Commission seeks EU-wide solutions to immigration

Proposals for common EU rules and funding of asylum and illegal immigration systems are being presented to justice ministers during an informal meeting in Tampere, Finland, today and tomorrow (21-22 September).

The European Commission will present its ideas to deal with immigration, focusing in particular on the type of influx seen recently in Spain’s Canary Islands, Italy and Malta.

A task force comprising eight commissioners with portfolios relevant to immigration met this week to propose initiatives to help affected member states and to deal with long-term development issues.

"In our joint approach we bring together the main policy areas ranging from the need to take urgent measures, in particular to manage better the EU’s maritime borders, to address the root causes, such as poverty, lack of jobs and economic prospects, conflict and governance, improving integration, and social inclusion, promoting intercultural dialogue, health aspects, policies on economic migration and the suppression of illegal or undeclared work of immigrants," said President José Manuel Barroso in a statement after the meeting.

Finland, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers, will present ideas of its own on how to tackle immigration. Finland proposes taking the biometric details of asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants and bringing in common EU rules for determining the right to asylum and common procedures for returning rejected migrants to their countries of origin.

EU funding for the processing, reception, maintenance and possible return costs of asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants is also proposed, but states would have a responsibility for such people including readmitting them should they go to another member state.

Already there is opposition to such proposals. Simon Busuttil, a Maltese centre-right MEP, said he would like to see proper burden-sharing between member states instead of putting more responsibility on some states in the front-line of the current immigration influx. "This is not a problem you can just throw money at. It requires much more of a political will."

EU efforts at stemming the immigration flow have also been criticised by non-governmental organisations which say too much emphasis has been put on keeping immigrants out. "All efforts are mainly focused on getting boats and security personnel to the EU’s external borders and striking deals with countries like Libya and Morocco. The rights of asylum-seekers and other immigrants are seen as obstacles rather than serious obligations," said Dick Oosting, Amnesty International’s director in Brussels.

Possible future EU agreements with Libya about patrolling the Mediterranean coast of Africa were also put in the spotlight after a Human Rights Watch report highlighted Libyan authorities’ mistreatment of migrants in detention and forcible returns to countries where they might face torture. In three cases physical abuse led to death and witnesses reported women detainees being threatened with sexual violence.

Ministers in Tampere will also discuss the Council’s role in planning the work of EU border agency Frontex, which is currently involved in a mission patrolling the Atlantic sea-crossing used by immigrants. Common ways of tackling terrorism and organised crime and improving the EU’s decision-making are also high on the agenda.

Proposals for common EU rules and funding of asylum and illegal immigration systems are being presented to justice ministers during an informal meeting in Tampere, Finland, today and tomorrow (21-22 September).