Cablegate: Portugal Undecided On Un Migration Forum

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R 040747Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5044
INFO RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES

UNCLAS LISBON 001600

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF SMIG UN PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL UNDECIDED ON UN MIGRATION FORUM

REF: SECSTATE 122513

1. (SBU) Pol/Econ Officer paid a call on MFA Migration Issues
Officers Ana Trincao and Helga Bras on August 2 to discuss
the U.S. position on the UN's proposed immigration forum and
our concerns about replicating International Organization for
Migration's (IOM) mandate unnecessarily. In response to that
and other points from the reftel demarche, Bras replied that
migration is very important to Portugal and that the GOP
plans to wait and see how the High Level Dialogue on
International Migration and Development (HLD) in New York on
September 14-15 will be managed before it decides whether to
support future UN migration discussions.

2. (SBU) Although Trincao agreed that the UN might overlap
somewhat with IOM, she argued that, given the size and scope
of the UN, a UN-sponsored discussion might add weight to the
issue and inspire a more robust dialogue than the current
migration entities can promote on their own. Pol/Econ
officer asked about the Portuguese Interior Minister Costa's
recent announcement that migration issues will be a key
policy component for Portugal's July-December 2007 EU
Presidency. Both women agreed that Portugal is intent on
keeping immigration issues on the front burner, not only with
other EU nations, but also with other Lusophone nations and
with the United States. Trincao stressed that, until
recently, Portugal had been a net emigrant country and
therefore is sympathetic to the problems facing immigrants.
At the same time, Portugal has become a net immigrant nation
within the last decade and is working on modernizing
immigration regulations and establishing a sustainable policy
for immigrants.

3. (SBU) Bras noted that, in the event the HLD proves itself
unproductive, Portugal would oppose an ongoing dialogue, but
underscored that the GOP hopes the HLD will provide a new
space for discussions with nations from various regions
concurrently. Bras added that the GOP representative to the
HLD plans to press source nations to improve economic,
political, and social conditions so their citizens are less
inclined to emigrate as well as urging recipient nations to
practice a humane and incorporative policy on their end.
Hoffman

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