The German Parliament’s lower house has passed a new law cracking down on illegal workers in Germany, which Berlin claims cost the government EUR 370 billion in lost tax revenue last year.  Critics of the legislation claim that it does not address underlying issues, which foster illegal workers, such as high employment taxes and high non-labor costs of employing workers.  The bill now goes to the parliamentary upper house for final approval.

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About $267 million over the next four years has been put aside in Australia’s budget to assist the settlement efforts of refugees and migrants.  The government has said the increased funding will be allotted for medical checks, a no-interest loan scheme, language courses and long-term accommodation.  There are also funds to assist individuals between the ages of 16-24 with low schooling to get up to 400 hours of tuition.

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The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed to cooperate with China to fight illegal immigration during Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiaboa’s visit to the U.K. last week.   The proposed crackdown on people-smuggling rings is inspired by a recent tragedy at Morecambe Bay, where at least 20 Chinese workers died.  During a joint press conference, Blair said the two countries would have annual summits beginning next year, to address the immigration issue.