EU,Africa must do more to fight illegal immigration
08 Dec 2007 17:01:16 GMT Source: Reuters
By Henrique Almeida LISBON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Europe and Africa must work together to boost education, employment and infrastructure in Africa to stop the flow of illegal immigrants to the 27-nation bloc, Spain's prime minister said on Saturday. Spain, a preferred destination for many Africans seeking a better life in Europe, has taken the lead in the fight against thousands of illegal immigrants who reach European countries bordering the Mediterranean every year. "Illegal immigration is the dramatic result of our collective failure," Jose Luiz Zapatero said in a speech to European Union and African leaders at a summit in Lisbon. "It produces citizens that are vulnerable to human trafficking, abuse and without any rights in the countries of destination." Last year alone, around 31,000 illegal immigrants arrived by boat in Spain's Canary Islands, located about 110 km (68 miles) off the coast of West Africa. Thousands more died when their rubber dinghies and small boats sank trying to make the trip. Although the numbers of illegal immigrants reaching Europe by sea has declined this year -- mainly due to increased patrols along the North African coast -- Zapatero said more should be done. He said the EU and Africa should forge a pact to create schools for children, jobs for young men and better infrastructure in Africa. Both continents should also establish a legal framework that would let skilled African workers come to the EU, Zapatero said. The European Union recently unveiled a "blue card" plan, aimed at attracting highly skilled workers from outside the union, which has a rapidly ageing work force. "I hope this summit marks a before and an after," said Zapatero. "The EU needs to be Africa's main ally. Thousands of children and young men that have a difficult future in Africa deserve it." (Reporting by Henrique Almeida; Editing by Caroline Drees)
