While congratulating the MEPs on their election, I take the opportunity to share with you the following reflections.

Immigration has been a major topic during the last electoral campaign. Unfortunately, intransigence and parochialism, rather than humanity, empathy and sense, were the characteristics that mostly transpired in speeches and manifestos. Now that the campaign is over, it is appropriate that issues are discussed in a sober and intelligent manner.

Unlike what was suggested by some during the electoral campaign, the issue of immigration may not be resolved through patrols and repatriation. Apart from aggravating the victims' ordeal, these simplistic proposals fool the local electorate into thinking that a solution may be obtained in a high-handed, unilateral and insular manner. We know, on the other hand, that the problem will remain as long as we do not consider the reasons that induce people to leave their country of origin. Most of these reasons are related to the unjust economic, cultural and political relations that hold between Europe and Africa.

As members of a Parliament that represents one of the world's major political and economic blocs, they ought to work for a comprehensive solution to the problems of Africa and the third world. They need to be daring and creative in their initiatives. In this regard I take the liberty to suggest that, with fellow Parliamentarians, they promote initiatives like:

1. An embargo on the sale of arms to Africa.

2. The promotion of fair trade.

3. Sanctions against European multinationals that are blatantly exploiting the African continent and devastating communities and landscapes.

4. Incentives to Africans and Third World governments that promote democracy and human rights.

5. A common and human European policy concerning immigrants who manage to arrive in Europe; a policy that turns detention centres into training camps that prepare these immigrants to enter the European workforce.

6. Common European policies that banish the exploitation of immigrant workers and promote the rights of the latter.

I trust that their performance in the European Parliament will be characterised by concern for the good of the oppressed and the promotion of human rights .