Programme FRC 2014

Monday, 10 November, Chamber of Deputies

Time Description
12.30 – 14.00

Registration and welcome coffee

Entrance: Via Campo Marzio 78, Nuova Aula dei Gruppi Parlamentari, Palazzo Montecitorio, and Chamber of Deputies

14.00 – 14.30

Welcome

  • Laura Boldrini, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Italy
  • Morten Kjaerum, Director, FRA
14.30 - 15.00

Keynote address

  • Benedetto Della Vedova, Senator, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy
  • Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship
  • Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (video message)
15.00 – 16.00

Ensuring the rights of migrants in the EU: from vulnerability to empowerment

Presentations by:

  • Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe
  • Aydan Özoguz, Minister of State, Commissioner for Immigration, Refugees and Integration, Germany
  • Ardalan Shekarabi, Minister for Public Administration, Ministry of Finance, Sweden
16.00 – 16.30

Coffee break

16.30 - 18.00

Panel debate: Towards a fundamental rights-based approach to migration and integration: from arrival to inclusion

Introduction to the panel debate by Rainer Münz, Head, Research and Knowledge Center, Erste Group Bank

Focus:

A discussion on the fundamental rights challenges in the area of migration, from arrival to inclusion in the societies of the EU. How can a fundamental rights based approach to migration contribute to the EU’s future? The panel will also address EU and Member States’ responses to migration and migrant integration policies: how to ensure that such policies are fundamental rights-compliant and compatible with the vision for a cohesive EU society oriented to inclusive growth?

Chaired by: Sandra Sarti, Prefect, Vice-Chief of Cabinet, Ministry of Interior, Italy

Panellists:

  • Iliana Iotova, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, European Parliament
  • Nicola Annecchino, Legal Adviser to the Director-General, DG HOME, European Commission
  • Giuseppe Iuliano, Vice President of the External Relations Section, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
  • Raphaël Sodini, Councillor for immigration and asylum, Cabinet of the Minister of the Interior, France
18.30

Shuttle to venue of day II

20.00

Reception

Tuesday, 11 November, The Interior Ministry School of Administration

Time Description
08.30 – 09.00

Reception (late comers only)

Scuola Superiore dell’Amministrazione dell’Interno (S.S.A.I)
Via Veientana, 386 – 00189 Roma

09.00 – 10.30

Panel debate

Fundamental rights challenges and considerations in the field of migration, border management, asylum and migrant integration

Focus:

A discussion on key fundamental rights challenges and considerations that need to be taken into account in the field of migration, asylum, border management and migrant integration, when implementing the Strategic Guidelines for legislative and policy planning in the area of freedom, security and justice.

Welcome address by Mario Morcone, Prefect, Chief of the Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration, Ministry of Interior, Italy

Introduction to the panel debate by: William Lacy Swing, Director General, International Organisation for Migration (IOM)

Panellists:

  • Eva Åkerman Börje, Swedish Ambassador for Global Cooperation on Migration and Development
  • Nicolas Beger, Director, Amnesty International European Institutions Office
  • Vincent Cochetel, Director, Bureau for Europe, UNHCR
  • François Crépeau, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants (video message)
  • Samuel Azzopardi, Mayor of Victoria, Gozo, Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (Civex), Committee of the Regions
10.30 - 11.00

Testimonies from:

  • Özlem Sara Cekic, Member of Parliament, Danish Socialist People's Party
11.00 - 13.00

Working groups (in parallel)

Chaired by: Giovanni Pinto, Director of the Central Unit for Immigration and Border Police Management, Public Security Department, Frontex Management Board, Italy

Focus:

The discussion will focus on cooperation with border management authorities of third countries, as well as border surveillance activities at the EU’s land and sea borders. The Task Force Mediterranean lists cooperation with third countries as one of the most effective ways to tackle irregular migration.

Building upon FRA’s previous work, the working group will discuss means of ensuring that fundamental rights are upheld in joint operational activities with third countries in the context of land and sea border surveillance. The working group will also address the fundamental rights challenges emerging in the context of information exchange with third countries under Eurosur, the use of EU funds by third countries, and the difficulties of ensuring adherence to the principles of non-refoulement and prohibition of collective expulsion.

Panellists:

  • Charmaine Hili, Policy advisor, Unit order management and Schengen governance/relations with Frontex, DG HOME, European Commission
  • Inmaculada Arnaez Fernandez, Fundamental Rights Officer, FRONTEX
  • Francesa Fritz-Pruguda, Representative in Spain, UNHCR

      Working group I - Background information

 

Chaired by: Tineke Strik, Member of Migration Committee, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

Focus:

Due to the limited possibilities of entering the EU legally, migrants and people seeking protection often fall prey to criminal organisations that abuse and exploit them in return for promises to transport them into the EU. The working group will discuss means of combating smuggling from a law enforcement, fundamental rights, and law of the sea perspective. Using the findings and analysis of FRA’s paper Criminalisation of migrants in an irregular situation and of persons engaging with them, the working group will also debate ways of ensuring that rescue and provision of humani-tarian assistance are excluded from punishment. The large numbers of smuggled people and irregular arrivals have given rise to calls for EU solidarity, relocation and exploring legal ways to access Europe. The workshop will therefore also discuss resettlement and possible protected entry mechanisms. Limited resettlement opportunities challenge the capacity of regional protection programmes, but resettlement and protected entry are integral parts of any refugee policy.

