E/CN.4/1503
Annex III page 6
20.
The post-1973 period has been characterized by compara- tively low levels of mobility, the focus of attention being on the integration of those millions of workers who had already arrived and on family reunion'. The Federal Republic of Germany, with approximately two and a half million foreign workers (10 to 12 per cent of its labour force), including perhaps a million from Turkey, has been faced with the problem of thousands of asylum
requests which are likely to take years to deal with, given that those presenting them are free to appeal against negative decisions and to remain legally in the country meanwhile for several years.
The Federal Government and Länder have had to re-examine their legislation in the light of this fairly recent phenomenon - a device to stay in the country resorted to also by would-be immigrants arriving from countries such as Pakistan.
21. Although there is a certain amount of migration within Europe (particularly between members of the EEC) which is principally of professional or skilled people, migration from the Mediterranean to industrial north west Europe has consisted mainly of unskilled workers and their families. Though there are many elements to take into account to explain the migration of several million people, including not only unemployment levels and upward mobility factors in the home country but active recruitment drives by would-be receiving countries also, a glance at the respective levels of gross national product per capita in the
in the relevant countries
countries is indicative:
23.
COL whe
enc
in
not
Eur
as
alr
sit
emi
Car
lea
ter
we:
THI
24
si
mil
noi
mai
as
int
pu:
es
$
$
es
Belgium Denmark
10 920
11 900
Algeria Greece
2 382
3 960
25.
France
9 950
Italy
5 250
COI
FRG
11 730
Morocco
740
ava
Netherlands
10 230
Portugal
2 180
mi
1
Norway
10 700
Spain
4 380
19
Sweden
11 930
Switzerland
13 920
Tunisia Turkey
1 120
br
1 330
pro
United Kingdom
6 320
Yugoslavia 2 430
th
est
Th
in:
aci
22. The value to receiving countries of migrant workers from the Mediterranean basin can be partly illustrated by the finding of one study that it would have cost the Federal Republic of Germany an estimated $ 33 billion (at 1972 dollars) to bring up and educate the number of workers gained by immi- gration between 1957 and
1957 and 1973. Hypothetical though the proposition is, it helps to indicate why industrial countries in periods of economic expansion may have been active in recruiting workers from less developed areas.
ri Sal