Madam Chair,

Your excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to congratulate you, Madam Chair, and the other members
of the Bureau on your election. It is an honour for the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) to address this 47th
session of the Commission for Social Development.

The priority theme for the 2009-2010 review and policy cycle of
the Commission could not have been more aptly selected. The current
global financial crisis is leading to a downturn in the global
economy and its impact on "social integration" has the potential to
be deep, severe and multifaceted.  While the depth and extent
of the crisis is difficult to predict and its impact is likely to
vary according to country, geographic region and employment sector,
the social protection of vulnerable groups, including migrants,
risks becoming increasingly strained.  The Report of the
Secretary General on Promoting Social Integration (E/CN.5/2009/2)
offers a very useful analysis for this debate, devoting particular
attention to international migrants, acknowledging that one of the
most challenging integration issue relates to the socio-economic
and cultural integration of immigrants, and recognizing the global
challenge that this represents in developing and developed
countries alike. The unfolding financial crisis makes this analysis
and these considerations all the more compelling.

Madam Chairperson,

The longer and more protracted the current recession, the
greater the danger that adverse impacts will have profound effects
for immigrants' integration into society, their welfare, and that
of their families.  Practitioners and researchers seem to
agree that "since immigrants are overrepresented in low skilled
occupations that are typically hit hardest during downturns, and
since some immigrants (such as the undocumented population) are
ineligible for welfare benefits, they may suffer particular
hardship during the recession" . This could damage their potential
to integrate socially and economically.

It is difficult to anticipate the modalities in which the
financial crisis will impact on the social integration of
international migrants and while there is no concrete evidence
available yet on the impact of the global financial crisis on
migration, the following largely negative trends have already been
observed or are likely to occur:

• Poverty and unemployment are among the most important factors
  causing exclusion, and yet job losses and wage depressions are
  largely anticipated as migrant workers are often the first to lose
  their jobs, especially in construction, manufacturing, services,
  retail and tourism, coupled with possible reductions in wages and
  poorer conditions in the workplace, cuts in social services
  provision, impacting on migrants' quality of life and health, and
  increasing residency insecurity.
• The risk of discrimination and xenophobia as migrants are
  mistakenly perceived as taking the jobs of local workers
  particularly in low-skilled sectors of the labour market. In this
  context, immigrants may become likely scapegoats for the increase
  of unemployment of the native population;
• A decline in remittance flows to developing countries as
  migrants lose their jobs, thus increasing poverty and exacerbating
  inequalities and development gaps.
• Adoption of more restrictive immigration policies to protect
  the local labour market which could trigger an increase in
  irregular migration and strengthen the informal, unregulated labour
  market.
• The crisis is expected to impact differently on male and female
  migrant workers especially in affected sectors of the economy
  dominated by one gender (e.g. construction in which male migrant
  workers predominate).

If the above are possible scenarios, it is evident that pure
market mechanisms alone will not produce social and economic
inclusion, and that public social integration policies must be
sustained particularly at this juncture.  IOM remains of the
view that human mobility, as underscored in IOM's 2008 World
Migration Report,  makes economies more dynamic and more
efficient.  Migration may be a positive force in alleviating
various aspects of the financial crisis and potentially make an
important contribution towards overcoming the economic
downturn.  Therefore, flexible, coherent and comprehensive
migration management policies are needed to maximize the benefits
of migration, promote economic recovery, protect migrants and take
their needs into account in measures addressing the crisis.
Integration policies in particular should always accompany the
management of migratory flows, keeping in mind that integration is
key to effective migration governance and the management of
diversity.  Such policies are all the more pertinent in an
economic downturn.

Paramount in this context is the careful monitoring of the
impact of the financial crisis on migrants, to ensure that the
rights of migrants are effectively upheld, that migrants are not
stigmatized for job losses that occur and are protected from
discrimination and xenophobia in the employment and social
spheres.  This also calls for measures to inform the general
public and raise awareness in destination countries about the
valuable economic and social contributions made by migrants.

Madam Chair,

A strong degree of solidarity between countries of origin and
destination is called for to safeguard and continue to harness the
benefits flowing from the migration and development relationship as
well as to migrants and their families.  By facilitating
technical cooperation and exchange of good practices on
integration, IOM participates in the wider effort to ensure that
the economic crisis does not translate into even harsher living and
working conditions for migrants, and helps reducing tensions and
facilitating tolerance and dialogue among cultures, communities and
individuals.

Thank you.