Immigration: ‘fears of public must be faced’

Date: 23/05/02

By Martin Banks

A MAJOR study examining measures to improve security on the European Union's external borders was nearing completion this week.

It will pinpoint weaknesses in member states' existing arrangements and suggest practical moves to ease public fears about immigration, when the EU expands to take in ten new countries in 2004.

The feasibility study is being carried out by the Italian interior ministry, and its recommendations are expected to be presented to EU governments by the end of this month before going to the Council of Ministers.

The latest development emerged as António Vitorino, the justice and home affairs commissioner, acknowledged that the EU must recognise people's concerns about immigration.

Speaking in Lisbon at the weekend, Vitorino stressed the importance of best practices being exchanged between member states to meet the challenge.

He said: 'There are real public fears about security and immigration, particularly illegal immigration, and we must address these concerns.'

His message was echoed in London by UK Europe Minister Peter Hain, who said EU asylum policy had to tackle the'soft touch' of southern Mediterranean countries.

Hain complained bluntly that some in the region did not process asylum seekers as rigorously as his own country.

He called for a crack-down on trafficking in migrants and 'the same admission procedure at every point of entry, the same holding arrangements, the same reception arrangements throughout Europe'.

The rise of the so-called 'New Right' across western Europe has highlighted public concern about illegal immigration and crime, giving added impetus to European Commission proposals for an external border guard service.

This was first envisaged at the Tampere summit in Finland in October 1999 as part of a broad-based strategy for dealing with asylum and immigration issues.

The Commission action plan includes streamlining EU procedures for border checks, as well as shared financing and common standards of training and equipment.

In the medium term, a European corps of border guards could also be set up to work alongside existing national services. The European corps would be trained in a special college and the project would be financed in part by member states.

But the prospect of Germans patrolling Italy's or Spain's outer borders, and later Poland's following enlargement, remains sensitive.

Five Scandinavian prime ministers, meeting in Norway at the weekend, said they opposed the guard corps project.

Vitorino moved to address concerns this week by stressing that guards will work with local counterparts and that ultimate responsibility for maintaining law and order would remain with national authorities.

A major study examining measures to improve security on the European Union's external borders is nearing completion, and its recommendations are expected to be presented to EU governments by the end of May 2002.