From: EurasiaDigest (digest@eurasianet.org)
Date: Fri May 02 2008 - 15:21:54 EDT
KAZAKH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CALLS FOR REGIONAL COORDINATION OF
MIGRATION
In an interview with the "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda" newspaper on April 30,
Kazakh Supreme Court chairman Kayrat Mami called for greater regional
coordination on migration issues, and cited the need for cooperation
among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),
Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. Mami pointed to the threat posed by
illegal migration, which he said "encourages growth of the shadow
economy, contributes to the inflow of cheap labor, corrupts employers,
and stimulates a rise in crime," ultimately leading to "social tension
and economic instability in the country." He also cited data from the
Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office showing that Kazakhstan detained
268,000 illegal migrants last year and deported 30,000 of them. Noting
the lack of international coordination as "the key difficulty" regarding
migration, Mami praised the SCO as an effective avenue toward fostering
the cooperation necessary to manage migration in the region. He spoke
just days before a summit of judges from the SCO member states' supreme
courts is scheduled to convene in Astana. RG
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