By Bruno Waterfield - 9th July 2006
An EU list of “safe countries of origin” has been dropped until the autumn, European commission officials have said.
Continuing disagreement over which countries should be included on the list – a May 24 draft named eight African countries – has seen proposals quietly shelved.
The setback comes as the EU gears up in for the traditional long hot summer on Europe’s borders, especially the policing of southern Atlantic and Mediterranean sea frontiers.
Officials regard the list as a critical means of streamlining refugee applications and ending asylum “shopping” across the EU’s 25 different immigration administrations.
But following divisions within the commission and national governments, the list, from where applications for asylum in the EU would be dismissed, has now been put on the backburner.
“We are only going to put it forward when we know it is going to be agreed,” said an official. “I do not know when but it will not be before the end of summer.”
A high-profile EU-Morocco-Spain-France conference in Rabat has brought together 60 countries grappling with all aspects of illegal immigration from Africa.
External relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner used the summit to announce €2.45m in aid for Mauritania’s efforts to tackle the flow of illegal immigrants.
The initiative under the EU’s “rapid reaction” budgets will help pay the bills for Spanish patrol vessels give to Mauritania after a wave of illegal migrants hit the Canary Islands in the spring.
Mauritania is a key stepping off stage to Europe’s southern borders for sub-Saharan migrants and the EU is seeking to work with African countries to manage flows close to source.
Recent events in the Spanish Canary Islands have seen EU member states working together to provide sea patrols – often to save the lives of illegal immigrants in crowded or dangerous vessels.
“These new measures aim to avoid the tragic incidents at sea in which so many people have died recently,” said Ferrero-Waldner.
“Migration is a priority in our relations with neighbouring countries, and this package is a good example of the help we give throughout the region to help our neighbours improve their border management, and handling of migrants.”
Next week European justice commissioner Franco Frattini will announce a second EU mission, after operations in Spain, to help Malta secure against illegal sea-borne migrants.
A legal basis for “rapid border intervention teams” working with the EU’s FRONTEX frontier agency will be tabled as part of an commission illegal immigration package on July 19.
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