Vol. 395 No. 4
30 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals which are being initiated during the Irish Presidency of the EC Council of Ministers to establish a Charter of Rights for Migrants within the European Community.
As far as migrants from within the Community are concerned, the treaties and implementing legislation have established a system of protection of their rights, including rights to work and to qualify for social security benefits. Furthermore, their position is recognised in the social charter adopted at the Strasbourg European Council which sets out principles of equal treatment as regards access to employment, working conditions and social protection in the host country.
As far as migrants from outside the Community are concerned, I am not aware of any proposals from the Commission on which Council consideration of a charter on the rights of migrants within the European Communities could be based. Furthermore, there is no reference to such a proposal in the programme of the Commission for 1990 which was delivered to the European Parliament last month. Therefore, it is unlikely that the possibility of such a charter of rights will come up for discussion during the period of the Irish Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
