Illiberal capitals ‘lagging behind’ on immigration

Tough talking European governments are out of step with EU citizens on immigration, Brussels officials said on Monday.

European Commission proposals on common EU asylum procedures and calls for legal immigration have so-far fallen on deaf ears in national capitals.

And new EU polling suggests that a five year failure to agree a common approach does not reflect the view of Europe’s voters.

A January Eurobarometer survey finds that 56 per cent back economic, legal immigration and 66 per cent support full rights for such migrants.

Nine out of ten, 85 per cent, are in favour of common asylum rules throughout the EU - a move currently held to ransom by national governments concerned at appearing soft on immigration.

“There is a clearly a gap that needs to be filled,” said an official.

“It would seem that… citizens strongly support an immigration policy.”

"The results are more or less in line with our gut feelings."

Key legislative planks on common standards for refugees and procedures for handling asylum seekers must, under the Amsterdam EU treaty agreed in 1999, be sealed by the end of April this year.

But ongoing domestic “sensitivities” and protracted EU haggling over two proposed directives on refugees could see Europe’s high profile asylum plans thrown into disarray.

Last month, German problems with the legislation seeking to set an EU definition of a refugee scuppered talks.

The Berlin government, the opposition, and Germany’s two houses of parliament remain bitterly divided over the impact of EU law on national legislation.

Compromise is not expected until March, and may not yet materialise, putting a hold on talks as the clock ticks toward the deadline.

And Brussels proposals for legal or managed migration have not even made it on to the agenda in cold political climate for liberal views on immigration.

The European Commission believes illiberal justice ministers are “lagging behind” citizens.

“More needs to be done, more could have bee achieved,” said a spokesman.

“We are lagging behind in terms of concepts.”

“Public opinion is less nervous than could have been expected.”

EU justice chief Antonio Vitorinio has found ‘fortress’ Europe’s closed doors a barrier to deals smoothing the return of failed migrants.

Countries, such as Morocco, are seeking some kind of “quid pro quo” from the EU in exchange for signing ‘readmission agreements’, but legal immigration remains firmly off the agenda.

“[Non-EU] countries want to enter into a dialogue on ‘managed migration. They are seeking a quid pro quo,” said an official.

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