‘Coverage of migrant issues in the media must be fair and balanced’.

Alhagie Mbye, London Bureau Chief

The coverage of migrant issues in the media have been an issue of contention and controversy over the years as many have argued that report against such groups are always unfair and inaccurate and therefore needed to be rectified and addressed properly.

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden has noted that such media report must be fair and balanced in order to protect their fundamental rights. He added that tolerance in practice is very essential and should be encouraged.

Taking into consideration the large number of people from other countries entering the European Union, he maintained that such media report about migrants must be unbiased and impartial.

Rene van der Linden said: ‘‘Europe represents, for millions of people from around the world seeking a better life for themselves and their families, a land of human rights, values and opportunities. Yet for many the reality is instead harassment from authorities desperate to send them home, discrimination in the work place and xenophobia and intolerance from local populations’’.

The Assembly amongst other things recently debated the '' Image of asylum seekers, migrants and refugees in the media'' and called on European governments to pay particular attention to the legislation impacting on racism and intolerance in the media and to promote the production of films dealing with issues relevant to migrants and produced by persons coming from these groups.

The Assembly also makes it clear that in the combat against populism, hostility and fear, the media plays an essential role in ensuring that issues linked to migration, refugees and asylum are portrayed in a fair and balanced way.

The Assembly believes that it is therefore the media's responsibility to also reflect the positive contribution to society made by these persons, and to protect them from negative stereotyping.

The Assembly maintained: ‘‘our governments should adopt and implement legislation prohibiting incitement to hatred, violence or discrimination where this is lacking, and enforce such legislation where it exists’’.

The media has been told also that it should refrain from revealing the ethnic origin or nationality of migrants when arrested or convicted of crimes where such information is irrelevant.

The Assembly indicated that in the years to come, Europe will need greater numbers of migrants to fill empty jobs and counterbalance declining fertility rates.

Rene van de Linden therefore further asserted: ‘‘the fight against racism, discrimination and every form of intolerance requires the constant vigilance of the Council of Europe and its Assembly. And the media, supported by member states, play an essential role in this fight."

In a note to editors, John Greenway (United Kingdom, EDG), who is preparing a report for PACE on "Regularisation programmes for irregular migrants", ended a visit to Spain, in March, to draw lessons from the Spanish experience of regularisation.

Meanwhile Journalists have been asked to observe such important and useful information and make sure it is set it into consideration during their reports. As a matter of urgency, communiqué and emails have been forwarded to all journalists to that effect.

Freelance journalist Mark Haynes who commended the Freedom Newspaper for its coverage of the topic said: ‘‘this is a very useful information and I hope and pray that everyone of us in this great profession will respect the Assembly’s call…you may be aware that this is already in our code of conduct… we just need to fine-tune things as we go along’’.

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