MINSK, 8 April (BelTA) – The implementation of the migration policy concept has raised the level of Belarus-Russia integration in this area. Chairman of the International Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, Chairman of the Commission on International Affairs, Migration Policy and Relations with Compatriots of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Sergei Rachkov made the statement at the international conference “Common migration space of CIS states: Contemporary challenges and development prospects” in St. Petersburg, BelTA has learned.
In current conditions migration matters in one way or another affect almost all spheres of state life: security, demography, economy, culture, social and regional policies, noted Sergei Rachkov. “Within the territory of the Union State a common migration space is being formed in accordance with the approved migration policy concept taking into account the migration processes occurring in the world due to the sharp deterioration of the international situation and the need to find new models and mechanisms for solving migration problems. The implementation of the concept has made it possible to reach a new level of Russian-Belarusian integration interaction in the field of migration,” he said.
The parliamentarian pointed out that a large body of international legal documents establishing agreed approaches to migration matters has been created by now. Today only coordinated, common regulation of migration processes throughout the entire territory of the Union State makes it possible to create conditions for ensuring the security of Belarus and Russia as one of the foundations for the sustainable development of the two countries’ economies, he emphasized.
Belarus and Russia face similar challenges and tasks, as recent geopolitical events clearly show, the Belarusian parliamentarian added. “Due to migration crises Western Europe and the United States of America are trying to wall themselves off from the rest of the world. Individual countries that so diligently advocated for freedom and democracy are building fences and multi-kilometer barbed wire barriers around themselves. The politicization of migration processes has led to a large-scale migration crisis over there, which poses a real threat to European identity and security on the continent,” noted Sergei Rachkov. At the same time, he emphasized that no one has managed to destabilize the situation in Belarus and Russia. On the contrary, the two countries have become even more united. Russian and Belarusian parliamentarians have done significant work to bring the legislation of the two countries in the field of migration closer together, the MP noted.
The ministries of internal affairs of Belarus and Russia implement a coordinated action plan to realize the migration policy concept of the Union State. Regular reports on these matters are presented at sessions of the Commission on International Affairs, Migration Policy and Relations with Compatriots of the Parliamentary Assembly. Mechanisms and forms of interaction in the field of migration are being improved, including for the prevention, detection and suppression of illegal migration. Coordinated measures and methods of combating offenses are being applied. An ongoing exchange of relevant information on migration affairs is taking place, and work continues on harmonizing official statistical methodology for the formation of a unified population migration registration system.
At the same time, the parliamentarian pointed out that it is necessary to constantly monitor the migration situation in the world, identify internal and external threats to national security in this area, and pay close attention to the rights and opportunities of migrants. “To preserve stable interethnic relations and develop constructive intercultural dialogue, approaches to matters of social and cultural adaptation of citizens of third countries and stateless persons are being reconciled,” he added.
Sergei Rachkov noted the effective work of the leadership of the CIS IPA Secretariat in coordinating the implementation of interparliamentary cooperation on the harmonization of the migration policy, since it is currently extremely relevant and is undergoing significant changes. On 9 April a session of the CIS IPA Commission on Social Policy and Human Rights will discuss a new edition of the concept of the common migration space of the CIS member states.
The conference is a key event organized by the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly with the support of the Russian Federation Ministry of Labor and Social Protection as part of the business program of the anniversary 10th St. Petersburg International Labor Forum. The central theme of the conference is to discuss the new edition of the concept of the common migration space. Matters of harmonization of legislation, digitization of migration processes, and labor market regulation with the participation of CIS countries were also discussed. The event gathered parliamentarians, ministers of internal affairs, labor and social development, heads of sectoral councils of the CIS states, the CIS Executive Committee as well as representatives of reputable international organizations and the academic community.
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