Brussels, 15/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - To put an end to the influx of refugees, Europe should "develop well articulated and effective cooperation programmes with the countries that are experiencing major migratory flows such as the Eastern countries." It is the true question that must be resolved at the European level": this is what announced Louis Michel, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and future President of the EU Council, in an interview with the Belgian daily Le Matin on 15 January. Mr Michel, who recognises that it is extremely difficult as most of the EU Member States defend carrying out national policies, proposes the establishment of a system according to which, for example, each European country will keep, each year, 2000 economic asylum seekers for six months", the time to train them for a profession". Though when returning home, they will have an access to the necessary capital to create their company", which would also save them "from the hands of the mafias", added Mr Michel.
EUROPE recalls that the Commission launched, at the end of November 2000, a huge debate on asylum and immigration, which should finish in December 2001 with common European systems (see EUROPE of 23 November, p.13).