Tampere (FIN), 14th November 2008

Regional politicians from across the wider Europe agreed today that the rewards of welcoming new migrants “far outweigh the negative examples of misunderstandings and prejudices”. Those rewards, according to AER’s “Tampere Declaration on Migration and Integration”, include the “richness of society” and “competitive workforce” enjoyed by regions that are successfully integrating migrants into their societies.

Following today’s adoption of the Tampere Declaration at AER’s General Assembly in Tampere (FIN), Michèle Sabban, AER’s newly elected president and vice-president of the Ile-de-France region (F), said: “Our declaration sets out policy initiatives the regions have committed to in order to better integrate migrants into their societies. These initiatives are based on the principle that integration is not a one-sided process, but one of mutual learning and respect. As a migrant myself, I will use my personal experiences and commitment to these principles as a basis in urging the European Commission, the Parliament and the European states to follow the regions’ lead.”

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