E.U. too to tighten laws

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, FEB. 10.The 15 Home Ministers of the European Union member states have concluded their meeting in Stockholm to co- ordinate and tighten rules on asylum seekers and economic migrants.

The meeting was hosted by Sweden which currently holds the six- monthly rotating presidency of the E.U. Britain and Italy being the destinations of the largest number of asylum seekers, have called for a co-ordinated and structured European response to contain social and political challenges posed by the constant flood of asylum seekers.

In Britain, Italy, Germany, France and the Benelux countries, immigration has become a major election issue, and these Governments are faced with the prospects of parliamentary

elections in the near future. Britain and Italy will have elections this year and Germany and France next year. It is an open secret that a vast majority of some 390,000 people applying for asylum in the E.U. countries are economic migrants.

The E.U. countries agreed to plug their porous borders to stem the constant flow of illegal immigrants who often masquerade as political asylum seekers. E.U. immigration officials and Ministers agreed to close legal and practical loopholes that have been exploited by human traffickers and smugglers. The current going rate they charge is $ 4,000 per person and according to some experts, trafficking in humans is rated as the second most lucrative criminal activity after drug trafficking.

Illegal immigration is also the key topic on the agenda of Friday's summit of British and French leaders in France where officials will discuss and agree on a strategy to control human trafficking via the English Channel masterminded by criminal gangs. More than 1,000 people are caught every month and this may be a tip of the iceberg as several times more escape undetected. British and French authorities proposes to establish a joint commission to eliminate or contain human trafficking. The E.U. Governments may also publish countries from where political asylum seekers may not be accepted and arrangements will be made for their instant repatriation.

As the United Nations Convention on Refugees this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, Mr Ruud Lubbers, the recently

appointed U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, have warned against creating ``fortress Europe'' in background of the rising tide of public opinion against economic migrants.

A former Prime Minister of Holland, Mr. Ruud Lubbers, who is a noted liberal, urged European Governments to ensure that

European democratic governments continue to remain generous to ``genuine'' political refugees because rich countries could afford to be generous.

The latest UNHCR figures for the year 2000 reveal that the largest number of asylum seekers are from Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Russia, China, Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Somalia. Analysts also point out that the number of asylum seekers are unevenly spread across the E.U. Britain received 97,000 applications last year followed by Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Holland and Austria. According to European experts, apart from tightening and co-ordinating the E.U.'s joint strategy to stem the flow of economic migrants, the E.U. Governments should also invest capital and resources to boost the domestic economies of the countries from where migrants originate.

Mr. Lubbers suggested that in the long run, the E.U. countries should agree to resettlement quotas to share the burden of accepting refugees.

The growing spectre of racism coupled with dislike for foreign workers is a phenomenon that is sweeping across Europe which is experiencing high unemployment and biting recession. In Germany and France nearly 9 per cent of the population comprises foreigners while in Britain and other E.U. countries, the figure may be below four per cent. It is often tempting to suggest that Germany is the only country with racial problems, with visible signs of neo-Nazi activities. But in Britain, France, Italy, the Benelux and even in the Scandinavian countries, foreigners are increasingly resented and foreign workers are certainly not accepted.

The common belief is that most asylum seekers and economic refugees come from Africa and Asia - mainly from the Indian sub- continent - Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But six years ago, figures from the UNHCR revealed that the problem was predominantly European in origin. For example, 64 per cent of the 556,947 people arriving at immigration controls in E.U. countries were from Eastern and Southern European countries. The number of asylum seekers - declaring themselves refugees needing sanctuary from persecution in their countries - coming from Eastern and Central Europe has doubled since the collapse of communism and economic dislocation in the region in 1989. European refugees also made up the largest group coming into major European industrial countries. Germany, both for geographical and economic reasons, is the first choice of economic migrants.

European officials impose hefty fines on airlines bringing in foreign passengers without passports and visas. The decisions will give further boost to the concept of ``Fortress Europe''.

In June 1993, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development based in Paris revealed the world's 24 richest

nations had 35 million people unemployed. This was the highest unemployment rate in the post-War period.

The current unemployment rate in the OECD countries has lowered but poor economic growth prospects in the E.U. countries and the U.S. has a depressing effect all round. In Western Europe, more than 9 per cent of the work force is unemployed compared to 11 per cent a decade ago.

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