Europe Still Far From Common Immigration Policy

Continuing a one step forward, two steps back approach to a unified EU immigration policy, European interior ministers agreed this week on punishment for human smugglers, but failed to find common ground on an asylum policy.

The dispute was split north-south among the interior ministers of the EU's 15 nations. Southern countries, like Greece and Italy, are dead against proposals by Germany and France that would shift the burden on processing asylum and refugee applicants to their immigration offices.

The plans came six months after European nations pledged to fight harder against illegal immigration at a summit in Seville. That conference took place amid concerns that smuggling rings were increasing their influence and that Europe was standing before a flood of illegal immigrants.

The EU responded by pledging greater cooperation between border controls and immigration authorities, but were unable to agree on a unified asylum policy. That assignment remains unfinished.

Hesitation on immigration

Divisions over the definition of a refugee or asylum-seeker remains one of the major hurdles. Germany, which has the highest number of asylum applications in the EU, favors granting refugees of non-state persecution opportunities to gain asylum as well. Other countries want to define a refugee more narrowly, limiting the number who will qualify for residency in their countries.

The EU is also taking a skittish approach to where asylum-seekers should first apply for residency. A 1997 EU convention requires that asylum-seekers apply for asylum in the first country they enter.

Greece and Italy - the entry points for hundreds of thousands of refugees each year – are, unsurprisingly, against taking on so many asylum applicants each year.

They said they wanted the time period in which they be responsible for asylum-seekers limited to six months. France and Netherlands, which also take on many asylum seekers, want the period of responsibility extended to two years.

Yet an actual realization of a common policy remains little more than an "objective" in the near future, an EU group working on justice and immigration issues announced this week.

Smugglers beware

EU Interior Ministers were able to make more progress on punishing the human smugglers responsible for funnelling many illegal immigrants into Europe.

The minister said that convicted smugglers who are connected to organized crime or endangering refugees could face a minimum sentence of eight years in prison. German Interior Minister Otto Schily said the fight against human smuggling was closely related to the fight against terrorism.

"We know that illegal immigrants can also become security threats," he told reporters following the meetings.