Migration News Sheet Summary August 2009

Issued on 28/07/2009

Summary

Every month the Migration Policy Group produces the Migration News Sheet, an information bulletin on immigration, refugees and ethnic minorities with updates on migration law and policies, news on irregular migration, asylum, racism and discrimination at the EU and across countries in Europe.

The Migration News Sheet is available by subscription only

Description

Below is a small selection of articles in the August 2009 issue:

MNS Summary August 2009

Migration Policies/Law

DENMARK: Danish authorities want to expel Romanians arrested for petty crimes
The police authorities have decided to test EU law to determine whether they can expel Romanian nationals arrested and convicted for relatively petty affairs of swindling members of the public...to read more, subscribe here

UK: Common Travel Area of the UK and Ireland to be maintained
EU: Guidelines concerning non-EU family members of EU nationals exercising the right of free movement
DENMARK: Checking one out of every four framily reunion cases is 'not systematic' according to Immigration Minister

Irregular migration

FRANCE: More than €190m spent on holding irregular migrants in remand
ITALY: New harsh law directed essentially at irregular migrants receives final approval in Senate
ITALY: Another amnesty for irregular migrants to be introduced under an 'anti-crisis decree'
UK: Government accused of ignoring warnings that bogus educational establishments were facilitating entry of illegal immigrants

Asylum/Refugees

FRANCE: Grandmother in France prosecuted for helping 16 year old Afghan boy
On 8 September 2009, a 58-year old grand-mother, Claudine LOUIS, will know whether she will walk away with a clean criminal record or one blemished with a conviction for aiding and abetting in illegal migration...to read more, subscribe here

EU: European Commission steps up pressure on Turkey to prevent departure of irregular migrants, including asylum seekers, to Greece
EU: Debate on 'burden-sharing' continues, southern Member States lose patience and defy humanitarian obligations, no revision of Dublin Regulation before 2014
BELGIUM: 25,000 asylum-seekers to be granted residence permits
CANADA-CZECH REPUBLIC: Ottawa imposes entry visa on Czech nationals, Prague retaliates
DENMARK: Difficulties in obtaining readmission documents for rejected asylum-seekers who fled Iraq when Saddam HUSSEIN was in power
FRANCE: Deputy prefect of Calais confirms 'jungle' will be dismantled before end of year, will be forced expulsions of Afghans
GREECE: Bulldozers destroy make-shift camps in Patras used by asylum-seekers, many now homeless
GREECE: Refugee-status determination procedure in Greece becomes more difficult
ITALY: Speaker of the House claims it is 'immoral' not to take into account the protection claims of asylum-seekers

Racism/Discrimination

RUSSIA: Sharp decline in racist murders in Russia
On 3rd July 2009, the Moscow Human Rights Office announced that the number of murders committed purely because of the victim's ethnic origin had declined sharply. That is the good news. The bad is that such crimes nevertheless cost the lives of 38 people in the first half of 2009...to read more, subscribe here

ECHR: Narrow verdict against leader of Belgian far-right party, conviction for racist literature did not violate his right to freedom of expression
GERMANY: Outrage in Egypt over murder of headscarf-wearing womain in a German courtroom, husband critically injured
UK: PM wants preference given to local people in social housing

Other Issues

EU: Islamic garments not an issue for Swedish Presidency
DENMARK: Headscarf-wearing woman in military training
FRANCE: Law banning burqa in two stages
GREECE: Opinion poll suggests public have had enough of immigration
GERMANY: Immigrant parents to go to school to learn German
SPAIN: Portuguese community in Spain growing despite economic crisis
UK: Prominent Conservative politician claims UK authorities facilitated use of torture