Brussels, 07/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The French proposal for a Pact on Immigration and Asylum was given broad backing, on Monday 7 July, within the European Union, and this included from Spain which had expressed reservations. “At the moment, it has broad support,” said European Immigration Commissioner Jacques Barrot at the informal meeting of Home Affairs Ministers in Cannes. The aim is to tackle illegal immigration while promoting the integration of legal immigrants, the text says, stipulating that zero immigration appears both unrealistic and dangerous.
Most member states were very enthusiastic. The French Presidency hopes that the Pact will be adopted by the European Council in October, but Secretary of State for Immigration Hebahat Albayrak said, “The goal has already been won”. “We give the Pact our unreserved backing … it provides a perfect balance between immigration and integration,” said German Home Affairs Minister Wolfgang Schäuble at the meeting. “This Pact will mean we will have an immigration policy which is worthy of European democracy and civilisation,” said Greek Home Affairs Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos. “In terms of immigration, the added value is obvious,” said Deputy Immigration Minister Nicolas Schmitt. Representatives of the member states of the Salzburg Forum, which brings together the Home Affairs Minsters of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania, gave their “full support” to the French proposal.
Spain was one of the only countries to have expressed reticence to the very last on certain major points. “The Pact reflects Spanish immigration policy (…) I am pleased with the changes”, the Spanish interior minister, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, had said upon arriving at the meeting. He went on to address his colleagues, saying: “I share the main lines but also the shades of meaning. I am for the Pact presented to us and hope it will be approved”. France wanted the EU27 to undertake to give up the policy of granting papers to large numbers of illegal immigrants, estimated at eight million in the European Union. In the past, Spain had used this mechanism to the anger of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said it would only encourage more illegal immigrants. Spain, however, has refused to be bound by the text, all the more as this could appear as condemnation of his past policy. The earlier version of the Pact compelled member states to stop regularisation on a general and unconditional basis but rather to restrict themselves to a case-by-case process, as an exception. The text now states that the European Union agrees to regularisation on a case by case basis not as a general policy, within the framework of national legislation, for humanitarian and economic reasons. Another problem arose concerning the French idea of a “contract of integration” but its compulsory nature was withdrawn from the project. The text therefore provides for the setting in place, according to procedures and means that appear appropriate, of ambitious integration policies based on rights - access to education, to work and to social services - and duties, such as respect of the law of the host country. Ministers also undertook to promote learning of the country's language, without obligation. Generally speaking, the Pact serves more as a declaration of intent that takes up many of the elements of Community policy currently developed. (EUROPE 9694). (B.C./transl.jl/rt)