World in Progress | 24.06.2008 | 00:30
Immigrants hope for the right to stay in the EU
Last week, the European Union adopted tough new rules on illegal immigrants. These new regulations allow detention for up to 18 months prior to expulsion, and the measures are angering human rights groups and refugees.
The new rules, which could come into force in 2010, will oblige the 27 member states of the EU to choose between issuing residency or other permits to illegal immigrants or returning them to their countries of origin. Those denied residency have two options: they will either have to return home or they face removal. An estimated half a million people come into the EU illegally each year. Many of them are caught or have their application to stay refused. They then end up in custody pending deportation, before they’re sent back home. Currently, detention rules vary widely within the EU, from a maximum of 30 days in France to indefinite periods in Britain. The process is especially traumatic for children, as a family from Uzbekistan that is hoping for asylum in Belgium shows.
Report: Rob Turner
