Chapitre III - UNITAR

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National regulations regarding stay of non-nationals, whether temporary or
permanent, and for what purpose, such as training, employment, leisure or
studies, are one component of a comprehensive migration policy. Residence
policy can provide transparency and predictability for migrants and create
favourable conditions for their social and economic integration.
Effective practices with regard to residence:
National residency policy and procedures should clearly distinguish
between permanent and temporary residence status and requirements,
and provide clear criteria for extension, change or withdrawal of residency
status.
Provision of information to migrants about residence requirements and
procedures.
Exchange of information and cooperation among neighbouring States
to increase the efficiency of residence policy.
4. Regular Migration
Today, all States are affected by migratory flows and are challenged to address
the implications and opportunities of migration for their national economies,
security and development, in particular, in view of demographic trends and
development needs. Debates regarding whether to have immigration or not
are being replaced by debates on how to manage migration to maximize the
positive effects that migration – skilled and unskilled, temporary and permanent
– can have. Regulated migration can help ensure the availability of
labour when the host country requires it. It can permit family reunion with
minimum delay and disruption to migrant households and relevant communities.
Regular migration can provide opportunities for education, training,
skill acquisition and employment, and can result in substantial flows of remittances
to individual households, and of capital, investment and skills to support
development in home countries. A key element to achieve a more
humane and orderly movement of people is a systematic, managed approach
to migration, including consideration of different categories of migration.
Given the complexity of contemporary population movements, it is not easy
to draw a sharp line between temporary and permanent migration. However,
for policy formulation purposes, it is useful to make a conceptual distinction
between the two.
Effective Practices