Thread: EU and Immigration

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/new ... 4e4c6b&p=1

EU and immigration

Harry Sterling, Citizen Special
Published: Monday, August 18, 2008

Reacting to widespread pressure from the European public, the European Union parliament recently passed tough new measures directed against migrants and refugees attempting to gain entry to EU countries, most arriving illegally from the developing world.

Under the new rules, EU states can henceforth detain illegal migrants for up to 18 months before deporting them. Those who don't agree to leave voluntarily, or who authorities believe may go into hiding, can be held for the full 18 months while local officials await their extradition to their home country or a third nation. Such detentions will also affect entire families in some cases, including children. The inclusion of children has been severely criticized by opponents of the new procedures.

The measures are part of an ongoing attempt by the EU to standardize procedures dealing with immigration, particularly illegal immigration, refugee applicants and asylum seekers. They are also a direct reflection of growing anti-immigrant, anti-foreigner sentiment now commonplace within the 27-member union.

While such negative attitudes are frequently based on antipathy or fear towards Muslim communities who've resisted integration into local societies or who are perceived to support religious extremism, there also is widespread unhappiness with other non-European groups, including illegal immigrants from Southeast Asia and Africa, as well as Europeans from the Balkans and Caucasus. It's estimated there are approximately eight-million illegal migrants in EU states.

Unlike Canada, which many consider a nation benefitting in modern times by waves of immigration and acceptance of refugees and asylum seekers -- and where a continuing inflow of immigrants is considered important for future economic prosperity -- most European nations do not see the value of immigration.

In recent years, there has been a significant backlash against immigrants, with anti-immigrant political parties winning considerable support in countries like Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland and elsewhere.

An Italian EU parliamentarian, Giusto Catania, denounced the stringent new EU immigration measures as "an insult to civilization in Europe."

However, Italy's newly elected prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, made tougher regulations against illegal immigration a key issue during his country's recent election. He, along with his political ally, the Northern League, blames immigrants for an upsurge in crime. Anti-immigrant hostility has been particularly strong against Albanians and Romas (gypsies), the latter community in Naples having been fire-bombed on several occasions. Mr. Berlusconi has been denounced by EU parliamentarians for fingerprinting gypsies, including children, an action described as racist.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy intends to make immigration a major focus during France's six-month rotating EU presidency which began July 1. Mr. Sarkozy wants EU leaders to support new rules regularizing migrant procedures. The pact would facilitate legal migrants filling job vacancies in Europe and their integration. Mr. Sarkozy wants sanctions against companies which knowingly hire undocumented immigrants. The pact also calls for repatriation agreements among EU states for illegal immigrants.

Reacting to widespread pressure from the European public, the European Union parliament recently passed tough new measures directed against migrants and refugees attempting to gain entry to EU countries, most arriving illegally from the developing world.

Under the new rules, EU states can henceforth detain illegal migrants for up to 18 months before deporting them. Those who don't agree to leave voluntarily, or who authorities believe may go into hiding, can be held for the full 18 months while local officials await their extradition to their home country or a third nation. Such detentions will also affect entire families in some cases, including children. The inclusion of children has been severely criticized by opponents of the new procedures.

The measures are part of an ongoing attempt by the EU to standardize procedures dealing with immigration, particularly illegal immigration, refugee applicants and asylum seekers. They are also a direct reflection of growing anti-immigrant, anti-foreigner sentiment now commonplace within the 27-member union.

While such negative attitudes are frequently based on antipathy or fear towards Muslim communities who've resisted integration into local societies or who are perceived to support religious extremism, there also is widespread unhappiness with other non-European groups, including illegal immigrants from Southeast Asia and Africa, as well as Europeans from the Balkans and Caucasus. It's estimated there are approximately eight-million illegal migrants in EU states.

Unlike Canada, which many consider a nation benefitting in modern times by waves of immigration and acceptance of refugees and asylum seekers -- and where a continuing inflow of immigrants is considered important for future economic prosperity -- most European nations do not see the value of immigration.

In recent years, there has been a significant backlash against immigrants, with anti-immigrant political parties winning considerable support in countries like Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland and elsewhere.

An Italian EU parliamentarian, Giusto Catania, denounced the stringent new EU immigration measures as "an insult to civilization in Europe."

However, Italy's newly elected prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, made tougher regulations against illegal immigration a key issue during his country's recent election. He, along with his political ally, the Northern League, blames immigrants for an upsurge in crime. Anti-immigrant hostility has been particularly strong against Albanians and Romas (gypsies), the latter community in Naples having been fire-bombed on several occasions. Mr. Berlusconi has been denounced by EU parliamentarians for fingerprinting gypsies, including children, an action described as racist.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy intends to make immigration a major focus during France's six-month rotating EU presidency which began July 1. Mr. Sarkozy wants EU leaders to support new rules regularizing migrant procedures. The pact would facilitate legal migrants filling job vacancies in Europe and their integration. Mr. Sarkozy wants sanctions against companies which knowingly hire undocumented immigrants. The pact also calls for repatriation agreements among EU states for illegal immigrants.

Well, it seems whatever brains the American government used to have for the betterment of their own citizens, has been trumped by the EU.