ZAGREB ZAGREB, July 4 (Hina) - A two-day round table on problems of integration of immigrants and national minorities in Croatia started in Zagreb's Esplanade hotel Tuesday. The event, which gathered about 30 representatives of
authorised ministries, minorities associations, and the Council of Europe, was organised by the Council of Europe and the Croatian Government. The problem, with which developed western countries deal for many years, started to spread in central and eastern Europe, said Council of Europe advisor Ian Niessen, because in the past several years the removal of political barriers brought numerous immigrants to Europe from neighbouring countries as well as those in transit from Asia and Africa on their way to the developed West. Europe, where immigration is an important issue, has already defined main fields which needed to be legally regulated in order that integration of immi
ZAGREB, July 4 (Hina) - A two-day round table on problems of
integration of immigrants and national minorities in Croatia
started in Zagreb's Esplanade hotel Tuesday.
The event, which gathered about 30 representatives of authorised
ministries, minorities associations, and the Council of Europe,
was organised by the Council of Europe and the Croatian
Government.
The problem, with which developed western countries deal for many
years, started to spread in central and eastern Europe, said
Council of Europe advisor Ian Niessen, because in the past several
years the removal of political barriers brought numerous
immigrants to Europe from neighbouring countries as well as those
in transit from Asia and Africa on their way to the developed West.
Europe, where immigration is an important issue, has already
defined main fields which needed to be legally regulated in order
that integration of immigrants be as less painful as possible, and
to guarantee the stability and multi-culturality of a society.
The Council of Europe established four main groups of problems and
set strategic goals for the passing of a necessary legislation in
member countries, said Niessen. Namely, this is the regulating of
rights of the permanent stay and labour, the ensuring an equal
approach to the labour market, education, and living, the struggle
against all kinds of discrimination, including racial, religious
and sex discrimination, and the realisation of the right to
citizenship of a country they live in.
Croatian Labour and social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidosevic said
the social cohesion and integration of society should be the centre
of the Croatian national policy adding the new Croatian authority
made a step forward in integration of minorities in the realisation
of minority rights.
The Council of Europe advisor told reporters that in traditionally
immigration western European countries such as Great Britain,
Sweden, the Netherlands or Germany, three to ten percent of the
population are immigrants, while in France one of our families has
immigration background. In the majority of cities such as London,
Stockholm and Amsterdam, 25 percent of the population are
foreigners.
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