Brussels, 24/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - African countries and the EU reached agreement in Tripoli, Libya, on Thursday on a common approach to immigration at a summit of ministers addressing immigration and development concerns. As expected, the ministers issued a common statement noting that illegal immigration should not only be approached in terms of security, and agreed on an action plan to combat human trafficking (see EUROPE 9313). The Tripoli summit will help the European Commission draw up an immigration strategy to be adopted by the Council of the EU in December this year. A Senegalese minister, Serigne Diop, said the summit had been a success, and European countries had finally recognised that a security approach will not suffice to eradicate clandestine immigration. German European Affairs Minister Günter Gloser hoped the summit would form a basis for more tangible cooperation. Javier Moreno Sánchez MEP (PES, Spain) said the inevitable exodus from the South to the North was not a crime and the EU was not planning to become 'Fortress Europe' but did need legal, regulated immigration.
African countries finally agreed for a reference to the Cotonou Accords to be made in the end statement. The Cotonou Accord, signed in 2000 by ACP states (African, Caribbean and Pacific) and the EU and EU Member States foresees agreements stipulating special obligations for readmission. The Cotonou Accord is simply mentioned in the end statement because African countries would not agree to a any binding statement. The EU opposed the idea of setting up a special development fund (as demanded by African states) but said it would look into creating additional funding mechanisms in addition to development aid budgets. The issue will be examined by a joint EU-Africa working party.
EU Aid and Development Commissioner Louis Michel suggested a EUR 40 million fund on Thursday to help manage African immigrants travelling to the EU. Along with EU Immigration Commissioner Franco Frattini, he suggested setting up a network of EU immigration agencies in Africa to manage job offers in line with labour market needs in the EU, arranging language training for candidates and informing candidates about returning to their country and other such issues. Mali and Senegal may the first countries where such agencies are set up.
Libya's leader, Colonel Mohammar Ghadaffi agreed to work with FRONTED, the EU's agency for patrolling the Mediterranean coastline to prevent clandestine immigration. Ghadaffi had said he was in 'absolute agreement' in this connection, explained Italy's interior minister Giuliano Amato on Thursday after his meeting with the Libyan leader. Amato said Ghadaffi had set two conditions. Firstly, patrols off Libya's coastline will be carried out by Malta and Italy in collaboration with Libya, and secondly, the EU will carry out controls at border crossings in the desert to clamp down on clandestine immigration. (bc)