EU proposes accepting more refugees, common rules
The European Commission wants to fight illegal immigration into the European Union by harmonising rules on immigration and allowing more refugees to enter the bloc legally, according to proposals obtained by Reuters.
The EU's executive arm also wants member states to share the burden of the influx of African and other refugees, which it says falls heaviest on southern countries like Italy, Malta and Spain, where most illegal migrants arrive.
The Commission draft proposal says the 27-nation bloc's international image suffers from the low number of refugees from poor or war-stricken countries accepted each year in an unpredictable process.
"The current relatively low level of involvement of the EU in the resettlement of refugees impacts negatively on the ambition of the EU to play a prominent role in global humanitarian affairs and hence on the influence of the EU in international fora," the draft said.
The scheme, to be unveiled on Wednesday, is meant to discourage people, mainly Africans, from trying to reach Europe on makeshift boats or hidden in lorries with the help of human traffickers.
By making the system more transparent and increasing the number of people EU states would be prepared to take, the Commission says illegal entry would become less attractive.
"The principal objective of joint EU action on resettlement should be to demonstrate greater solidarity to third countries in receiving refugees, to involve more member states in resettlement activities and to provide for an orderly and secure access to protection for those resettled," the draft said.
The proposal would be negotiated by EU governments and the European Parliament. Later this year, the Commission will propose harmonising asylum and family reunion laws in the bloc.
According to UN figures, EU countries accepted 6.7 percent of the 65,596 legally resettled refugees worldwide last year. In 2010, some 203,000 people should in theory be resettled.
Under the Commission's proposal, a new European Asylum Support Office would meet regularly and each year define priorities in resettlement, taking into account refugees' needs, available places and EU foreign policy needs.
EU members would pledge annually how many people they would be ready to take, rather than making case-by-case decisions, like accepting recently Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan.
The countries would receive EU funds to help with resettlement.
"The EU could, for example, prioritize the resettlement of Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan, Somali refugees from Kenya, or Sudanese refugees from Chad," the draft said.
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Mark Galea
Sep 1st 2009, 10:43
@Igalea
Only time will tell my friend about your future generations - do not be too sure - with I could see you then ... :)
lgalea
Sep 1st 2009, 09:23
J Galea
Il-burden sharign volontarju J.Galea.
Min se jkun dak il-Ministru mignun li jiehu l-problemi taghna gewwa pajjizu kontar r-rieda ta' niesu?
Kollha bil-queue qeghdin biex jehdulna l-immigranti ILLEGALI.
Mark Galea
Insiha Mark.
Dak inti se taghmlu ghax se tmur maghhom pajjizhom.
Hawn Malta mhux post l-immigranti illegali.
Malta taghna mhux ta' l-Afrikani Mark.
Jekk trid mur integra maghhom inti go l-Afrika.
My children marrying with the illegal immigrants?
Do you dream about Jane and Tarzan Mark.
You must have been seeing too many Tarzan films Mark.
C.ZARB
Aug 31st 2009, 22:16
Integrating new blood in our society is healthy as long as its a small controlled number of people who are willing to integrate in our community. We had been doing that for hundreds of years and the result is there to be seen. 4000 years of history and our country is probably one of the very few countries in the world where all Maltese citizens feels at home despite coming from different races or religions.
Its the uncontrolled masses that is causing a problem. If a country can only successfully integrate 1000 people every 20 years then it shouldn't be force to receive 10,000. Doing so will only create hatred between locals and foreigners, hatred which unfortunately can easily convert into violence.
Mark Galea
Aug 31st 2009, 22:04
@T.gauci
As I always said, these blogs are filled with teens who try to be cool, possibly still without a vote - we call them "kannol bla krema"
@Muscat. Pat
Seems you are still living in the 60's-70's. We are in year 2009. Hope you are not afraid to face the present.
@Igalea
No reply, my friend?
CBalzan
Aug 31st 2009, 21:17
WHere are these people going to be settling?? if they are in a different country its fine let them deal with these refugees- send over to Canada we are use to immigrants and we defanetly have the massive land for them to live on but unfortunately they will live on welfare that us tax payers pay for it !
Muscat. Pat
Aug 31st 2009, 20:42
@Mark Galea.
