http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006- ... 102440.htm

World Social Forum slashes US anti-immigration plan

www.chinaview.cn 2006-01-26 10:59:39

CARACAS, Jan. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Participants to the sixth World Social Forum (WSF) condemned Wednesday a U.S. proposal against undocumented immigrants, saying the plan will bring about more human rights violation.

The United States wanted to hide the fact about reduced wages of illegal immigrants by tightening border security, the participants said on the second day of the anti-globalization forum.

The anti-immigration plan will undermine human, labor and social rights, the participants added.

"It is an outrage that the United States seeks its development by stepping on the poor and less-developed nations," said Jose Nunez, Dominican representative for the Jesuit Service for Migrants and Refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the plan on Dec. 16 which would extend a frontier wall with Mexico by 1,200 km, increase the number of agents on the border, and send undocumented workers to prison instead of merely deporting them.

The plan, which is yet to be ratified by the U.S. Senate, was rejected by Latin America's governments and civil groups, which said it would increase the violent treatment of their citizens seeking to emigrate to the United States.

The annual WSF was first held in Brazil in 2001. This year's WSF is taking place in three venues -- Caracas, Karachi of Pakistan and Bamako, capital of Mali.

More than 67,000 participants registered for the six-day meeting in Caracas this year. Topics on the agenda included terrorism, media, drug trafficking, U.S. military presence in the Americas and the situation of Indians and peasants.

The African round of the event concluded Monday in Bamako, with more than 600 activities held and over 20,000 anti-globalization activists having participated. Enditem