Subject: The BBC website and a Dutch daily on immigration to the EU  (29th July 2000)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 16:54:19 +0200


29th July 2000

Dear Pocolisters,

Below, two media comments on the informal meeting of EU ministers on
immigration:

***
>From the BBC website:

Friday, 28 July, 2000, 17:23 GMT 18:23 UK

French call for 'controlled' immigration

The trade in illegal immigrants is big business

France has told its European partners that Europe should be prepared to take
in millions of migrants in the next 50 years to offset population decline.
The idea was put forward in a discussion document at Friday's meeting of
European interior and justice ministers, which France is hosting in
Marseille.

The document has been drawn up by France's Interior Minister, Jean-Pierre
Chevenement.

He uses forthright language in what amounts to a wake-up call to European
governments to start opening up to more legal immigration.

He says that Europe, a land of immigration, will become a place where racial
mixing occurs and public opinion needs to be enlightened and convinced.

'Racial mixing'

The use of the word 'racial mixing' - metissage in French - has raised some
eyebrows, particularly in Britain.

But though our correspondent says the language is blunt, the idea
corresponds with the interior minister's strongly-held view that controlled
immigration is a good thing, as long as it is accompanied by integration.

The issue of immigration, legal and illegal, is high on the European agenda
at the moment especially after the Dover tragedy, in which 58 Chinese people
died as they were being smuggled across the English Channel.

France's view is that while more must be done to stamp out the international
gangs that control the illicit cross-border traffic, it is time for an open
debate on the benefits, indeed the necessity, of new influxes of people.

**********

Today's [29th July 2000] Dutch daily "Trouw" (a little Christian, but an
average quality paper on most counts) covers the same matter as its main
headline news on the front page [my translation]:

"The European Union must recognise the fact that immigration cannot be
stopped. But letting in tens of millions of immigrants is no solution to the
ageing workforce and the shortage of people to fill jobs on the labour
market. The EU must not go further than allowing a very selective influx of
migrant workers."

Those were the words of French Minister of Internal Affairs, Jean-Pierre
Chevenement yesterday in Marseilles, where the present EU presidency had
organised an informal meeting. By saying the above, he wanted to break the
taboo on the sensitive topic of immigration and achieved his aim. For the
first time, EU ministers discussed the matter in detail.

The EU does not need 79 million immigrants by the year 2050 to counter the
effects of an ageing population and to keep social coffers filled. This
estimate by the United Nations, published this spring, is "simply wrong",
said the French minister. He thought that millions of newcomers would cost
more than they would produce. They would increase economic and social
problems instead of solving them.

To ease shortages on the labour market in some countries somewhat, their
governments must first consider those with work disabilities, women and the
long-term unemployed, said the Frenchman. His Dutch counterpart, Benk
Korthals, agreed. Annual quotas for newcomers, such as the USA has, is
something that Mr Chevenement does not want.

For vacancies that cannot be filled and seasonal work, migrant workers
[guest workers] can be sought. They will first have to sign a contract to
say they will return home afterwards. The Netherlands has, since a short
while ago, been recruiting Filipino nurses on a temporary contract.

In the same breath, the French minister pleaded for tougher sentencing for
the smuggling of illegal immigrants, the prosecution of illegal immigrants,
much freer access for students from the developing countries, and more
development aid. "He wants to please both left and right," said one European
diplomat, contemptuously. "What he's suggesting looks very much like what
France is already doing."

Various EU Member States, with Portugal the most vociferous, asked if the EU
couldn't go a little further. Shouldn't they allow in a controlled flow of
immigrants? This could unblock the glut of asylum applications and
discourage the smuggling of illegals. But in the end, no one dared to openly
promote such a genuinely new policy as this.

Denmark was the dissonant voice round the table, the only country to openly
doubt that the plan was feasible. Minister Karen Jespersen asked the meeting
whether the EU labour market could do anything with "illiterate immigrants".
The British Minister Jack Straw shut her up by pointing out that two members
of the present British cabinet are children of illiterate immigrants.

***
Haven't found anything else yet in the various European dailies I skim. Will
keep you posted.

Best wishes,

Eric Dickens




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