Ronda, 24/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - Immigration to Europe is a “European problem” and requires a European solution, Josep Borrell said speaking during the European Parliament's summer university devoted to the future of Europe. The president of the European Parliament gave a few examples. During a visit to the Canary Islands, the president of the region had told him of an anecdote on an African immigrant who, when picked up off the islands, had asked the border guards: “Is it still a long way to Paris?” Mr Borrell also evoked the recent refusal by Maltese authorities to accept around fifty African immigrants picked up near Malta by a Spanish boat. “Malta is a small country which does not know what to do with these fifty immigrants; it is saturated”, he explained. Spain has finally decided to take in most of the new arrivals as a temporary measure. They will then be shared out between several Member States. “Europe is losing a labour force of twenty million” and shows proof of “great reproductive laziness”, Mr Borrell said, noting a “demographic surplus in (our) neighbour and a demographic deficit in Europe”. One must be replaced by the other, he said. Also, he said, it is not a matter of putting a brake on illegal immigration with police intervention alone as ”the problem is more serious - development policy is needed in the countries of origin”. “Hunger is a satellite dish”, Mr Borrell said, adding: “When you see how we live in Europe, you want to come to Europe”.