The European Parliament has approved stringent new laws for dealing with clandestine immigrants – a move that has come under forceful criticism from the United Nations, human rights advocates and developing countries.
The “return directive” would mean that in most cases in most cases an irregular migrant will be given two options – to return home voluntarily or face deportation. Those who refuse to go voluntarily could be forcefully removed and banned from coming back to EU territory for five years. They could also face up to 18 months in prison.
The United Nations has attacked the new laws as not providing sufficient protection for the “vulnerable.”
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Louise Arbour said at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday (18 June) there lay in the new rules
a “difficulty in advancing the fundamental principles of the protection of individuals’ rights who are in a very vulnerable situation.”
Ms Arbour would have preferred that the EU instead ratify the UN convention on rights for migrant workers.
Amnesty International has also attacked the law, saying it was “deeply disappointed” with the EU. The directive “does not guarantee the return of irregular migrants in safety and dignity,” said the group in a statement. “On the contrary, an excessive period of detention of up to 1.5 years as well as an EU-wide re-entry ban for those forcibly returned, risks lowering existing standards…and sets an extremely bad example to other regions in the world.” read more at EUobserver.com
Latin America could halt EU trade talks over return directive
Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, has warned that trade talks between the European Union and the Andean Community could be suspended if the 27-member bloc pushes ahead with its new immigration law.
“We could even suspend those negotiations. What do we have to talk about with a union of countries that criminalises immigrants?”
asked the Ecuadorean leader during a radio programme on Saturday (21 June), according to Reuters.
“It will be very hard to talk business and ignore human rights.”
Filed under: EU, legal, news, regularisation, rights | Tagged: EU, human rights, immigration, irregular, migrant rights, migrant worker, regularisation
I am from vancouver,canada and i wanted to make a comment on the immigration law,returns directive.This law should be condemned across europe.It would encourage attacks on immigrants and cause big problems in the countries where the immigrants are from.There are enough problems in europe now for immigrants without this law.
Until living conditions improves in third world countries there will always be immigrants comming to europe.Aid should be given to third world countries without conditions attached to it.The foreign debt of these countries should be cancelled.Then these countries will be able to help their own citizens improve their lives.
Stan Squires