Brussels, 07/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has written to the Heads of State and Government of the 25 calling on them to show proof of solidarity towards Spain, Italy and Malta, which, for the past few months, have been faced by a massive inflow of illegal immigrants, the Commission spokesman said on Thursday. “I am writing to you on the urgent and dramatic issue of the illegal immigration,, which I consider deserves an urgent and strong answer from the whole European Union”, Mr Barroso writes, calling for the personal support of the EU Heads of State and Government, and for their active solidarity from the financial and human point of view. He also stresses the need to “intensify” European efforts to help Spain especially but also Italy and Malta to face up to this crisis. Mr Barroso has taken the initiative to write to all members of the European Council on this matter, which is a “European problem and requires a European effort”, Johannes Laitenberger, Commission spokesman, pointed out on Thursday. “The time for unilateral action is over”, Mr Laitenberger said commenting on Mr Barroso's remarks.
At the present time, EU aid to combat illegal immigration depends on a relatively limited budget (which, however, is due to go up considerably from 2007) and the sending of maritime troops (coordinated by Frontex) off the African coast. The capacity of these troops is to be reinforced. On 30 August, during a visit by the vice-president of the Spanish government, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, Commissioner Franco Frattini had himself admitted that the current European efforts were insufficient and he had pledged to strengthen these measures (EUROPE 9254).
It is to be noted that, since the beginning of the year, 22,000 illegal immigrants from Africa have reached the coast of the Canary Island archipelago (nearly one thousand on 5 September). EU action, however, remains greatly hampered by the half-hearted collaboration from Member States, who keep full prerogative on illegal immigration questions. This collaboration is all the more necessary as “decisions for regularisation taken in one Member State affects the other Member States”, Mr Laitenberger warned, stressing that the problems of immigration (both illegal and legal) must be “part of a longer term reflection as it is not a problem that is going to disappear from one day to the next”. The spokesman indicated that Mr Barroso would raise the issue during the informal EU summit in Lahti, Finland, on 20 October. On this occasion, Spain, Italy and France will submit a joint proposal on immigration, announced on 5 September by the Spanish government. We note that a new Commission working group on immigration has been created and that it must present a first strategic proposal to the EU25 home ministers during the Informal JHA Council on 21 and 22 September.