Wallmark Speech New4

Ladies and gentlemen,Welcome to the beautiful island of Åland. What better place to have a meeting for the parliaments of the states that are surrounding the Baltic Sea than on an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea?I would first like to thank our hosts here on Åland and especially Ms. Gun-Mari Lindholm, President of Ålands Lagting for the arrangements and their hospitality. As a Swede, I feel right at home on these Swedish-speaking islands and I hope that those of you who do not have Swedish as a first language will feel at home as well.I also have to take this opportunity to apologize for myself and on behalf of the Swedish delegation as a whole if we this year might appear as a decimated figure or perceived as a bit distracted. The explanation is that we have general elections at home in Sweden within less than two weeks. And as you know in a democracy, every vote counts.Like in many other European states, the Swedish electoral movement has been characterized by discussions on the topic of migration and integration.This once again indicates that there is very good reason to approach this topic with great humility, since the topic in itself holds great political breadth and explosiveness. Finding a common ground for the facts or the smallest common denominator can be difficult in itself. Therefore, there is reason to approach the issue with more low-key resonant voices willing to listen to each other rather than in short, sharp formulas that are ideally suited for twitter.The working group on migration and integration has now come about half-way in its work and, as a consequence, we also have a half-way report to discuss.It is a well-known fact that we all have very different traditions when it comes to migration. Some of us have been receiving immigrants for a considerable time while others rather been countries of emigration, not immigration.It is my belief that our different historical experiences can serve as a strength as it enables us to discuss the problems from a wide scope of different perspectives. By highlighting and discussing best practices, I am convinced that we all have something to learn.Ms Carola Veith, President of the Hamburg Parliament, has the vice-chair of the Working Group. Not only did she successfully chair the first meeting of the Working Goup held in Hamburg in December 2017. She has also done a tremendous job in collecting and presenting intergovernmental data covering best practices from each country. I am convinced that the survey she has conducted will be of great benefit to us all. When we have real facts on the table, is the time when we really can have fruitful discussions.I would also like to thank my fellow Swedish colleague Mr. Pyry Niemi who chaired the third meeting of the Working Group in Copenhagen in June in my absence. Furthermore, I would like to thank all the members of the Working Group and all who were involved in this work for their high-quality contributions, the intensive discussions as well as the harmonious atmosphere.Sharing information and learning from each other is precisely what the working group is all about. That is also what we have been doing ever since our first meeting in December last year in Hamburg, over the meetings in Stockholm in March and in Copenhagen in June. I am sure that sharing and discussing will continue here in Åland too. In essence, it all boils down to intensifying the dialogue on migration and integration between the countries bordering the Baltic Sea.As this mid-way report will show, we have, among many other things, learned about German historical experiences of migration, the role that sports can play, in Swedish integration policies and the latest findings of Danish research on migration.Other recommendations from the Working Group include increased offers of migration-specific advisory services and language training to enhance integration. Increased support to the civil society, volunteers and local institutions, is yet another way to support a better integration in our countries.Lastly, but equally important, is to adapt a more holistic view on migration. Migration and security perspectives are of paramount importance when it comes to trade, labour rights or environmental preservation too.This mid-way report is an overview of the first results as well as the input that we received from many experts and a compilation of the materials of our work. The main focus is on the political recommendations which were elaborated during the previous meetings and which will be expanded and deepened in our further work. This report should be considered a strategic summary of our work.We now have if not all, but many facts on the table. We now have the proper tools for discussing and solving problems related to integration so let’s get to work!