Wednesday, 1st April 2009
MEPs seek voting rights for immigrants
A report drafted by Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil on a common EU immigration policy was yesterday adopted by the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee after a marathon voting session on no less than 234 amendments.
The vote followed intense negotiations during the last few weeks, presided over by Dr Busuttil, between political groups in an effort to reach a compromise on some hotly contested issues.
However, yesterday's vote did not go according to Dr Busuttil's plans since a majority of MEPs on the committee - composed of Socialists, Greens, Communists and Liberals - voted together to support granting immigrants the opportunity to vote in local elections.
This led Dr Busuttil's group, the EPP, to withhold its support on all the compromises by abstaining on the final vote in Committee until the matter is redressed.
Speaking to The Times after the session, Dr Busuttil said the vote respected nearly all the compromises reached during the negotiations but consensus broke down when it came to granting political rights to immigrants.
"The Socialists, Greens, Communists and Liberals formed a majority to support granting immigrants the opportunity to vote in local elections. Giving migrants the right to vote is a red line for us (EPP), which we were not prepared to cross," he said.
"For this reason, my group's support is on hold and I hope this can be remedied in time for the adoption of this report in plenary," he said. Negotiations would now resume in search of a compromise on the main sticking point.
The final vote on the report will be taken in the EP's plenary session, when all MEPs will vote on it at the end of April.
According to Dr Busuttil, in the negotiations preceding yesterday's vote, his group had successfully fended off amendments proposed by the Socialists. These would have slowed down the return of illegal immigrants, increased obligations for their integration, made detention a last resort and limited cooperation with third countries.
The MEP's report presents a comprehensive picture of how the European Parliament would want the EU's Common Immigration Policy to be constructed.
It tackles immigration from the aspects of prosperity, solidarity and security and gives due importance to illegal immigration, return, cooperation with third countries and solidarity with member states such as Malta which are facing disproportionate burdens.
The report emphasises that solidarity should be stepped up through the introduction of binding instruments. It calls on the Commission to propose a legislative initiative to secure a solidarity mechanism at a European level on a permanent basis.
This mechanism would enable the relocation of immigrants from one EU country facing a disproportionate burden to another.
The report calls for agreements with third countries to include binding commitments on immigration, including on legal migration, on the fight against illegal immigration and on readmission.
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Comments
First, JM's proposals on how we should control illegal immigrants are met with disdain attacking them by implying that they resemble Alleanza Nazzjonali's policy, and you state that we should be more lenient, accept them all, and that we have "no problem" regarding illegal immigrants, and that the PL is creating a storm in a teacup when it says that the situation needs to be controlled.
Then nearly in the same breath people like Joe Vella (Mellieha) try to imply that it is JM, John Attard Montalto, Louis Grech and Glenn Bedingfield who are in the Committee above-mentioned and that it is our PL MEP's who are putting the pressure for all EU countries to grant immigrants the right to vote??
Does anyone see a slip-up somewhere?
I sense a case of PEBKAC here (Problem Existing Between Keyboard and Chair) - guy you should read up your facts and make sure you understand them before tapping away at the keyboard.
Do you honestly and blindly support all that your party does without any questions?
You seem to go out of your way to reply to every comment which posted by individuals who do not share your view that multiculturalism is viable. Maybe we do NOT want the immigrants to integrate with us. Malta is not a free-for-all country, accepting all and sundry who dare venture out on a boat to come live here. You live in Mellieha. I live in Birzebbugia. I see a lot more of the immigrants than you do, as would tell you anyone who lives here, maybe except for those who like to play the holier than thou card (which are few and far between). We did not integrate with the British, now we are going to integrate with Africa? While I respect all human beings, and am humbled in the face of such tragedies like capsized boats, I refuse to believe the notion that just because they found their way here we have to accept them. Each country has rules, and it seems that now we're bending over backwards in order to accommodate these illegal immigrants. This has got to stop, and we have the right to regain some sort of normality once again.
Joe Vella (Mellieha): You worry about suspected terrorists from Gitmo (who are unlikely to be requesting asylum in Malta anytime soon) while the back door to the South remains wide open.
I don't care about Socialist, Greens, etc - you're the one who seems touchy about PN. Don't inflict in on me and stop being personal. Let's maintain some decency.
