Brussels, 01/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The French minister of immigration, integration, national identity and co-development, Brice Hortefeux, is continuing his tour of European capitals in an attempt to reach consensus on the French proposal for a European pact on immigration. After Italy, Spain and Greece, it was Cyprus' turn to welcome Mr Hortefeux and his famous pact, which is expected to be formally proposed to the European Council planned for October (for further information on the pact, EUROPE 9597). In Nicosia on Monday 31 March, the French minister explained that the proposed pact was getting “an excellent reception” at the European Union because, “all EU countries are affected”. According to AFP, Mr Hortefeux declared that “all countries in Europe are affected by the issue of migration flows. It's a challenge facing all of us”. Hortefeux affirmed that France wanted this dossier to be one of the French presidency's priorities in the second half of 2008 and also sought to create a common policy on immigration “for the first time in the history of the EU”. The minister asserted that this policy has to be based on “strengthening measures at borders (European) in the fight against illegal immigration, and common reflection on the right of asylum”, which varies from country to country. He explained this by way of the most well known example of no Iraqi refugees being granted asylum status in Greece at all, while 90% of asylum demands are granted in Sweden. Hortefeux stressed that this helped illustrate the “scale of the task for harmonising all of this”. The minister held meetings with the Greek-Cypriot minister of justice, Kypros Chrysostomides and the minister of the interior, Neoklis Sylikiotis. Cyprus grants very little political asylum (0.53% of cases are accepted on average) but Mr Sylikiotis indicated that Cyprus had proposed holding a meeting of EU Mediterranean countries soon, which would focus on the question of asylum. Cyprus is faced with a sharp influx of asylum seekers from the Near and Middle East and African continent, as well as illegal economic immigration, which often goes through the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TPNC self-proclaimed). Mr Hortefeux began his European tour promoting the French plan in January and will soon be visiting Malta. (B.C.)