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. The last few decades have seen rapid growth in the ethnic and cultural diversity of many member states of the European Union. The causes of this diversity vary from state to state. Some of the main factors include the various forms of previous and present immigration, such as: increased freedom of movement, labour migration, family re-unification, the colonial legacy, refugee flight and asylum, (to some extent) illegal immigration, acceptance rules for quota refugees, "late repatriates" (e.g. ethnic Germans from the former USSR), as well as new modes of economic migration in old age. With the greying of their populations, many European societies will have to face the reality that their elder generation will become much more diverse, both ethnically and culturally.
This diversity was reflected by the wide-ranging programme of "Migrant Elders across Europe – from Challenges to Opportunities", the two-day symposium held at the World Conference Centre (WCC) in Bonn. The opening speeches by Thomas Mann (Member of the European Parliament), Jérôme Vignon (representing the European Commission), Gerhard Stahl (Committee of the Regions) and Armin Laschet (Minister of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia) all highlighted the importance of the growing and ageing population of migrant elders across Europe. In the frame of nine discussion forums, the concrete living conditions of migrant elders across Europe were elucidated from a variety of perspectives. Moreover, the opportunities and possibilities for improving integration and increasing social participation were highlighted by means of existing projects, studies and surveys.
Programme
To download the entire conference programme in PDF format (Adobe Reader), click here:
