Migration News Sheet Summary October 2009

Issued on 13/10/2009

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 the articles available in the October 2009 issue.

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MNS Summary October 2009

Migration Policies/Law

EU: Strong opposition to Washington's plan to introduce a US$10 fee for visa-free travellers
The European Commission has expressed its opposition to Washington's plan to introduce a fee of US$10 to nationals of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Programme. The nationals of most EU Member States, except some of the more recent ones, are entitled to visa-free travel for up to 90 days...

EU: More sabre-rattling by the European Commission over Ottawa's decision to re-impose entry visas on Czech nationals Irregular migration

FRANCE: President SARKOZY calls DNA tests for family reunion "stupid"

ITALY: Parliament's speaker under media attack because of his outspoken liberal views on immigration

NETHERLANDS: Proposal to ban marriages between cousins in a bid to bring down the number of "imported brides"

SPAIN: Growing signs that voluntary repatriation scheme for unemployed third-country nationals will not attract many candidates

SPAIN: Spain has experienced 99% drop in legally recruited migrant labour in home countries

UK: More rule changes on recruitment of skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area

Irregular Migration

BELGIUM: Three-month regularisation scheme has begun

IRELAND: Regularisation offered to those without legal status "through no fault of their own"

ITALY: Tax Department is hoping for €350M from regularisation

UK: Senior Minister fined £5,000 for negligence in hiring a housekeeper without a work permit

Asylum/Refugees

ITALY: Italian Prime Minister calls for setting up of refugee-status determination centre in Africa
On 17 September 2009, Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI called for the setting up of an EU agency in one Mediterranean country in North Africa with the task of processing claims for protection...

EU: Commission proposes a joint EU Resettlement Programme with voluntary participation on the part of Member States

EU: "Burden-sharing": Malta can continue to expect more solidarity from Washington than from the EU

EU: Advocate General outlines strict criteria for application of the cessation clause on the withdrawal of refugee status

ECHR: Ankara is warned that deporting two Iranian refugees to Iraq or Iran would amount to a violation of Article 3

FRANCE-UK: Asylum-seekers removed from Calais area - "jungle" is dismantled

GERMANY: Federal Constitution Court orders a temporary injunction on the return of an Iraqi "Dublin case" to Greece

ITALY: Rome strongly rejects international criticisms of its "push-back" policy

SWEDEN: Mandatory society orientation course for refugees

SWITZERLAND: Federal Migration Office strongly rejects highly critical report that accuses the authorities of ignoring the rights of children of asylum-seekers

Racism/Discrimination

FRANCE: Prefect sanctioned for "racist" remarks
On 9 September 2009, the Council of Ministers approved the decision of the Minister of Interior, Brice HORTEFEUX, to order the early retirement of a prefect, 63-year old Paul GIROT DE LANGLADE, on account of remarks, condemned as being "racist", made on 31st July 2009 when he transited through Orly Airport in Paris...

BELGIUM: Feryn case: first time ever an employer has been convicted of discrimination

GERMANY: Renewed calls for a ban on far-right party after it sent fake deportation orders to several politicians of immigrant origin

Other Issues

FRANCE: Not 367 but around 2,000 burqa-wearing women in France
Last July, the centre-left daily "Le Monde" (29.07.2009), questioned the need to introduce a law banning the burqa, citing a confidential report of a department of the Ministry of Interior which provided the figure of 367 burqa-wearing women in the whole of France...

BELGIUM: Muslim man convicted for refusing to allow his wife to be treated by a male anaesthetist

BELGIUM: Have the authorities lost control over the Islamic veil?

DENMARK: Opposition Social Democrats withdraw initial support for ban on the burqa

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam's mayor wants to withdraw unemployment benefits from burqa-wearing women

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