European Union Meets To Create Common Immigration Policy
Earlier this week EU interior ministers met in Luxembourg in a drive to create a common asylum and immigration policy. Following right-wing electoral gains in many European countries, EU leaders set firm deadlines in a summit in Spain earlier this year for ministers to produce results on a common policy. November is the deadline for new rules on immigration and asylum, including how to deal with refugees from Afghanistan. An estimated 500,000 refugees try to enter the bloc every year.
Progess in forging a common policy has been slow. Since 1999, of the 12 proposals on asylum and immigration drafted by the European Commission, only three were successfully adopted. One of those was the creation of an EU database that will hold the fingerprints of all those seeking asylum in Europe and will prevent them from filing applications in more than one member country. The database is set to be active starting in 2003.
Saudi Arabia To Fingerprint Americans
The Saudi government is considering a retaliatory move in reaction to recent changes in US immigration polcy. The government is waiting to see how the US Immigration and Naturalization Service will apply new stringent measures adopted by US immigration authorities earlier this month. Saudi officials say the government may start fingerprinting US nationals visiting the country if the US includes Saudi citizens in its tightened immigration rules. Other measures being considered could include charging US citizens more in visa fees and limiting the duration of their visas.
Saudi anger has been fueled by reports of discrimination against Saudis following the introduction of the USA Patriot Act last year, which tightened immigration rules. The new US laws do not specifically refer to Saudi Arabia, only to nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria. Nationals from these countries must undergo digital fingerprinting and photographing if they fall between the ages of 16-45. Saudis complain the restrictions are being applied to them in practice.
Thousands Escape Refugee Detention In Norway
Norwegian officials say they have lost track of more than 3,600 people seeking asylum who were harbored in refugee centers there, just this year. A total of 3,679 people have apparently fled the centers, an increase of 85 percent over the number of refugees who disappeared last year. Immigration authorities admit they don’t know what has become of them and believe many have made their way to Norway’s bigger cities.
Asylum centers all over the country are reporting that suddenly, a refugee’s room is empty. Authorities have launched a crackdown and are checking, for example, trucks on board ferries traveling between cities in southern Norway and England. Many came from Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union and are said to have little chance of winning asylum in Norway. Nearly 12 thousand people had come to Norway seeking asylum by mid-year, and around 2,400 are waiting to be deported.
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