Brussels, 22/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 21 September, the European Parliament gave its green light to a controversial agreement facilitating the expulsion of illegal immigrants to Pakistan. The parliamentary report approving the conclusion of the readmission agreement was drafted by the Romanian Csaba Sógor (EPP) and adopted by 382 votes in favour, 250 against and 23 abstentions. Once it is ratified, the Pakistani authorities will be obliged to readmit their nationals, but will enjoy the technical assistance of the EU. The agreement, which was negotiated between the Commission and Pakistan over a period of eight years, will apply to Pakistani nationals entering the EU illegally, and to the nationals of third countries and stateless persons transiting via Pakistan. The readmission obligations stipulated in the agreement are created on the basis of total reciprocity. However, the agreement will apply solely to people who enter the EU illegally after it enters into force. Any readmission request to which Pakistan fails to respond within 60 days will be considered to have been accepted. Reasons must be given for any readmission application to be rejected. All transport costs will be met by the state expelling the individual. In the annex to the agreement, the EU and Pakistan commit to establishing dialogue on legal immigration and visa policy. The agreement, which is supported by the United Kingdom, is set to enter into force on the first day of the second month following the one in which it is ratified. This process is also underway in Pakistan. Based on 2008 figures, some 13,000 Pakistani citizens were caught residing illegally within the EU. A minority opinion tabled by the S&D, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups has been annexed to the recommendation, calling for the agreement to be rejected. Pakistan “does not respect the relevant human rights standards” and has not signed the Geneva Convention of 1951. They go on to argue that the agreement contains “many shortcomings and ambiguities”, state the signatories. The French MEP Sylvie Guillaume described the vagueness surrounding the scope of application and legal terms of the agreement as “very worrying”: “there are no guarantees that minors will be excluded from this agreement, the lead times for the procedure have not been clarified, personal data are not properly protected”. Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA, France) regrets the fact that with this agreement, “the member states are mainly targeting the Afghans”. “It is the height of cynicism and impropriety to send back the victims of a war member states are involved in”. “We cannot have a system of double standards - either we fully respect human rights or we give in to those who do not respect them”, said the Portuguese MEP Rui Tavares (GUE/NGL). (B.C./transl.fl)