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| France unveils immigration pact | France unveils immigration pact |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| France is seeking EU-wide support for a pact on immigration, which it hopes to get adopted officially in October as current chair of the EU presidency. | France is seeking EU-wide support for a pact on immigration, which it hopes to get adopted officially in October as current chair of the EU presidency. |
| The pact would commit the 27 member states to common rules on the treatment of migrants and asylum requests. | The pact would commit the 27 member states to common rules on the treatment of migrants and asylum requests. |
| France is reported to have dropped its original plan for "integration contracts" - an obligation on migrants to learn the host language and culture. But the pact keeps a pledge to avoid mass amnesties for illegal migrants. | |
| The EU's justice and interior ministers were discussing the latest draft of the pact in Cannes on Monday. | The EU's justice and interior ministers were discussing the latest draft of the pact in Cannes on Monday. |
| France has voiced opposition to mass "regularisations" of illegal migrants, such as Spain's mass amnesty for about 700,000 illegal migrants in 2005. | France has voiced opposition to mass "regularisations" of illegal migrants, such as Spain's mass amnesty for about 700,000 illegal migrants in 2005. |
| But Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said he was "satisfied" with the French draft pact, adding: "I think it's very important for us to have a common immigration policy". | But Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said he was "satisfied" with the French draft pact, adding: "I think it's very important for us to have a common immigration policy". |
| There are an estimated eight million illegal migrants in the EU. | There are an estimated eight million illegal migrants in the EU. |
| Migration challenges | Migration challenges |
| The pact aims to make it easier for legal migrants to fill job vacancies in Europe and integrate. With its ageing population, Europe has a continuing need for migrant labour in many sectors. | The pact aims to make it easier for legal migrants to fill job vacancies in Europe and integrate. With its ageing population, Europe has a continuing need for migrant labour in many sectors. |
| The French news agency AFP says the pact allows for migrant "regularisations" on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with national laws. | The French news agency AFP says the pact allows for migrant "regularisations" on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with national laws. |
| It also calls for repatriation agreements with countries where necessary and for the European Commission to draft an EU plan for common EU-wide asylum procedures to be in place in 2012, AFP reports. | It also calls for repatriation agreements with countries where necessary and for the European Commission to draft an EU plan for common EU-wide asylum procedures to be in place in 2012, AFP reports. |
| Spain and Malta have been struggling to cope with boatloads of African would-be immigrants in recent years. | Spain and Malta have been struggling to cope with boatloads of African would-be immigrants in recent years. |
| Meanwhile, the European Commission and human rights groups have expressed concern about the Italian government's plan to fingerprint tens of thousands of Roma (Gypsies) living in makeshift camps across Italy. | Meanwhile, the European Commission and human rights groups have expressed concern about the Italian government's plan to fingerprint tens of thousands of Roma (Gypsies) living in makeshift camps across Italy. |
| The EU has already adopted new rules for detaining and expelling illegal immigrants. The "returns directive", due to take effect in 2010, allows states to hold illegal immigrants for six months, extendable by another 12 months in certain cases. | The EU has already adopted new rules for detaining and expelling illegal immigrants. The "returns directive", due to take effect in 2010, allows states to hold illegal immigrants for six months, extendable by another 12 months in certain cases. |
| Earlier this month South American heads of state jointly condemned the returns directive. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans live and work in Europe, many of them illegally. | Earlier this month South American heads of state jointly condemned the returns directive. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans live and work in Europe, many of them illegally. |
| In 2005, Spain said illegal immigrants could claim work and residency papers if they could present a six-month work contract and evidence that they had lived in the country since August 2004. Ecuadoreans were the largest group to apply under the amnesty, followed by Romanians and Moroccans. | In 2005, Spain said illegal immigrants could claim work and residency papers if they could present a six-month work contract and evidence that they had lived in the country since August 2004. Ecuadoreans were the largest group to apply under the amnesty, followed by Romanians and Moroccans. |