16 June 2009 - Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group Charts a Way Forward on Controlling Irregular Migration in the Mediterranean Region

More than 40 members of parliament from across NATO member countries, North Africa and the Middle East participated in the event chaired by Vahit Erdem (Turkey  ) and hosted by the head of the Italian delegation to the NATO PA, Sergio DeGregorio.   The meeting opened with a keynote presentation by Minister of State Mehmet Aydin of Turkey who spoke about the need to reinvigorate the “Alliance of Civilizations,” particularly by reaching out to young people who make up much of the growing populations of the Mediterranean region. 

Migration was a major theme of the event and participants heard from several experts including Dr. Massimo Livi Bacci.   Dr. Bacci underlined that although population growth trends in North Africa are slowing, the rate of growth there and in Sub-Saharan Africa is still large enough to create many irregular migrants to Europe  unless the root causes of migration are addressed.  This was followed by a discussion of the draft report of the GSM, “Migration in the Mediterranean Region: Causes, Consequences and Challenges” by Antonio Cabras (Italy ).  Many members expressed broad satisfaction with the conclusions of the report which underline that a comprehensive strategy toward controlling migration must integrate state-building and peacekeeping assistance that can mitigate the conditions that cause the flow of irregular migrants.  The report also notes the success of cooperative approaches taken by European and North African states and urges that this cooperation be developed further.   

Available presentations can be found here: http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?SHORTCUT=1865