Wikileaks - MCCCXXXVIII

204952 4/30/2009 14:04 09STATE43864 Secretary of State UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY VZCZCXRO3410 RR RUEHBL RUEHKW RUEHMRE RUEHNP DE RUEHC #3864/01 1201423 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 301404Z APR 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 8164 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0217 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 2155 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0943 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 5795 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 9102 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3590 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 1330 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 6514 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0275 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0480 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 1716 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 7314 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 6320 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3816 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG 5622 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1468 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5089 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 7797 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4178 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0053 RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 9380 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 1326 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0484 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 1182 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 6841 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 3139 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 7207 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 7142 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 5103 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 3157 RUEHVT/AMEMBASSY VALLETTA 7250 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 8059 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 2061 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 3701 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 2574 RUEHBL/AMCONSUL BELFAST 0889 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2845 RUEHKW/AMCONSUL KRAKOW 1736 RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1978 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 5511 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 1571 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 043864

SENSITIVE SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINR, ECON, ELAB, EUN, PGOV, PREL, SMIG, AL, AU, BE, BK, BU, DA, EI, EN, EZ, FR, GM, GR, HR, HU, IC, IT, KV, LG, LH, LO, LU, MJ, MK, NL, NO, PL, PO, RI, RO, SI, SP, SW, TU, UK SUBJECT: (SBU) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON MIGRATION IN EUROPE PROMPTED BY THE FINANCIAL CRISIS (C-RE9-00762)

(U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

1. (SBU) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS ARE MONITORING THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON MIGRATION PATTERNS IN EUROPE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESCALE DISPLACEMENT OF CITIZENS IN THE EU, THE BALKANS, AND THE NORDIC COUNTRIES THAT COULD POSSIBLY FUEL SOCIAL TENSION AND PUT PRESSURE ON EUROPEAN AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS. TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS INFORMATION CAN BE ACQUIRED IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS, ANALYSTS WOULD APPRECIATE INFORMATION ON ANY ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL REACTIONS AND/OR FALLOUT CAUSED BY THE VOLUNTARY AND FORCED MOVEMENT OF WORKERS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS. ANALYSTS REQUEST THIS INFORMATION TO DEEPEN THEIR ANALYSIS AND APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION POSTS CAN PROVIDE, AS TIME AND RESOURCES PERMIT. MANY THANKS, AND REGARDS FROM WASHINGTON.

A. (SBU) FOR THOSE COUNTRIES, PRIMARILY THE EU MEMBER STATES, NORWAY, AND SWITZERLAND, THAT UNTIL THE FINANCIAL CRISIS HAD BEEN NET IMPORTERS OF LABOR:

1) (SBU) WHAT EFFORTS, IF ANY, IS THE GOVERNMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY TAKING TO FACILITATE THE RETURN OF MIGRANT WORKERS TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES? WHAT ARE THE MIGRANTS, REACTIONS TO THIS AND ARE ANY GROUPS PARTICULARLY RECEPTIVE TO THESE EFFORTS?

2) (SBU) WHAT STEPS, IF ANY, IS THE GOVERNMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY TAKING TO DISCOURAGE CONTINUED INFLUX OF MIGRANT WORKERS BY INTRODUCING LAWS TO RESTRICT IMMIGRATION AND REDUCE WORK PERMITS FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS?

3) (SBU) HAVE MIGRANT WORKERS' HOME COUNTRY GOVERNMENTS PUT PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN YOUR COUNTRY TO ALLOW MIGRANT WORKERS TO STAY IN THE HOST COUNTRY?

4) (SBU) HOW HAS THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AFFECTED ESTIMATED FLOWS OF UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS? CAN THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR INCOMING OR RETURNING MIGRANTS BE IDENTIFIED?

5) (SBU) IN WHICH ECONOMIC SECTORS OR JOB TYPES ARE MIGRANTS USUALLY EMPLOYED IN YOUR COUNTRY? HAVE THERE BEEN ANY NOTICEABLE FLUCTUATIONS IN ONE INDUSTRY BUT NOT IN OTHERS? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE.

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6) (SBU) WHAT INCIDENTS, IF ANY, HAVE OCCURRED THAT SUGGEST THAT ANTI-IMMIGRANT SENTIMENT HAS INCREASED SINCE THE START OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS? ARE THESE ACTS TARGETED AT PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES OR FOREIGNERS IN GENERAL? WHAT IS THE POLITICAL RESPONSE TO ACTS OF HOSTILITY TOWARD IMMIGRANTS? WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OF ANTI-IMMIGRANT ATTITUDES?

B. (SBU) FOR THOSE COUNTRIES, PRIMARILY IN CENTRAL EUROPE, THE BALKANS, AND TURKEY, THAT UNTIL THE FINANCIAL CRISIS HAD BEEN NET EXPORTERS OF LABOR:

1) (SBU) HAS THERE BEEN A NOTICEABLE DROP IN REMITTANCES SINCE THE START OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS? HOW MUCH HAS THIS AFFECTED THE OVERALL ECONOMY?

2) (SBU) HAS THERE BEEN AN INFLUX OF MIGRANT WORKERS RETURNING TO YOUR COUNTRY SINCE THE START OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS? IF SO, WHAT STEPS, IF ANY, IS THE GOVERNMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY TAKING TO MANAGE THE INFLUX OF RETURNING WORKERS? ARE THESE WORKERS FINDING JOBS IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY? IF SO, IN WHAT INDUSTRIES? ARE THE AVAILABLE JOBS A MATCH FOR THE SKILL LEVELS OF THE RETURNING WORKERS?

3) (SBU) DESCRIBE ANY INSTANCES OF SOCIAL TENSION CAUSED BY WORKERS RETURNING HOME.

4) (SBU) WHAT INCENTIVES, IF ANY, ARE CENTRAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT RESPECTIVELY, OFFERING TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CITIZENS ABROAD TO RETURN HOME? WHAT STEPS, IF ANY, ARE THESE GOVERNMENTS TAKING TO DISCOURAGE THEIR CITIZENS FROM RETURNING HOME?

5) (SBU) IN GENERAL, DID THESE WORKERS RETURN VOLUNTARILY OR WERE THEY FORCED TO RETURN HOME BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE? DO THEY INTEND TO LEAVE THEIR HOME COUNTRY AGAIN WHEN THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IMPROVES?

6) (SBU) IN WHAT WAYS HAS THE INFLUX OF RETURNING WORKERS PUT ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON PUBLIC SECTOR SOCIAL SERVICES?

2. (U) PLEASE CITE C-RE9-00762 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS. CLINTON