If you want to integrate go to Africa and integrate there. You cannot force us to integrate . I am ok as I am and do not need any integration unless it is of the voluntary type. In the Sixties we had the retrograte and reactionary Catholic Church that interfered in when we should eat , whether to eat meat or fish etc;how to vote and to whom, no seperation between Church and State etc. The lesson has been learned and now OUR Church is on the right path. So you want us to go bacK, to square one and start all over again with an even more dark age Religions, that have not progressed one centemeter from their establishement centuries ago? Integration means we do as ordered by THEM( to be political correct,)nonetheless when you go in their "integrated one way country" you are liable to be whipped, stoned or jailed or even killed if one changes his religion? I don't want to integrate to the Dark Ages, and please don't try to force me to change for the worse! I don't hate people, I just like freedom. Help refugees yes, sucumb to the darkages NO!
Jpace
Aug 31st 2009, 19:45
We want to see results not BLA bla Bla
T.gauci
Aug 31st 2009, 19:36
@Mark Galea Basically you're saying that these illegal immigrants will take our future jobs, Malta will no longer be of the Maltese and you expect us to stay silence ? that will never be allowed to happen. what do you mean by us children marry an immigrant ? just to let you know i am a teenager and i will never consider to marry an immigrant. what will you say now ?
Louis Gialanze
Aug 31st 2009, 19:33
This is just a proposal and nothing concrete will come out of it unless individual member states gives it the light of day. Malta must continue in it's efforts to reach a repatriation agreement with Libya. Dr Gonzi beware time is not on your side nor is public sentiment!
C.ZARB
Aug 31st 2009, 18:20
I agree with Ms Vella here. The amount of immigrants that a country can take should be decided by individual countries and no one else. If a country feels that it doesn't need more immigrants that it should have all the right to say no thank you. That's the only way to ensure better integration between locals and foreigners.
louise vella
Aug 31st 2009, 18:15
Unemployment in the EU is high and rising. How is the EU Commission to "prove" that any one member state needs immigrants. In any case it is up to that country to decide. If the question is put to the Maltese government it should hold a referndeum with the question: "Do you want so many African immigrants and so much EU money? Or do you want no African immigrants and no EU money?" Then let the people decide.
Emmanuel Scicluna
Aug 31st 2009, 16:42
Another EU bla bla bla...........
A lot of talkin' but doin' nothin'
Mark Galea
Aug 31st 2009, 16:10
@lgalea
Face reality lgalea. In a few years' time you will go to hospital and be treated by a non maltese doctor, and taken care by non maltese nurses. When you will call police for help, you might meet a few non maltese. Moreover, you children or grand children will marry them. What will you say then, my friend?
J Galea
Aug 31st 2009, 16:07
Mela ghaddiet tal 'burden sharing'? Remember all those PL voices pouring scorn on the temerity to suggest burden sharing. The sound of silence is deafening. Well done to the PN for this major breakthrough - through painstaking negotiation not fist thumping and rhetoric!
a licari
Aug 31st 2009, 15:44
The European Commission is not an independent entity with total, non-consultative powers trusted in it collectively by all 27 EU countries. I guess that it is also a democratic structure with a dedication to consultation. So how about a sounding of opinion about its proposals in all EU countries? Surely the European Commission is not against a democratic exercise so that the will of the people will prevail - unless this has become old fashioned, useless ideology. One also wonders why the ex-colonising countries and those which had nothing at all to do with colonialisation are all lumped together with the same responsibilities.
lgalea
Aug 31st 2009, 15:43
Mark Galea
Whatever the eu does and whatever you and other do-gooders say we want NO foreign settlers under the guise of refugees.
Why should we the smallest and most over-populated country continue to take in foreigners when we do not have enough space and work for ourselves and our citizens?
Their ex-colonial countries should take them.
Joseph Vassallo
Aug 31st 2009, 15:38
"The countries would receive EU funds to help with resettlement." Oh really? And where will these funds come from? Higher taxes or surreptitious devaluation of the euro by the printing of more paper-money?
J Farrugia
Aug 31st 2009, 15:37
Dear EU and what about your own citizens? Aren't they poor? They are becoming much poorer than they were beacuse of the EU regulations and directives. This Eu is making the citizens life a whole misery. No - Europe does not need any immigrants since on this continent there are already many millions of unemployed youths and over 40s. so we dont need any african migration. Charity always begins at home. Depopolising Africa so that the diamond barons will have a hayday in massacring their own people, while filling up Europe with all sorts of african natives.. EU aiding and abetting these petty dictators. No way.
Mark Galea
Aug 31st 2009, 15:35
at last, some sensible talk from the EU. Now we need to get rid of some of those that incite racial hatred. That way, maltese and a CONTROLLED number of immigrants may integrate together.