International Political Dialogue - Conference with international migration experts

International Political Dialogue - Conference with international migration experts [printable version]

Conference with international migration experts

“Perspectives and Proposals on migration” –this was the title of a conference where the transatlantic dialog program of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Washington D.C. and the Mexico City office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation had invited to San Diego migration experts from the USA, Mexico, Central America and Europe from 4th to 6th March 2007.

“Perspectives and Proposals on migration” –this was the title of a conference where the transatlantic dialog program of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Washington D.C. and the Mexico City office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation had invited to San Diego migration experts from the USA, Mexico, Central America and Europe from 4. to 6. March 2007.

The local member of the state parliament, Mrs. Lori Saldaña gave a report on the current discussions of migration issues in the state parliament of California and the local level in San Diego.

On the following day the participants from Mexico and Central America as well as from the USA presented their approaches to an improved co-operation in migration politics of the western hemisphere.

During the following discussion the experts agreed that after 11 September 2001 a paradigm change had taken place in US immigration policies. According to them, the security interests of the USA now have the highest priority, in the political discussion migration is mainly considered under the aspect of security.

As a result, legal immigration from Latin America is becoming more and more difficult. The fact that Mexico does not only send people to the US, but is also transit country and an immigration country at the same time, has only paid a minor role in the American discussion so far.

The experts from the countries of Central America and Mexico pointed out their interest in a more intensive dialog with the US Government, in order to identify common safety interests. The participants stated that the dialog between the countries of Latin America and Mexico on this topic must be improved.

The role of remittances (transfer payments of immigrants into their homelands) as a development factor is increasingly recognized by the US government as well. During last year alone these remittances to Latin America amounted to approx. 52 billion US Dollar.

During a visit to the border between the US and Mexico the experts had the opportunity to exchange ideas with the US border guards and the California National Guard about their work and to hear more about the daily challenges.

On the next day the migration experts from the European Commission and the Bertelsmann Foundation presented the European perspective of migration politics, before a public panel discussion at the Alliant university terminated the three-day-long conference.

The meeting, which took place in co-operation with Atlas Economic Research Foundation as well as Alliant University, for the first time brought together at one table experts from Mexico, Central America, the USA as well as from Europe.

The results of the conference will be present in the form of a position paper which will suggest political actions by the end of April.

Some photos of the event:

Claus Gramckow,
Representative of the USA
and Canada, during his
welcome address

The state parliament delegate
of San Diego, Mrs. Lori Saldaña

Alexandro Chafuen, President
and CEO of the Atlas Economic
Research Foundation

Dr. Thomas Cieslik, FNF Project
coordinator in Mexico

Volker Timmermann,
German embassy in
Washington D.C.

MP Juan José Cabrera Alonso,
former foreign affairs
vice-minister of Guatemala,
Alejandro Chafuen, President
and CEO, Atlas Economic
Research Foundation, Felix
Maradiaga, former Assistant
Secretary of Defense in
Nicaragua, now senior
Researcher at the institute of
Strategic Studies and Public
Policy

left to right: Christal
Morehouse, Project manager,
Bertelsmann Foundation,
Dr. David Felsen, Alliant
University, Telmo Baltazar,
Justice and Home Affairs
Counselor, Delegation of the
European Commission in
Washington D.C.

Brooke Menschel, Assistant
Legislative Director, American
Jewish Comittee, Steve
Maviglio, Deputy Chief of Staff
to the Speaker of the
Assembly, California State
Capital, Claus Gramckow,
Representative USA and
Canada of the FNF, Dirk Hegen,
Policy Associate, National
Conference of State
Legislatures, Eneas Biglione,
Director, Hispanic American
Center for Economic Research

The migration experts during the
discussion with the US Border
Patrol

left to right: Juan José Cabrera
Alonso, Alejandro Chafuen,
Felix Maradiaga and Germán
Espinal

left to right: Chairman of the
caucus of Nueva Allianza
Mexico, Miguel Angel Jimenez,
Dr. Thomas Cieslik, Friedrich
Naumann foundation project
coordinator in Mexico,
Professor Dr. Franzisco Alba
Salvator Beltran, Director for
Border and Institutional
Relations, Human Rights
Commission Mexico, Prof. Dr.
Franzisco Alba, Professor at
El Colegio del Mexico
(COLMEX) and members of
the global immigration
commission of the United
Nations, Dr. James Harrigan,
Assistant Professor for
political Science, Saint Vincent
college

Final meeting at the Alliant
University in San Diego:
Christal Morehouse, Project
manager, Bertelsmann
Foundation, chairman of the
parliamentary group Miguel
Angel Jimenez of Nueva
Allianza Mexico, Dr. Thomas
Cieslik, FNF project
coordinator, Mexico, MP Juan
José Cabrera Alonso, former
foreign affairs vice-minister of
Guatemala, Dr. James
Harrigan, Assistant professor
for political Science, Saint
Vincent College.