Europe´s inmigration (un)policy
J. Ignacio Torreblanca
October 16, 2006
The European Union is out there to help member states. True. But what the European Union cannot do is to replace member states where they fail to agree or, worse, fail to act. The question of immigration is a good example of it. As the issue becomes preoccupation number one in a growing number of member states, everybody is asking Europe “to do something” about it.
But the tendency to upload national problems to the EU without giving it at the same time the legal, personnel, and budgetary instruments to deal with those problems is exhausting the EU’s capacity to act and is opening the room for a growing public frustration across member states. After the failed referendum in France and in the Netherlands, the European Union is in a very fragile situation, so the last thing we want is that citizens blame it for failing to tackle illegal immigration when it is member states that don´t really do much about it (see e.g. the recent refusal by member states, specially Germany, to use the Nice’s Treaty “pasarelle clause” which would end unanimity voting when it comes to Justice and Home Affairs).
Given the very different perceptions on immigration across member states, immigration is likely to continue being an (un)policy. Why? Because for some member states, immigration is a security problem (related to crime or even terrorism), but for others it is a social or identity problem (related to Islam and identity); yet others see it as an economic problem (collapse of social services). But in some cases, like Spain, immigration is a solution to low birth rates, labour force shortages in the construction and service sector (tourism) and welfare state shortcomings when providing child- or elderly care. Spain has thus recently regularised 600.000 immigrants, on the condition that they could prove that they were already residing in Spain and that they had a job offer by an employer, thus bringing them out from the black economy. Yet this is a fraction of the actual numbers, because more than three million persons have entered Spain over the last five years ( 600.000 annually!) and they have integrated into the labour market without posing big identity, welfare or security problems. Other countries may face different circumstances, and may want to do different things. But to criticize Spain for both ending the illegal exploitation of more than half a million people and having a booming economy is nonsense.
Therefore, when a closer look at the issue is taken, one sees is that it is very unlikely that we will end up having in the immediate future a European immigration policy which goes beyond mere joint border control. Don´t misunderstand me: “joint border control” is just fine, and we desperately need it if we want the Schengen Area to stay alive and citizens not to get angry at the EU. It is something the EU can achieve, and which member states can´t take care of by their own. So, keep it short, keep it effective, give FRONTEX the means it needs and stop talking about a common immigration policy unless we know for sure we are able to deliver one. Citizens’ would rather see success in modest efforts than failure in big aims.
6 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. | TrackBack URI | bookmark on del.icio.us.
Leave a comment
Advertencia de Protección de Datos:
Los datos personales capturados con ocasión de la utilización del formulario de comentarios (nombre/apodo, dirección de correo electrónico, sitio web y dirección IP), serán incluidos en un fichero del propietario del sitio web y se publicarán (excepto su dirección de correo electrónico y su dirección IP) en esta página con la finalidad de permitir opinar públicamente al lector, así como para en su caso contestar al comentario o consultas que formule. Podrá ejercitar sus derechos de acceso, de rectificación, de cancelación y de oposición en lo referido a dichos datos personales dirigiendo un correo electrónico a la dirección: datos.personales@blogeuropa.eu.
----
Privacy notice:
Please be informed that by using the comments form, your personal data (name/nickname, e-mail address, website and IP address), will be included in a file owned by the website proprietor and published along your comment (except for your e-mail and IP addresses), in order for the reader to publicly comment, as well as -should that be the case-, to respond to any comment or query that readers may have made. You will be able to exercise your rights to access, rectify, cancel and oppose such personal data by sending an e-mail to the following address: datos.personales@blogeuropa.eu.
The most delicate and substantial part of a future EU inmigration policy is the one dealing with the social integration of persons arriving to Europe. This task can only be done well at the national level, where one finds collective identities and civic and cultural values that have to be adapted to/adopted by the new citizens, if they want to become part of the EU. Therefore, the paradox of a future EU inmigration policy is that it requires successful national integration policies. Since these are not in place, we turn to the EU for answers.
Comment by JMA — October 18, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
Sorry, but there is nothing more practical than sharing basic values in order to achieve social integration. This approach of only caring about having jobs, family, school just does not work! There has to be some identification with the country of arrival, beyond the shallow charicature of folk customs and historical celebrities as the basis of national identity. Free movement of immigrants withing the EU is a plus, but totally compatible and more effective if there is social integration first in a given Member State.
Comment by JMA — January 11, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
In my view, it is sufficient if immigrants obey all applicable laws. It is not necessary either for immigrants or for nationals to identify with either the EU member state they happen to reside in or the EU as a whole. Social integration means precisely jobs, families and schools, it doesn’t mean cultural brainwashing!
“Basic values” is an empty term anyway (perhaps you can explain what you mean by it). I don’t think all people residing in any member state can agree on any basic values beyond what is enacted by law (and, in most cases, not even on that).
Comment by zzz — January 12, 2007 @ 10:55 am
“Basic values” is the opposite of an empty term -it is the set of beliefs in a pluralistic society and the interaction between them, the resulting balances between competing aspirations, etc. Every constitution reflects these values, every important judicial decision is inspired by them.
Comment by JMA — January 12, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
Well, in such case I think that most immigrants already respect such “basic values”. After all, they have decided to leave their respective countries to live in a different country.
Insofar as certain people (whether immigrants or nationals) don’t respect such values in their actions, there are (or should be) existing mechanisms to deal with that (e.g., police prevention against domestic violence). I don’t understand how these issues are connected with immigration policies (other than in certain media in search of sensations).
Comment by zzz — January 12, 2007 @ 3:07 pm
In my view most immigrants already respect the basic values referred to in the preceding contribution. After all, they have decided to leave their respective countries to live in a different country. Insofar as certain people (whether immigrants or nationals) don’t respect such values in their actions, there are (or should be) existing mechanisms to deal with that (e.g., police prevention against domestic violence). I don’t understand how these issues are connected with immigration policies (other than in certain media in search of sensations).
Comment by zzz — January 12, 2007 @ 4:55 pm