MEPs respond to Commission proposals on immigration policy

European Parliament:

At a meeting with Commissioner Franco Frattini on 13 September the Civil Liberties Committee gave its backing to the Commission's plans to create a genuine common policy on immigration and asylum. However, many MEPs were concerned at the proposals for returning illegal immigrants. The Commission's draft directive would allow EU countries to remove illegal immigrants if a non-EU national does not return voluntarily.

Mr Frattini, Commissioner for Freedom Security and Justice, presented to MEPs a complete package of measures on immigration adopted last 1 September by the Commission, which comprises a draft directive on common standards on return procedures and three non-legislative texts on the integration of migrants, regional protection programmes and development of the countries of origin. "There has been little credibility attached to migration policies in the EU. We need a truly European policy and new measures to tackle migration problems", said Mr Frattini. "We must pay particular attention to enforcing the law: two out of three people who are living illegally in the EU remain illegally in the territory". Just one third of the immigrants caught residing illegally are returned to their country of origin. "We want to avoid having 20 or 25 different schemes for repatriation", Mr Frattini concluded.

The draft directive lays down common rules on procedures in EU countries for returning non-EU nationals staying illegally in these countries, including removal, use of coercive measures and temporary custody for a maximum of six months. Only if the illegal immigrant does not return voluntarily may the Member State use a complusory removal order. In such cases, the returned non-EU national will not be readmitted to any Member State for five years.

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