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9/21/06

Business Day - EU states clash over how to tackle illegal migration


For the full report in Business Day click on this link

EU states clash over how to tackle illegal migration

European Union (EU) ministers clashed today over how to stem the swelling tide of African illegal migrants reaching the bloc’s southern shores on rickety boats. More than 24 000 Africans have come ashore in Spain’s Canary Islands this year, about five times the number in the whole of last year. Hundreds and possible thousands more have died on the way, officials say. Others head to Europe through Malta and Italy. "It’s no solution to legalise illegal people as was done by Spain ... because it gives some kind of pull factor to people in Africa, as we unfortunately saw in the last months.

It gives the wrong signal," Austria’s Justice Minister Karin Gastinger said. Spain granted amnesty to some 600 000 illegal migrants last year, a move it contends helped regulate immigration. But Spain was lambasted by many as encouraging illegal migrants to try and reach the EU.

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