By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : An Arab ministerial meeting on international immigration here has discussed a proposal to set up a regional centre aiming to boost the role of Arab immigrants in Arab development.
Such a proposal is to be presented to a planned Arab economic and social development summit due to be held in Kuwait in January 2009, especially as the outflow of Arab capital, minds and efficient people is a key challenge facing the Arab world.
Attended by Arab ministers of immigration, the two-day meeting, held at the Arab League headquarters, kicked off here Monday, handling the impacts of migration on Arab countries.
The proposal is intended to set up an Arab coordinative and technical mechanism that can shore up Arab policies and projects targeting an optimum exploitation of work immigration benefits in the mutual interest of senders and hosts, according to a relevant working paper.
The immigration of efficient Arabs is a significant element as some 1.5 million efficient Arabs left their countries in 2000.
Arab immigrants’ remittances to their original nations exceeded USD 20.6 billion in 2000, constituting four times the financial aid received by their countries.
Immigration has reduced joblessness and improved the incomes of expatriate families in Arab countries. For instance, it has slimmed poverty by 22 per cent in Morocco.
The ministers discussed a Syrian working paper that provided for a common Arab immigration strategy and a human development fund to be shared by expatriate Arab businessmen.
The meeting focused on two key aspects — the assessment of immigration reflections and situations of Arab immigrants, and an Arab strategy of action in the immigration field.