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Law-ref.org | Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe - Final Act - Helsinki 1975 |
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Economic and social aspects of migrant labour
The participating States,
Considering that the movements of migrant workers in Europe
have reached substantial proportions, and that they constitute an
important economic, social and human factor for host countries as
well as for countries of origin,
Recognizing that workers' migrations have also given rise to
a number of economic, social, human and other problems in both
the receiving countries and the countries of origin,
Taking due account of the activities of the competent
international organizations, more particularly the International
Labour Organisation, in this area,
are of the opinion that the problems arising bilaterally
from the migration of workers in Europe as well as between the
participating States should be dealt with by the parties directly
concerned, in order to resolve these problems in their mutual
interest, in the light of the concern of each State involved to
take due account of the requirements resulting from its socio-
economic situation, having regard to the obligation of each State
to comply with the bilateral and multilateral agreements to which
it is party, and with the following aims in view:
to encourage the efforts of the countries of origin directed
towards increasing the possibilities of employment for their
nationals in their own territories, in particular by developing
economic co-operation appropriate for this purpose and suitable
for the host countries and the countries of origin concerned;
to ensure, through collaboration between the host country
and the country of origin, the conditions under which the orderly
movement of workers might take place, while at the same time
protecting their personal and social welfare and, if appropriate,
to organize the recruitment of migrant workers and the provision
of elementary language and vocational training;
to ensure equality of rights between migrant workers and
nationals of the host countries with regard to conditions of
employment and work and to social security, and to endeavour to
ensure that migrant workers may enjoy satisfactory living
conditions, especially housing conditions;
to endeavour to ensure, as far as possible, that migrant
workers may enjoy the same opportunities as nationals of the host
countries of finding other suitable employment in the event of
unemployment;
to regard with favour the provision of vocational training
to migrant workers and, as far as possible, free instruction in
the language of the host country, in the framework of their
employment;
to confirm the right of migrant workers to receive, as far
as possible, regular information in their own language, covering
both their country of origin and the host country;
to ensure that the children of migrant workers established
in the host country have access to the education usually given
there, under the same conditions as the children of that country
and, furthermore, to permit them to receive supplementary
education in their own language, national culture, history and
geography;
to bear in mind that migrant workers, particularly those who
have acquired qualifications, can by returning to their countries
after a certain period of time help to remedy any deficiency of
skilled labour in their country of origin;
to regard with favour the efforts of the countries of origin
to attract the savings of migrant workers, with a view to
increasing, within the framework of their economic development,
appropriate opportunities for employment, thereby facilitating
the reintegration of these workers on their return home.