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In
response to the need for a regular exchange of information concerning all
aspects of migration, the Laeken European Council in December 2001 invited
the Commission to "establish a system for exchanging information on asylum,
migration and countries of origin". The Commission launched in 2002 an
experimental, preparatory phase, which can go up to three years,
establishing the specific Observatory /Network.
The
European Migration Network (EMN) will build up a systematic basis for
monitoring and analysing the multidimensional phenomenon of migration and
asylum by covering a variety of its aspects - political, legal, demographic,
economic, social, and identifying its root causes. The information made
available or processed is intended to help provide the European Union and
its Member States with an overall view of the migration and asylum situation
when, in their respective areas of competence, they develop policies, take
decisions or decide on action.
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The overall objective of the European Migration Network is to
meet the information needs on migration and asylum of Community
Institutions, Member States and, in the longer term, of the general public
by:
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making
available the output of existing sources of information on migration and
asylum including building a comprehensive network of links to sources of
information; |
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providing access to this information; |
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facilitating and enhancing the exchange of information amongst sources of
information and the users of that information; |
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keeping under review and analysing relevant information; |
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responding to or anticipating new information needs related
to European priorities of current interest or relevance. |
It was agreed with Member States to start implementation by
setting up first a network of national contact points.
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Tasks of
the national
contact points
The national contact points will be
expected to carry out the tasks of gathering, regularly
updating, analysing information as well as co-ordinating existing research
and responding to new information needs under the following main thematic
categories:
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national legislation, case-law and policy on migration;
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national legislation, case-law and policy on asylum; |
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implementation at national level of EU legislation on migration and
asylum; |
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national and other statistics on migration and asylum; |
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recent and current research on migration and asylum that
could contribute to a better understanding of the phenomena |
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trends and patterns in migration and asylum flows to,
within and from the EU as well as of the root causes for these flows. |
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