EU countries are spending billions of euro integrating new member states, yet they are ignoring the 40 million immigrants living among them, a seminar at the EU Parliament heard yesterday. The seminar also heard calls for more rigorous enforcement of employment standards for migrant workers.
Stavros Lambrinidis, vice-chairman of the parliament's civil liberties and justice committee, told the seminar that the 40 million legal immigrants in Europe could be said to make up the 26th member state.
He said they were living among us, yet we spent "very little time, very little money" on them, while spending billions on new or potential member states.
It was extremely important for Europe that integration of migrants worked, "because if it fails in one place, it can have very full consequences for all of us".
Mr Lambrinidis also called on universities to ensure that immigrants were given a fair chance to get into college.
"It is very important for universities in our countries to establish programmes that allow migrants to enter . . . If we don't, we are shooting ourselves in the foot."
Meanwhile, British MEP Jean Lambert warned that there was "an enormous lack of implementation of regulation and inspection in the workplace" where migrant workers were concerned.
Member states were hypocrites when they focused on the way other countries were handling illegal immigrants, while ignoring the terms and conditions of migrant workers in their own countries. She also criticised the manner in which deportations were made in many countries, including Ireland. "There are a number of member states now where people might find themselves picked up and returned [ to their country of origin] within 24 hours, no chance to regularise their bank accounts, the situation of their children in schools, not even able to collect their possessions."
The seminar also heard criticism of a proposed EU directive that would introduce common standards for the return of illegal immigrants.
French socialist MEP Adeline Hazan criticised the fact that it allowed for the deportation of unaccompanied minors.
She said the expulsion of these children was "out of the question" and no directive would be better than a directive that allowed such a thing.