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Sunday, November 10, 2024

Interview with Mr. Cristian David, President of the Migration Policy Institute of Romania (Part I)

Răzvan Moise: What is the history of the Romanian Migration Policy Institute and who are the founders?

Cristian David: The setting up of this institute materializes an initiative started some time ago, the migration issue being a long-standing personal concern. It all started in 2007 when, as Interior Minister, I had to manage the crisis of Romanians in Italy and Spain. We were faced with a massive wave of public rejection of the presence of Romanians in the two countries, starting with a few isolated violent incidents which affected the image of the whole community. Also, during that period, we took the necessary steps to make progress in two other dossiers, which are still on the agenda today, namely accession to the Schengen area and the US Visa Waiver. Subsequently, in 2012, during my mandate as Minister Delegate for Romanians Abroad, I actively participated in the general effort to support Romanian communities abroad, to promote and defend national identity values. During my mandate, I had the opportunity to understand the international dimension of migration, as a result of discussions with representatives of the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration and the US Department of Homeland Security.

I gathered all these personal experiences under the initiative of organizing an international conference on global migration, which took place in Brussels in February 2014, under the aegis of the Crans-Montana Forum. Subsequently, the preoccupation on this topic took the form of a thematic project that I led within the framework of the Romania-Orizont 2030 program, run by the Institute for Freedom and Democracy. In recent times, the issue of migration has become more and more acute, being put on the European agenda by extremist-nationalist parties and amplified by the refugee crisis in Ukraine. This reality has practically imposed the need to devote special attention to migration policies, which is why I set up the Migration Policy Institute of Romania. I had the chance to have at my side those who have believed in and supported this project from the very beginning, Professor Alfred Bulai, a sociologist with well-known and appreciated experience, and Wajiha Haris, who has a rich work on migration and refugees. They have recently been joined by a number of other specialists in the field who bring valuable expertise to the research and policy and program development in the field of migration.

R.M.: What are the main objectives and mission of the Institute?

C.D.: The Migration Policy Institute of Romania is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization, established for the purpose of developing studies, research and public policies in the field of migration. Through its work, the Institute aims to improve migration policies in the economic, social integration, security and sustainability fields, with a view to maximizing human potential and reducing the negative impact of migration, both in countries of origin and destination.

The Migration Policy Institute prioritizes the primacy of the right to life and respect for human dignity, in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and other internationally recognized treaties.          

 At the national level we aim to provide a better understanding of the challenges and consequences of migration, linked to European and global processes. We aim to make our research results available to the competent authorities as support for the decision making process, to contribute to a culture of tolerance and coexistence in society, and to offer our support to those who have had to flee from conflict or oppressive systems.                                                     

At the heart of our concerns, therefore, is the human person, with his or her needs and aspirations, and our aim is to harness the full economic, social and cultural potential of migrant human capital.

R.M.: What are the biggest challenges facing Romania in terms of migration, both in the context of immigration and emigration?

C.D.: The challenges of migration for Romania stem from a combination of factors, namely the massive migration of Romanians, the legal labor supply, the management of the refugee quota temporarily in Romania and illegal migration.  The main concern is the extremely high number of those who have left the country in the last decade, with some 6-8,000,000 Romanians representing more than 25% of the total national population. As a result of this process, certain sectors of the economy are experiencing a chronic shortage of labor, which is insufficiently filled by the more than 130,000 workers currently working in Romania with legal temporary residence permits. Although the number of Ukrainian refugees has now fallen below 80,000, the number could change at any time depending on developments in the war in Ukraine. In terms of illegal migration, border security aspects predominate over relative figures, which are difficult to assess. Intra-EU mobility and circular migration, can be added to the above migration flows. The evolution of these processes is difficult to predict and quantify, mainly due to the contextual factors influencing the individual mobility decision, i.e. changes in political, economic, social or security conditions, both in the countries of destination and in the countries of origin.                             

It is easy to see how complex this picture of migration is and how difficult it is to find the best solutions that respond simultaneously to as many of the above-mentioned factors as possible. I can only express the hope that, through its research and analysis work, the Migration Policy Institute will succeed in providing realistic and relevant answers that are appropriate to the geopolitical and economic and social context.

R.M.: What role will research play in the Institute’s work? Do you already have data or studies that you consider fundamental for future policy development?

C.D.: The specificity of the migration issue is that it manifests itself in a system that operates in real time with emotions, perceptions and data. Large refugee flows are based on the protection of populations from war or natural disasters, which have a strong emotional impact. The media provide a complex picture of these situations, generating perceptions, both positive and negative. Data are first used as arguments to support the public positions of the parties involved, and only later do they act as a rational and even-handed argument, often lacking the power to change perceptions already established in society.

That is why at the Migration Policy Institute we will try to anticipate certain trajectories and possible consequences of migration flows, this being possible only on the basis of analyzing and processing accurate data and real information obtained through rigorous sociological research. A solid evidence base is already available, built on many research activities carried out so far in academia, civil society or data recorded at the level of public institutions covering different aspects of migration issues. Analyzing this data, combining it and interpreting it in an integrated way is the way to arrive at an overall understanding that will enable us to synthesize our proposals for solutions and policies.

R.M.: With which national or international organizations do you intend to collaborate to improve migration policies? How do you ensure that these collaborations are effective?

C.D.: One of the keys to the success of our approach is to build a broad system of collaboration, both at individual and institutional level, and at national and international level. The first level is that of specialists who already have experience in the field, gained through participation in different research projects or institutional cooperation. The second level targets national bodies, public or academic institutions and organizations with specific activities in the field of migration and refugees. Finally, the third level targets international organizations working at regional, European and global level. We are pleased that from the outset we have received expressions of openness and interest in collaboration from central public institutions and the academic world in Romania. We have also been honored by the attention we have received from representatives of international institutions and the diplomatic corps accredited to Bucharest. All these messages of support validate the timeliness of our approach, encourage us and oblige us to ensure that the future work of the Migration Policy Institute will meet the demands and expectations of all those involved in this issue, whether they are providers or beneficiaries of migration policies.

About Mr. Cristian David

Mr. Cristian David is president of the Migration Policy Institute of Romania and founder of the Institute for Freedom and Democracy in Romania.

He holds a PhD in economics and a postgraduate degree in national security.

He is currently member of the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development and trainer at the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics.

Between 2005-2007 he held the position of Minister Delegate for the control of the implementation of programs with international funding and monitoring the application of the acquis communautaire, overseeing the internal process of Romania’s preparation for accession to the European Union.

During his mandate as Minister of Interior and Administrative Reform, between 2007-2008, he coordinated the national strategy for accession to the Schengen area and signed the Joint Declaration on setting the strategic goal of full integration of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area by the March 2011 deadline.

Between 2012-2014 he held the position of Minister Delegate for Romanians Abroad in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for policies to promote the national identity of Romanian communities abroad.

As a senator, during his two terms in the Romanian Parliament, between 2004-2008 and 2008-2012, he was active in various committees and delegations of foreign parliamentary representation, the most important position being that of Chairman of the Committee for Defense, Public Order and National Security. 

Razvan Moise
Razvan Moise
With academic and professional knowledge in the fields of political science, geopolitics and security studies, Răzvan wishes to contribute to the development and promotion of these fields of study in Romania. In particular, he aims to generate interest and understanding of the importance of intelligence and to promote responsible and balanced approaches to the defense of national security.

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