Migration issues discussed in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - The colloquy, “Migration: challenges for local and regional authorities”, kicked off in Yerevan as part of the meeting of the Current Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

Emin Yeritsyan, Chair of the Current Affairs Committee, acting as moderator, said, “Today migration remains a serious political problem in Europe. On the one hand, Europe needs constant inflow of migrants for economic reasons; on the other hand, our continent continues to attract people seeking for accommodation and better opportunities, offered by European democracy, freedom and economic prosperity.”

Yeritsyan also noted that currently migration acquires various forms and migrants have different statuses: legal and illegal, regular and irregular, ordinary and political refugees, economic migrants or migrants going to Europe for family reunification.

The colloquy will cover the main issues facing local and regional authorities with regard to the accommodation and integration of migrants, as well as to the measures aimed at protecting their rights and guaranteeing their access to public services at local and regional level.

The event brought together members of the Congress’s Current Affairs Committee and of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as representatives of networks of municipalities, local and regional government associations, international organizations and associations dealing with migration issues.