Panellists:

  • Kris Pollet, Senior Legal and Policy Officer, ECRE
  • Simona Ardovino, Policy Officer, Immigration and Integration Unit, DG HOME, European Commission
  • Morgane Nicot, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, UNODC
  • David Hammond, Founder HRAS & Barrister-at-Law, Human Rights at Sea
  • Thomas Spijkerboer, Professor of Migration Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Working group II - Background information

 

Chaired by: Margaret Tuite, Coordinator for the Rights of the Child, DG JUST, European Commission

Focus:

Children leave their country of origin for the EU or move within the EU for reasons of survival, security, improved standards of living, education, economic opportunities, protection from exploitation and abuse, family reunification or a combination of these factors.  They may travel with their family, with non-family members, or entirely on their own. They may be seeking asylum, have become victims of trafficking, or be undocumented migrants. The status of children on the move may differ at various stages on their journey, and they may find themselves in many differing situations of vulnerability.

This workshop will discuss ways of adequately reflecting international child protection standards in border procedures, particularly with regard to identification and immediate referral and temporary representation arrangements. The discussion will also address challenges related to reception and detention practices, ‘best interest’ considerations within transfer and return procedures, as well as issues related to transnational cooperation between national authorities in this regard. The workshop takes place against the backdrop of preparatory work for the forthcoming European Commission Communication on integrated child protection systems, and will build on FRA’s handbook on Guardianship for Child Victims of Trafficking and selected findings from FRA’s work on border crossing points.

Panellists:

  • Verena Knaus, Senior Policy Advisor, Brussels Office, UNICEF
  • Petros Stagkos, Vice-President of the European Committee of Social Rights, Council of Europe
  • Delphine Moralis, Secretary General, Missing Children Europe
  • François Bienfait, Head of the Centre for Training, Quality and Expertise, EASO
  • Jan Jařab, Regional Representative for Europe Office, OHCHR 

Working group III - Background information

 

Chaired by: Han Entzinger, Professor of Migration and Integration Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, FRA Sci-entific Committee

Focus:

The ultimate objective of policies aiming at the social inclusion and integration of migrants is full social participation, irrespective of ethnic, racial, national or any other identification or background. In order to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy all fundamental rights, we need to promote effective rights safeguards in the development, implementa-tion and assessment of EU policies in the field of migrant integration.

This workshop will discuss concrete and practical steps needed to bring the fundamental rights perspective to the fore in integration policy. The discussion will examine the policies of social inclusion and migrant integration in the EU that work towards the targets of the EU 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in the light of fun-damental rights standards. The working group will suggest feasible ways to assess, monitor, support and promote na-tional migrant integration policies on a timely and consistent basis that are guided by fundamental rights, boosting the EU’s economies as well as social cohesion.

Panellists:

  • Chiara Adamo, Head of Unit, Fundamental Rights and Rights of the Child, DG JUST, European Commission
  • Pedro Lomba, Secretary of State Assistant to the Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Regional Development, Portugal
  • Elizabeth Collett, Director, Migration Policy Institute Europe
  • Claire Courteille, Director, ILO-Brussels
  • Walter Kindermann, General Director for Integration Affairs, Hessian Ministry for Social Affairs and Integration
  • Thomas Huddleston, Central Research Coordinator of the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX),
    Migration Policy Group
  • Christine Nanlohy, Policy adviser , European Network of Migrant Women

Working group IV - Background information

 

Chaired by: Marco de Giorgi, Director General, UNAR, Italy

Focus:

Equal treatment irrespective of ethnic, racial, national or any other identification or background and equitable partic-ipation in social and political life are important aspects of migrant integration in the EU. However, the implementation of such policies faces considerable challenges because of negative stereotypes and misperceptions about migrants and diversity.

This workshop will explore ways of building more inclusive societies that will encourage and benefit from the partici-pation of everyone living in them. In this context, participants will discuss how to increase the participation of third-country nationals and their descendants in social and political life, especially at the local level. The workshop will also debate means of addressing negative stereotypes about migration and asylum, as well as how to foster the integration of younger generations with migrant descent in order that they can develop diverse and multicultural identities.

Panellists:

  • Juan Gonzalez Mellizo, Team Leader, Non-discrimination policies and Roma coordination, DG JUST, European Commission
  • Nikos Sitaropoulos, Deputy to the Director and Head of Division, Office of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Matteo Lepore, Vice-President, ECCAR, Bologna 
  • Jean-Paul Makengo, Regional Counsellor, Region Midi-Pyrénées, France
  • Anna Triandafyllidou, Professor, European University Institute
  • Viorica Nechifor, President, Associazione Nazionale Stampa Interculturale (ANSI)
  • Anna Ludwinek, Research Manager, Living Conditions and Quality of Life Unit, Eurofound

Working group V - Background information

 

13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00

Presentation of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights reports on the fundamental rights situation at the EU’s air and land borders

14.30-16.00

Reporting back from working groups

16.00-16.30 Coffee break
16.30-17.00

Conclusions:

  • Angelino Alfano, Minister of the Interior, Italy
  • Maija Sakslin, Chairperson of the FRA’s Management Board