It is not Simon Busuttil that want to give the right to vote to Immigrants. It is Joseph Muscat and the PL together with their brothers in arm, the European Socialist, Communist and the the Greens.
And if this come to a shock to you, I just want to tell you that Joseph Muscat not only previously voted for such law, but he also allowed his Party's' MEP to vote to allow suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban Terrorist being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to accepted in Europe,
It helps sometimes to read an article twice over to comprehend what one have read.
I wonder if you have lived and experience life in the USA or Canada. I spend 30 years of my life living in Canada. I can assure you that Multiculturalism is a not just on paper but something that every breathing individual living in Canada experience every day of his/her life.
How many Countries can boost that they have a "Bill of Rights" enshrined in their Constitution.
David Spiteri,
Sir, if EU countries share your views, AD chairman Arnold Cassola
Would have never managed to contest an election in Italy!
as with regards to giving illgegal immigrants votes in the EU - well's in my view that is the respective member states' prerogative. as for malta - NEVER!!
I don't know if you're aware that MALTESE people living abroad CAN'T VOTE when they've lived abroad for a certain time unlike other Europeans.
So now you want to give votes to immigrants?!!!!
NO VOTE for immigrants UNLESS they're from the EU???!!! Otherwise WHAT'S THE POINT IN HAVING THE EU?????????!!!!!!!!!!!
To remedy the democratic deficit in the European Union, yes, legal immigrants should be granted the right to vote in all election on EU’ soil. However this crucial yet, essential political rights should be given only to immigrants that cover the following criteria:
- Legally staying in any EU country a period of minimum 5 years
- Legal immigrants must maintain a clean police report
- Legal immigrants must be working and paying taxes.
- Legal immigrants should never have access to employment with governmental posts as well as police forces and army forces.
Failing to do so, the EU will remain 6 decades backward in terms of immigration
@ Charles Sammut
Sir, a product and mix of background of a black African Muslim immigrants is today the president of the USA.
And when voting in favour of hosting Guantanamo prisoners?? What a pitiful attempt to make up for Socialist voting patterns in Europe!!!!
i think that this is what we get if we send up more Socialist MEPs. You seem to be far right on this issue and then far left on the rest.
"This is the first step to enforcing integration on us."
Integration MLP/PL style in collaboration with your friends the European Communist, Socialist and Greens.
Thanks a lot Joseph Muscat/PL and Arnold Cassola/AD.
"One would hope that the Maltese PL do not betray the interests of their country (following Joseph Muscat's Freedom Day speech) and do not vote with the rest of the left-wing bloc in this matter."
Mr.Bonanno, It is not a question of one hoping what Joseph Muscat would do; Joseph Muscat along with the other two MLP/PL MEP already voted on a similar measure. To add salt to injury the MLP/PL MEP earlier this year the MLP/PL MEP voted for EU Countries to accept suspected AL Qaeda and Taliban Terrorist being held at Guantanamo Bay.
2) @Frans Sammut: If , as you rightly say, Maltese socialists cannot affiord to be as liberal as other European socialists who do not share our pracarious conditions, why on earth did the three Labour MEPs not put their two bits into the debate, voting against the clause allowing immigrants to vote in our local elections?
3) This story has all the makings of an April fools joke.
This is the first step to enforcing integration on us.
Maltese citizens are the only people who have every right to reside and decide what happens in our country and localities.
All others are only tolerated to be here.
Let's get out of the eu before our nation and Maltese society are eliminated from Malta.
Dr. Muscat, I eagerly await your reaction to this. Or are you going to sweep it under the carpet because it's more convenient for you?
And although he wants to portray himself as the anti-immigration candidate, Dr Busutill didn’t have the backbone to simply vote NO, he abstained from voting...coward!
Integration leaves immigrant- receiving nations with the problem that they need to solve in other ways and compounds that problem by making immigrants the responsibility of receiving countries and not that of the European Continent as a whole. Funny where the Europe of Cain sometimes surfaces from!
The 6 June election is all about OUR collective national interest and it should (sic) go beyond partisan party politics. We need MEPs like Dr Busuttil because that is the only way we will maximise our EU membership benefits. Electing bench warmers because of petty local considerations will not make an iota of difference locally but will make a massive difference within the EU.
Thank you Simon, again!
U mela mhux hekk nibqghu!
Dak li jonqos... X'izjed?