PACE has called for an end to “negative rhetoric” about migrants, pointing out that with the right policies migration can be very beneficial to Europe.
Approving a resolution based on a report by Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), the Assembly urged more legal opportunities for migrants, and local policies to promote knowledge of different cultures and traditions, at the same time as integrating migrants into host societies.
It said “ungrounded fears” about migrants have enabled some politicians and media to present “a distorted image of migration as a threat”. Yet the evidence showed they contributed to economic growth, demographic renewal and cultural diversity – with a positive impact on the arts, sport, fashion, the media and cuisine.