EU immigration procedures shambolic - MEP
19 October 2006
Invited to speak to a Residents Group in the Dungannon Area on issues pertaining to immigration, MEP Jim Allister described EU immigration procedures as “shambolic”.
In the course of his remarks on the evening of Thursday 19 October 2006, Mr Allister said:-
“Not only is the “open house” policy, precipitately adopted by the UK on the back of the 2004 Enlargement, showing signs of backfiring, but the combination of the EU principle of freedom of movement and the unilateral amnesties of some Member States for illegal immigrants, is leaving us all at risk of immigration over which we have no effective control.
The inflow of illegal immigrants, particularly from West Africa, into southern Europe has been huge. This year alone there have been 24,000 illegal entrants to the Canary Islands. Malta and other Mediterranean states are finding the same. They cannot cope, leading to the worst possible outcome of these Member States affording amnesty and citizenship to the illegals, which then opens up the rest of Europe to them, courtesy of the guarantee of freedom of movement for EU citizens.
Last year Spain alone granted amnesty to 500,000 illegal immigrants, which, as a short-term expedient, alleviated its difficulties by encouraging and permitting them to move on into other countries in Europe. Thus every Member State falls victim to the “generosity” of states with the weakest resolve and policies to curb immigration. This “short-termism” on the part of Spain adds immensely to the pressures already created by the largescale westward movements from the new Member States in the east.
Moreover, the weak border and immigration policies of some of those countries on the eastern flank of the EU also permits illegal immigration from, for example, Belarus through Lithuania. So, a veritable pincher movement of illegal immigration is assailing Europe from the south and east. I fear this will yet instil instability and social friction across Europe, made even worse if Turkey is admitted.”
