of being racist and deterring business travel with their behavior.

While that particular aspect is not in question in the US, the recent announcement that the Department of Homeland Security will soon begin taking fingerprints of all 10 fingers from non-US visitors has led to speculations of a further drop in US tourism. Already, processing for non-US passengers to the US takes three times longer, and tourism organizations expect to see adverse effects once this new rule is enforced.

Enter the Daily Mail and its article on how officials are teaming up with Disney to make entry into the US an altogether more enjoyable experience:

“But now officials are responding to the criticism by employing Disney’s recipe for tirelessly upbeat and helpful customer service in an attempt to get the free-spending British back, particularly with the pound at nearly two dollars.

Immigration officers will be taught the secrets of Disney theme parks by learning how to welcome visitors, manage large queues and respond to ‘negative reaction’ from the public without letting their smiles slip.

A spokeswoman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement last night confirmed the initiative.

She said: “There has been a problem in the way we have been perceived in countries including Britain, and we are working very closely with Disney.

“They have offered suggestions about how we can improve the entire arrivals process.”

The move is being run by the Discover America Partnership, set up by the US Government to tackle what it calls the nation’s ‘image crisis’ abroad. It aims to attract ten million more visitors a year to the US.

Perhaps the immigration officers at Heathrow could get a pointer or two from their American counterparts - because….”It’s a small world after all..It’s a small, small world..”

• <> The clock is ticking as Senators are meeting behind closed doors to put a cap on the much-awaited immigration reform package. An article in the Boston Globe outlines the remaining points of contention. We will have a full commentary on the likely compromise early this week.
• Think tanks are debating the ‘right’ solution to the issue Senators face. The North County Times highlights contradictory studies by the Heritage Foundation and the Immigration Policy Center on the impact immigrant workers have had on the US economy.
• With UK Prime Minister Tony Blair announcing this week that he will leave office on June 21st, analysts are busy at work reflecting on his political legacy. Over at the Migration Policy Institute, Will Somerville, does just that for immigration policy. He argues that Blair and his successive Labour governments have succeeded in building a robust immigration system, one that will shape the country’s approach to migration in the future.
• The MPI also has a brief on new French President Sarkozy’s immigration policies, which supports our commentary with a number of statistics. (This document is a PDF download and requires Adobe Acrobat).
• My friend, immigration journalist Daniela Gerson, addresses the issue of circular migration in her latest article for German news magazine, Der Spiegel. The article (in English) examines a new trend in labor migration: hiring mothers as seasonal workers to ensure they return home to their husbands and children in their country of origin. The European Union’s Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner, Franco Frattini, plans to address the issue of circular migration, which is an integral part of the EU migration strategy, in the coming days.
• Speaking of Frattini initiatives: integration and fundamental rights received a financial boost last month, when the Council gave the Commission proposal for a new budget toward the promotion of fundamental rights the go-ahead. Over 93 million Euro will be allocated to transnational projects between Member States and other NGO projects between 2007 and 2013.