Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation

Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation
Founded 2014
Founder James Skinner
Type Political Organisation
Location
Area served
 United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Revenue
 Non-Profit Organisation
Mission To advocate the free movement of citizens between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Website http://www.cfmo.org

The Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation (commonly abbreviated as the "CFMO") is a non-profit international organisation which aims to achieve the free movement of citizens between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand through intergovernmental legislation between the four countries. The organisation aims to promote similar arrangements that exist under Article 45 of the TFEU within the European Union, and the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement between Australia and New Zealand, for selective citizens within the four Commonwealth countries.

History

The CFMO was founded in November 2014[1] by executive director, James Skinner, after experiencing his own difficulties emigrating to Australia and Canada as a UK citizen.[2] In March 2015, Skinner released an online petition via Change.org urging all members of parliament within the UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand governments to advocate visa free and work-permit free travel within their respective parliaments. The petition received over 60,000 signatures in 19 days and gained the attention of numerous TV and radio stations across the world.

On March 17, 2015, Skinner appeared on The Early Edition with Rick Cluff as part of CBC Radio One's breakfast programming in Vancouver, where he detailed the reasoning for the CFMO's campaign regarding free movement between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand:

"The four countries we propose are very similar in numerous ways. For example, we share the same head of state, the same native language, the same Westminster style parliamentary system, the same common law legal system, similar economic growth rates, [and a] similar respect for human rights. What we're advocating is not something out of the ordinary. This is something that has been done within the European Union, between virtually 30 countries with a population of 500 million citizens, who have the right to live and work freely between eachother, and its also been done between Australia and New Zealand with the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement...so what we're proposing with 4 Commonwealth countries, who have very close Commonwealth ties, is not something completely "out there.[3]"

The interview was broadcast by CBC News later in the morning and soon went viral, achieving 265,000 shares via social media and attracting over 203,000 people to vote in an online poll conducted by CBC News, whereby 91.83% agreed with the CFMO's freedom of movement proposals, compared to 5.49% disagreeing and 1.42% uncertain.[4] Skinner claims the success of the interview was accountable for the CFMO's popularity on a global scale.

Policies

The organisation has campaigned publicly for the national governments of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to remove visa restrictions and work permits between their citizens,[5] similar to the current arrangements that exist within the European Union and between Australia and New Zealand.[6] In April 2015, 7 News Australia interviewed the organisation's director, Alice Moran, in which she reiterated the CFMO's stance regarding free movement:

"Those four nations are so similar to eachother [and] have so much in common; we feel like we should be able to move around as freely as possible".[7]

However, although supportive of the European Union's free movement principles, the organisation has also drafted restrictions which may apply to citizens if free movement legislation is ratified between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Such restrictions include citizens possessing a UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport for at least 6 years before being allowed to move freely, proficiency with the English language, minimum skills requirements before entering the workforce, health certifications from government approved physicians and inadmissibility for citizens with serious criminal convictions.[8] In an interview with Dan Riendeau for the "At Night" radio show on News Talk 770 in March 2015, Skinner emphasised that any future free movement initiative would need to learn from the flaws within the European Union free movement system, and therefore, certain restrictions would likely need to be considered by the respective governments for the initiative to work effectively.[9]

Public response

The CFMO has received mixed opinions from academics and journalists, but overall, the support for the organisation has been largely positive among the general public. In November 2015, a national poll conducted across the UK by market research firm YouGov found that a free movement initiative between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand would be significantly more popular than the current arrangement with the European Union. Of those surveyed, 58% favoured the free movement proposals, with only 19% opposing and 23% uncertain. This was in comparison to 46% favouring the current arrangement with the European Union, 35% opposing and 19% uncertain.[10]

In March 2016, research conducted by the Royal Commonwealth Society indicated that 58% of the British public supported free movement between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, compared to 75% of Canadians, 70% of Australians and 90% of New Zealanders.[11] In an interview with Global News Canada, Skinner indicated that allowing free movement between these four countries would provide Canadians with similar economic benefits as seen with the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement between Australia and New Zealand:

"We are not only exposing Canada to a greater pool of labour resources to expand the economy, but giving Canadians the choice of relocating to select Commonwealth countries (if they choose) to find employment opportunities not available for them in Canada."[12]

However, in response to the CFMO's online petition and proposals, critics have voiced concerns over the logistics of introducing free movement legislation across international borders. Emily Gilbert, an associate professor of Canadian Studies and Geography at the University of Toronto stated: "I think it’s an intriguing proposal, but I think chances are it will be some years in the making if it’s ever to be realized", while Jeffrey Reitz from the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs stated: "it's unclear why Canada would pursue a proposal with New Zealand, Australia and U.K. instead of the U.S. and Mexico, countries that are already part of a free trade agreement"[13]

Research

In addition to its free movement campaign, the CFMO also conducts research into socio-economic issues affecting the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and occasional research into other Commonwealth countries regarding their candidacy for a future free movement initiative. Research conducted has varied in subject, including general elections,[14] the cost of living in differing cities throughout the four Commonwealth countries,[15] and the 2016 referendum regarding the UK's membership of the European Union.[16]

See also

Commonwealth of Nations
Freedom of movement for workers in the European Union
Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement

References

  1. ↑ CFMO - "About us": http://www.cfmo.org/p/about-us.html
  2. ↑ National Post - "Some 70,000 sign petition to end immigration controls between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and U.K.": http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/some-70000-sign-petition-to-end- immigration-controls-between-canada-australia-new-zealand-and-u-k
  3. ↑ CBC Radio One Interview - "The Early Edition": http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2659250561
  4. ↑ CBC News - "Free movement proposed between Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand": http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/free-movement-proposed-between-canada-u-k-australia-new-zealand-1.2998105
  5. ↑ BBC News - ""Commonwealth" movement petition gains 35,000 backers": http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada- 31948964
  6. ↑ NATO Association - "Commonwealth Freedom of Movement": http://natoassociation.ca/commonwealth-freedom-of-movement/
  7. ↑ Interview with 7 News Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k-oWrF6Rck&feature=youtu.be
  8. ↑ CFMO - "What could a free movement agreement look like?": http://www.cfmo.org/2015/05/free-movement-criteria-conditions.html
  9. ↑ NewsTalk 770 interview - Dan Riendeau & James Skinner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJHaaxHZV9Q&feature=youtu.be
  10. ↑ YouGov - "Freedom of movement within Commonwealth more popular than within EU": https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/11/19/majority-support-commonwealth-freedom-movement/
  11. ↑ Royal Commonwealth Society poll: https://www.thercs.org/assets/Press-Releases/UK-polling-release-embargoed-13.03.16-1.pdf
  12. ↑ Global News - "Canadians want EU-style mobility between UK, Australia, New Zealand": http://globalnews.ca/news/2575513/canadians-want-eu-style-mobility-between-uk-australia-new-zealand- poll/
  13. ↑ CBC News - "Free movement between Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand unlikely": http://www.cbc.ca/news/free-movement-between-canada-u-k-australia-and-new-zealand-unlikely-1.3001945
  14. ↑ CFMO - "Canada elects": http://www.cfmo.org/2015/10/canada-elects.html
  15. ↑ CFMO - "CANZUK: The cost of living in your city": http://www.cfmo.org/2016/04/canzuk-cost-of-living-in-your-city_10.html
  16. ↑ CFMO - "What we can learn from Europe": http://www.cfmo.org/2015/02/what-we-can- learn-from-europe.html

External links

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