Brussels, 14/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - Meeting for Tuesday's plenary on 13 February in Brussels, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted by a large majority, the opinion of Ms Laura De Esteban Martin (EPP, Spain) on EU immigration policy and its impact on Southern Europe - an opinion that provides a “response” to the packet of proposals put forward by the Commission on immigration policy. Ms De Esteban Martin declared, “the essential message of this opinion is that Europe is a Europe of opportunity for legal immigrants. It has to be clear and oppose the mafia and human trafficking and trafficking in immigrants, a subject upon which intransigence and inflexibility is required. To this end, Europol should be strengthened”. She also insisted on the need for effective integration of immigrants in the political and social life of the host country. This is why the CoR is calling for a new specific instrument to be set up that focuses on the education of children from migrant families, aimed at what Ms De Esteban Martin describes at as “authentic immigration”. She also added that, “We want a moderate approach to immigration: it is a phenomenon that enriches our cultures, our regions, it is not a threat”.
This opinion means that the Committee will highlight the following points: 1) legal and illegal immigration has to be managed overall at an EU level, together with the countries of origin, 2) local and regional bodies are of prime importance for managing immigration flows. Local authorities on the receiving end of these migratory flows are for most of the time in situations of urgency, and on their own do no have sufficient resources for providing medical or humanitarian care. What should be done? Ms De Esteban Martin informed the plenary: “The key to preventing uncontrolled migration is full development cooperation, by implementing projects that generate employment; setting up economic and trade forums, university networks and micro-credit funds for migrants; implementing measures to help migrants cooperate in their own countries' development and installing infrastructures, particularly to provide drinking water (42% of Africa's inhabitants have no access to drinking water), electricity (only 20% have regular access to the power grid), health centres and schools”. With regard to legal migration, Ms De Esteban Martin (she is also director general for cooperation with the state and European affairs in Madrid) underlined the necessity of implementing measures to make it easier for migrants who have benefited from training in their host countries to return to their home countries. De Esteban Martin explained that this subject required a new boost in the EU.
CoR President Michel Delebarre informed the press that “Europe is undergoing the greatest migratory emergency in its history”. He explained that the real issue was the power of attraction wielded by European territory. The deputy mayor of Dunkirk explained that the Committee should focus on the challenges of immigration, the dramatic urgency of the situation and “the creation of a specific financial instrument to help areas with the highest immigration levels, such as Ceuta and Melilla (Spain's North African enclaves), the Canary Islands, southern Italy, Malta and Lampedusa”. President Delebarre said that in this connection he intended to meet Commissioner Frattini as part of the “structured dialogue”. Delebarre also gave the go-ahead for a summit of the regions to be organised by Ms De Esteban Martin, Mr Morales (Canaries) and himself, that would look a the question of managing migratory flows. The date of this conference remains to be confirmed.
Addressing the press, De Esteban Martin indicated that in Spain, “in less than 10 years, there have been more than 4 million new citizens, a 9% increase in the population, as opposed to 2% in 1998! In Madrid, there are a million immigrants. If we take the foreign population as a whole, including those from third countries, it accounts for 15% of Madrid's population”. Ian Micallef, a member of the municipal council of Gzira (Malta, EPP) indicated that in 2001, 100 immigrants arrived illegally in Malta; in 2002, 1586 arrived on 21 different boats; in 2005, the flow of immigrants increased by 23% compared to 2004, equalling 1822 illegal immigrants; a slight fall (-2%) in 2006 compared to figures for 2005 with 1700 people (which corresponds to 240,000 people arriving in Italy every year); Malta receives immigrants from 37 different countries: the Horn of Africa, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia. There are 1020 immigrants in detention centres. In 2005 Malta spent around €9 million on managing this illegal immigration. It is appealing for concrete action between the EU and transit countries, but also for help to be continued to refugees, so that this burden can be assumed in respect and in dignity. (gb)