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Immigration

5. Illegal immigration

With an estimated eight million illegal migrants within the EU, stemming the flow has become a priority for many member states. According to the Council of Europe - a rights watchdog body independent of the EU – some 51 000 migrants arrived by boat in Italy, Spain, Greece and Malta in 2007, many of them asylum seekers and refugees.

In June 2008, the European Parliament passed a controversial set of EU rules for dealing with illegal immigration. Under the new rules illegal immigrants can be detained for up to 18 months and face a five-year re-entry ban. Lawmakers backed the measures by a large majority despite opposition from many Socialist and Green parties, and condemnation from human rights groups. Member states will have two years to implement the new rules.

The EU believes that the effective return of illegal residents to their countries of origin ought to be accompanied by a systematic dialogue with third countries on managing migration. Brussels would also like to see the conclusion of more Community readmission agreements, such as those now in effect with Hong Kong, Macau, Sri Lanka and Albania.

Third-country cooperation in other areas focuses on fighting human trafficking and developing the use of new technologies for making travel or identity documents more secure. The Community is also seeking to gather more reliable information on migratory flows, with a view to assessing the measures already adopted and exploring new possibilities for action.

With regard to reducing the incentive to migrate illegally to the EU, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) plays a clear long-term role in promoting reform, the rule of law, stable democracy and prosperity in many nearby countries from which illegal immigration is greatest. In addition, the ENP offers improvements in managed migration, such the facilitation of legitimate short-term travel; making it easier for some categories of visitors to get visas.

By far the biggest reason to risk illegal immigration is poverty and lack of opportunity at home. The EU, as the biggest single donor of development aid in the world, is committed to the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development, including the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The EU is a key donor to many of the poor countries from where illegal immigration is the highest.

EU’s border management agency Frontex , based in Warsaw, was created as a specialised and independent body tasked to coordinate cooperation between member states in the field of border security. Frontex increasingly deals with operational issues involving illegal immigration.