Declaration of the General Secretariat of The League of Arab States on the occasion of the Arab Expatriate Day 2008

As an expression of its appreciation for Arab migrant communities and the important and effective role they play in their countries of residence , The League of Arab States will celebrate on the 22nd of November 2008 The Arab Expatriate Day. On this occasion a ceremony will be organized at the seat of the League’s mission in Berlin as an expression of its appreciation of the Arab migrant community in Germany, thus honoring the tradition it started last year by celebrating this occasion in Brasilia, Brazil.

In view of the importance the League of Arab States attaches to the issue of Arab immigrants, the General Secretariat convened, on the 18th of February 2008 at its Headquarters, the first Meeting of Arab Ministers concerned with the issue of Arab migrants and expatriates. Prominent figures from different Arab communities abroad attended the meeting to discuss the conditions of Arab immigrants and expatriates, their motivations to migrate, the impact of migration as well as ways and means to confront pressures and false accusations that some circles propagate against them, their culture and religion and to develop an Arab strategy to deal with issues concerning migrants and migration. The meeting adopted a number of recommendations foremost among which was the recommendation to hold a general conference of Arab expatriates by the end of 2009 to consider ways of strengthening confidence between migrants and their countries of origin and making use of their experience, skills and energies in promoting development, reform and progress in the Arab world. The General Secretariat avails itself of this opportunity to invite the Arab expatriate communities to actively participate in that conference by communicating with the Arab Expatriates Department through its website: www.arabexpatriates.org

Moreover, The Arab League has included the issue of “Brain Drain and migration of highly qualified Arabs: a challenge confronting the Arab World” as an item to be discussed during preparations for the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit to be held in Kuwait in January 2009. A seminar will be held on the sideline of that Summit, which will have as a main theme issues concerning expatriate youth, with the participation of some important figures of Arab communities abroad.