Europe, Headlines, Human Rights, Latin America & the Caribbean, Migration & Refugees

MIGRATION-SOUTH AMERICA: Summit Protests EU ‘Return Directive’

Marcela Valente

SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMÁN, Argentina, Jul 2 2008 (IPS) - European Union immigration policy was unanimously rejected in strong terms by the presidents of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and associate countries, meeting in Argentina.

At the six-monthly summit meeting, held this time in the northwestern Argentine city of San Miguel de Tucumán, negotiators made progress on integration issues in preparatory sessions, while the leaders’ summit focused on the world food crisis and the new EU policy of restrictions on undocumented immigrants.

At the summit, the presidents agreed to extend the passport-free movement of their citizens, who will be able to travel on presentation of their national identity documents across all the borders of South America, except Guyana and Suriname. The measure facilitates the movement of persons in the region, in contrast to the restrictive attitude taken towards them by the EU.

The leaders of the bloc’s four full member countries were present in the capital of the province of Tucumán: Cristina Fernández of the host country, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Nicanor Duarte of Paraguay, and Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay. Also attending the meeting was Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, which is in the process of acquiring full membership.

Representing associate members of Mercosur were Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Bolivian President Evo Morales, and Foreign Ministers José García of Peru and María Isabel Salvador of Ecuador. Mexico, which has observer status, sent Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.

The 35th Mercosur Summit released a declaration Tuesday condemning the European Parliament’s Return Directive. The original text, which only expressed “deep concern,” was changed at the last minute at Morales’ suggestion to include the term “rejection” in the first paragraph.

The document states that the countries of the region “regret” that European countries which in the past themselves generated migration currents “should not recognise now, on the basis of historical reciprocity, the shared responsibility between countries of origin, transit and destination.”

The leaders commented on the “valuable contribution” made by migrants to the development of their countries of residence, and recommended that “broadly inclusive policies” be drawn up, with the participation of immigrants. They also rejected any attempt to treat foreigners living in the EU without proper documents as criminals.

The Return Directive was approved on Jun. 18 by the European Parliament, and EU countries have a period of two years to incorporate it into their national laws. It authorises EU governments to detain undocumented immigrants simply on an administrative order, and retain them for up to 18 months prior to their deportation.

Finally, the Tucumán summit stressed that industrialised countries should adopt policies to prevent the economic asymmetries that fuel emigration from the developing South.

In that context, it condemned the enormous subsidies paid to farmers in the North “that distort competitiveness,” and the lack of openness of EU markets to products from developing nations.

“The cold wind of xenophobia is again bringing false solutions to the challenges of the economy and society,” Lula said emphatically, referring to the controversial European directive, when he took over the rotating presidency of Mercosur from Fernández for the next six months.

The Argentine president said that the directive was “inadmissible,” and Bachelet said it “could seriously harm the human rights of immigrants” because of the “degrading” treatment it allows, including the possibility of even children and teenagers being deported to third countries.

Vázquez, in turn, said that “nobody emigrates for pleasure, but because they are forced to,” and recalled the days when Europeans flowed in great number to South America. “My grandparents were Galician (a region in Spain), French and Italian,” and they were welcomed “with open arms” in all the countries of the region, he said.

Morales, the first indigenous president in Bolivia’s history, in spite of the fact that the majority of the population is of indigenous origin, had harsher words.

“They said that Indians had no souls,” he said, referring to debates in Europe after the discovery of the Americas, “but where is the European soul?” he asked, urging the bloc to reject the policy.

The most “radical,” in his own words, was Chávez, who proposed action rather than rhetoric, including considering the “return” of European investments in the region.

In Chávez’s view, the directive “legalises barbarism.” The Europeans must be urged to reflect, he said. “We already have a wall of shame in Mexico,” he said, alluding to the border fence put up by the United States, “but it will be much harder for the Europeans because they will have to build it in the Atlantic ocean.”

The presidents agreed on the need to hold talks with European governments to urge them to retreat from the decision taken by the bloc’s Parliament.

The toughly worded declaration by the South American countries matches the concern shown by the Organisation of American States (OAS), which has decided to send a special high-level mission to Europe to press for a change in the policy.

The OAS delegation, led by the regional group’s secretary general, José Miguel Insulza, has been mandated to gather information and seek “practical solutions, through dialogue,” to the concerns expressed by member country representatives, according to a resolution approved at a Jun. 26 meeting in Washington.