*{Update on Migration [http://www.weforum.org/site/knowledgenavigator.nsf/Content/Update%20on%20Migration?open&topic_id=300350000&theme_id=300] 01.02.2002 Annual Meeting 2002} *partie=titre WTO-like Institution Needed to Handle Migration Policy *partie=nil With a legal immigration allowance of 800,000 per year, the US remains one of the world’s most welcoming destinations for migrants, said Howard L. Berman, Congressman from California (Democrat), USA. Still, as with most other highly developed economies, illegal immigration remains a widespread problem. Nonetheless, the post-11 September challenge, said Berman, is not simply to better control this illegal flow, but rather to improve the monitoring of the large pool of legal migrants -- for it should be remembered that the 11 September attackers first entered the US legally. Berman said practical improvements could involve the introduction of national identity cards and better monitoring and adjustments of visa status. In an increasingly globalized world, national policies are insufficient to manage migration issues, said Susan F. Martin, Director, Institute for the Study of International Migration, Georgetown University, USA. New international frameworks are needed to promote greater information exchange, harmonize policies, improve border management and increase cooperation between destination and source countries. Brunson McKinley, Director-General, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, suggested creating a WTO-like multilateral body to deal with migration policy. The economic forces driving migration are long term, not cyclical. Ultimately, economic forces can trump even the most severe political divides. Israel’s continued acceptance of Palestinian workers attests to this durability of economic imperatives. The long-term trends are unlikely to be substantially altered by 11 September, including the increasing phenomenon of countries experiencing both an in-flow and out-flow of migrants -- something Mexico is now facing, noted moderator Leonardo Kourchenko Barrena, Vice-President, International Information, Televisa, Mexico. Unlike the US, a nation founded by immigrants, Europe faces the twin challenges of controlling huge legal and illegal flows and also dealing with the urgent need to develop a public spirit more tolerant and accepting of immigrants. This has been most evident in Germany, the main destination in Europe for migrants. Even though it lacks an immigration ethos, said Rainer Münz, Chair of Demography, Humboldt-Universitaet, Germany, Europe will continue to be dependent on migration because of the "birth deficit." Unlike the US, Germany and many of its neighbours would realize zero, or even negative population growth were it not for immigration. Münz said Germany should adopt certain Canadian and American "best practices," particularly those that facilitate bringing in tech workers. Still, like the US, Canada and Australia, Münz acknowledged that immigration to Europe is driven more by economics than politics. Participants were in general agreement that the developed economies would continue to rely on immigration, even if they experience slight rises in unemployment. While the new national security priorities in the US have yet to dramatically alter immigration policy, countries like Israel have begun to change their approach in light of security concerns. Nearly 100,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza used to enter Israel daily to find work, said Itamar Rabinovich, President, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Today, the number has dropped to just 30-40,000. Israel has been replacing Palestinian workers with migrants from Thailand and West Africa. Rabinovich agreed with Berman and others that even in light of grave security threats, political and economic imperatives make it impossible to stop immigration altogether. Rather, the challenge for Israel, the US and other highly developed countries is to improve their ability to sort out benign "economic" migrants from "political agitators." *{Contributors: Berman Howard L. Byrraju Ramalinga R. Kourchenko Barrena Leonardo Martin Susan F. McKinley Brunson Münz Rainer Rabinovich Itamar}