Latin America Rejects
New EU Law On Illegal
Immigrants
Latin American countries
have voiced their
criticism of a new EU
immigration law, which
stipulates
indiscriminative
deportation of illegal
immigrants in European
Union (EU) countries.
The European Parliament
approved on Wednesday
the so-called "Return
Directive", which will
come into force in 2010.
Under the new law, all
illegal immigrants
living in the EU member
states will have to
leave the bloc within a
period of seven to 30
days.
Otherwise, they will be
subject to up to
six-months of detention,
which can be prolonged
for another 12 months in
exceptional cases. The
deportees will be barred
from entering the EU for
a period of up to five
years.
On Thursday, Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez
reacted with indignation
to the new EU law and
threatened that his
country would cut oil
supply to European
countries if the new law
is applied.
He urged Latin American
countries to unite
against the EU law,
which he described as an
"embarrassment" and
"unacceptable."
Meanwhile, the Argentine
Foreign Ministry voiced
its disapproval of the
new EU law, saying the
Argentine government
"regrets the terms of
the Return Directive
approved by the EU
Parliament."
"The immigration issue
can only be solved if it
is tackled with respect
for human rights," the
ministry said in a
statement.
The Brazilian Foreign
Ministry also released a
statement, saying the EU
decision to put a
tougher hand on illegal
immigrants "goes in the
wrong way."
Foreign ministers of
Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador
and Colombia also
expressed their concern
about the EU law on
Thursday.
A Peruvian parliament
leader said the EU law
was a contradiction to
the agreement between
the EU and Latin America
on the protection of
immigrants, which was
signed in May during the
5th Latin American,
Caribbean and EU Summit
(ALCUE).
Guatemalan Deputy
Foreign Minister Miguel
Angel Ibarra said the EU
law affects many
countries in the region,
which should work
together to urge the EU
to reconsider its
decision.
Honduran Deputy Foreign
Minister Eduardo Enrique
Reina said the EU
decision is "worrisome"
because the current
policy of the bloc is
more generous to the
Latin American
immigrants.
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