Opening Remarks and Introductions - Comità Rexhital sür l'Inmigraziun

[King Txec]

Welcome to the members of the new Comità Rexhital! I would like to start off by suggesting that we adopt some norms as part of our work. I propose the following:

• Respect and trust: Treat each other with respect, assume positive intent, and foster a trusting environment.
  
• Open Communication: Encourage open and honest communication, sharing thoughts and ideas freely.
  
• Follow the Agenda: Stay focused on the topic at hand and avoid veering off into unrelated discussions
• Accountability: Be responsible for your actions and commitments, and follow through on assigned tasks

Once we are agreed on the norms of the committee, I would propose that each committee member make an opening statement. I will conclude with one of my own and present a proposed agenda.

Do you agree with the norms? Please signify by stating yes or no.

@Baron Alexandreu Davinescu
@xpb
@Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be
@Dr. Pôl dal Nordselvă

-Txec R

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Yes, Your Majesty.

[Mic’haglh Autófil, O.Be]

I agree, Your Majesty.

[xpb]

Yes, I find the norms acceptable.

[King Txec]

Now that we've established our norms, let us proceed to opening statements. We will do this in order of seniority, which means that Sir X. Pol Briga (@xpb) is invited to share his opening thoughts first. I should state I intend to run the commission based on Robert's Rules of Order.

Sir Pol, you have the floor.

-Txec R

[xpb]

Your Majesty, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the matter of Immigration.

I am thinking back as to how I became a citizen nearly two decades ago.  The initial connection was via the game of Diplomacy and how I met some Talossans that were involved in that hobby.  In fact in a couple of weeks I will be face to face with some of those same citizens at the ARMADA Regatta.  One might argue that competition is akin to short term role playing, and my son has defined my involvement in Talossa as a similar adventure in long form.

Certainly there are many outstanding citizens of Talossa that stumbled upon our fair realm via a mention in a news story or through random surfing.  However, there may be opportunities amongst the life connections of all citizens to create a niche of special interest groups within our lands as a mutual benefit for both Talossa and those SIGs.

I yield the floor.

[King Txec]

Thank you. @Baron Alexandreu Davinescu , please share your opening thoughts.

-Txec R

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I have spoken frequently and loudly of my concerns, and I am glad we are working to fix them.  The immigration rate has dropped by a full 50% since the last government, which is disastrous.  I hope we can come up with some recommendations.

[King Txec]

Thank you Baron. @Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be, you have the floor.

-Txec R

[Mic’haglh Autófil, O.Be]

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Talossan immigration comprises three stages: attracting attention, applying for citizenship, and maintaining interest until naturalization.

For the first stage, Infotecă records indicate that citizenship applications so far this year are on par with those we saw during the 59th Cosă. Given the lack of massive outcry at the time, the numbers must not have been an issue, and so any honest person must admit the numbers are similarly a non-issue now. Therefore, a failure to attract attention must not be the reason for the downturn we are facing.

Similarly, for the second stage, these numbers would further imply that the application form has not magically become a massive obstacle to immigration overnight, unless it was a similar obstacle under previous administrations as well. And if it was an issue then, why those administrations did nothing to fix it is unclear.

The issue, then, lies clearly in the third stage: keeping prospective citizens interested in the two week period between when they submit their application and when they are eligible for a citizenship petition. I submit that this is the facet of the process on which we ought to focus the core of our efforts, even as we do not neglect the other two. I am encouraged by Sir Pol's opening statement, as I believe that dovetails nicely into how I believe the matter ought to be approached.

I look forward to working with you all to identify feasible and reasonable solutions to the problems we face.

[King Txec]

Thank you, Minister Autofíl. M:sr Pôl (@Dr. Pôl dal Nordselvă), the floor is yours.

-Txec R

[M:sr Pôl dal Nordselvă, D.Div, M.Ed]

In my assessment, the decline in immigration cannot be solely attributed to the current or preceding administrations. I posit that the challenges stem, in part, from procedural complexities and a lack of public awareness.

My personal experience with the immigration process involved a period of deliberation regarding the cost-benefit ratio. Having observed the process over several years, I initiated the application on multiple occasions, ultimately completing it following my brother's ascension. The questions, particularly the essay component, presented significant difficulty for an individual with limited prior knowledge of micronations. The advantage of close observation, which I possessed, is not typically available to most applicants. A phased approach, initially focusing on immigration and subsequently on the path to full citizenship after a period of reflection and potential engagement, may be a more effective strategy.

[King Txec]

Thank you Mieusegnhor Pôl. I will post my own opening thoughts in the morning, followed by our next steps.

-Txec R

[King Txec]

My thoughts on immigration boil down to a few items. First, as The Right Honourable Autofíl pointed out, applications themselves appear to be on par with most measurements. The problem then is simple: immigrant engagement and interest.

I've said it many times in my years here, but engaging a new immigrant is vital. We used to use the Talossa Assistant program and it worked well for many years. My own TA, Pôl d'Aurìbuérg, who unfortunately renounced in 2016, was quite helpful in navigating the choppy waters of immigration. The program just eventually ended and immigrants now have to fend for themselves. Some are successful, most are not.

Another area of possible corrective action is the tone of Wittenberg. I'm not the only one to point out that at times our national forum can feel heated. One way to possibly fix this would be to have these type of discussions in areas that immigrants and public guests can not see. Every debate in the House of Lords or the United States House of Representatives, for example, are not seen by even most citizens (though most could be viewed if one really wished to). We should treat our public "discussions" in similar ways.

Of course, we should also engaging in as many different activities as possible that are NOT related to legislation or elections or showmanship. The TCAT and Top 20 are great examples. The current run of Talossachess is another excellent example. We need MORE of this kind of thing. El Coletx d'Armeux Rexhital is another of our almost hidden gems. The Coletx used to be mad busy, but not so much in recent times.

In short, we spend way too much time debating each other than we do all the other things that makes Talossa a great place to be. THAT is what is driving our immigration problem. It is not a problem of the current government or Sovereign or Opposition. It is a problem for ALL of us to work on.

-Txec R

[King Txec]

Right, so now that the opening remarks are done, I'm going to open a new thread. Our next steps I believe should be a general roundtable discussion listing any and all ideas to "throw and the wall" so that we as a Commission can fine tune them for potential legislation or policy reform ideas.

-Txec R