06/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Public Freedoms Committee at the European Parliament has adopted the report of its former President, Graham Watson (currently Chairman of the Liberal group) on a re-admission of illegal immigrants agreement between the EU and Hong Kong. While criticising the "tone" taken on the subject by Tony Blair and José Maria Aznar at the European Council of Seville, insisted on the need for a policy on returning to countries of origin and that it is both "humane and firm at the same time". The British Liberal Democrat stressed that they needed rules and "appropriate guarantees" and that the repatriation of illegal immigrants was done "in safety and dignity", fully respecting human rights. The report will be discussed in the November plenary in Strasbourg.