Question:
Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Spain and Poland want to make newimmigrants respect Old Europe's values
Spanish Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso Suarez and his counterparts Charles Clarke of Britain, Wolfgang Schaeuble of Germany, Ludwik Dorn of Poland (front L-R), Michel Gaudin of France and Guido Lenzi of Italy (back L-R) meet in Germany on March 23 to discuss immigration
IMMIGRANTS who disrespect Western values and do not learn the language of their host country should not be allowed to reside in Europe, according to the six biggest members of the European Union.
The interior ministers of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Spain and Poland agreed to draw up an integration contract that new immigrants would be asked to sign. Their extra-Brussels gathering was held against a background of tighter immigrant and citizenship requirements which have provoked controversy in some countries and drawn charges that they discriminate against Muslims.
The proposal for an integration contract - an idea floated by French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy - is the latest step in the development of a common immigration policy in Europe. The European Commission is vigorously pursuing a common EU-wide framework to deal with illegal and legal immigration. The proposals adopted by the six member states will directly influence EU-wide policymaking.
According to Michel Gaudin, a senior French official at the meeting, the key points were that prospective immigrants should know the local language, be familiar with their new country's institutions and have the financial means to support themselves. Asked if immigrants who broke the contract could be deported, British Home Secretary Charles Clarke said: That would be an issue that could arise. He added: What we agreed very strongly... was that the values of our societies - democracy, respect for other faiths, free speech, the rule of law, free media and so on - are values which we would expect everybody wanting to settle in these countries to respect.
The proposed move is part of a wider trend among European countries concerned about the difficulties of integrating large Muslim and other immigrant communities. According to the six ministers, the failure to assimilate immigrants - leaving them poor and marginalised - will generate tensions that can spill over into protests such as those seen during weeks of rioting in French suburbs last year.
Going Dutch
In the Netherlands, the government recently imposed some of the world's toughest national entry laws, obliging immigrants to take language and culture exams requiring up to 375 hours of study in their home country.
To prepare them for liberal Dutch social values, they will also have to watch a film with scenes of a topless woman and featuring gay men kissing. Britain has proposed a new points system similar to that used in Australia, which will favour highly skilled immigrants such as doctors.
The ministers, meeting on Germany's Baltic coast, agreed to intensify cooperation against illegal immigration and to set up joint investigative teams against human trafficking.
In fighting illegal migration... we are really dealing in essence with combating organised crime, Schaeuble said. The issue has been highlighted by a recent sharp increase in immigrants trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands by making a perilous crossing in small boats from the west African nation of Mauritania.
Spanish Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said southern European states were bearing the chief burden in policing the EU's borders and needed more financial support to do this. Italy and Spain are taking action for the benefit of the whole of Europe, and I think we should also share out the costs, he said.
Back home
In Greece, the interior ministry is hammering out a new action plan to promote the integration of immigrants into society and the labour market. Government sources told the Athens News that the interior ministry is in close collaboration with the ministries of public order, finance, health and labour in order to work out the final details of the plan.
Meanwhile, Alexandros Zavos, the president of the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute (IMEPO) in Athens, is scheduled to meet Franco Frattini, the European commissioner responsible for security and justice, in Brussels to discuss Greece's role in the EU-wide fight against illegal immigration. Frattini met with the Greek ministers of foreign affairs, public order, justice and interior during a two-day visit to Athens earlier this month.
(Reuters, Athens News)
Answer:
I'm guessing this is in response to the recent unrests from immigrant populations. I'm guessing they're not going to take this well.
