Migration News Sheet Summary July 2010

Issued on 06/07/2010

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 July 2010 issue.

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MNS Summary July 2010

Migration Policies/Law

ECJ: Expulsion of EU nationals on grounds of public security – Advocate General proposes a wider interpretation to include protection of citizens

ECJ: Advocate General advises rejection of claim by the UK that it should have access to the Visa Information System

DENMARK: Yet another mistake in citizenship test

FRANCE: French State has to pay compensation for misuse of seasonal worker status to benefit from cheap labour

ITALY: Points system to be applied to young immigrants wanting a permanent residence permit

UK: Family reunion: third-country spouses must know the Queen’s English

Irregular Migration

EU: FRONTEX reports on substantial cut in illegal immigration but gives no credit to Italy’s “push back” policy

EU: Greater efforts and co-operation to ensure repatriation of unaccompanied minors

ECJ: Checks on persons within a 20 km radius of a Schengen border is allowed provided that they are set within specified limits so as not to amount to border checks

FRANCE: Immigration Minister finally reaches agreement with a trade union on the regularisation of undocumented migrants in regular employment

ITALY: Constitutional Court upholds law making illegal immigration a punishable offence

NETHERLANDS: Aliens Police to have more powers in the fight against illegal migration

UK: Vicar accused of involvement in massive number of fraudulent marriages

Asylum/Refugees

EU: UNHCR expresses concern over moves by EU countries to repatriate asylum-seeking children, in particular Afghans

EU: Three EU Member States carry out joint repatriation of rejected Iraqi asylum-seekers

ECJ: Only Palestinians who have actually availed themselves of UNRWA assistance come within the relevant exclusion clause of EU Directive

ECJ: European Court requested to clarify exclusion clause: two cases of refugees with a history of involvement in “terrorist” activities

COE: Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner criticises Member States which defy European Court’s requests for interim measures

GREECE: Still no access to the refugee-status determination procedure except for a few fortunate asylum-seekers

LIBYA: UNHCR representation in Tripoli closed down – Italy’s “push-back” policy and EU’s strategy of shifting responsibility are in jeopardy

MALTA: Resettlement for around 750 refugees in the next 12 months

SPAIN: Nigerian albino challenges decision to deny him asylum

SWEDEN: Asylum-seekers to be allowed access to the labour market

SWITZERLAND: Depriving rejected asylum-seekers of social welfare aid does not incite them to leave the country

UK: Allegations by Iraqi deportees that they were beaten during forced deportation

Racism/Discrimination

FRANCE: Minister of Interior found guilty of “racial slur”

GERMANY: UN Committee criticises Germany for not doing enough to combat racism

GERMANY: Hotel was entitled to discriminate against the far-right leader in Germany

UK: Racially-motivated violence is spreading to towns and villages where such crimes were previously unknown

 
Other Issues

COE: Unanimous opposition of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe to burqa ban initiatives

FRANCE: Another burqa-wearing driver stopped by police – case shelved

FRANCE: Minister of Interior wants to penalise de facto polygamous relationships

GERMANY: Bundesbank member claims that immigrants have made Germans more dumb

GERMANY: Children of immigrants do badly at school – call for overhaul of school system

ITALY: Couples wanting to adopt only white children are not fit to assume parental responsibility

SPAIN: Cities to ban use of full veil in public buildings

SPAIN: Bishop affirms that use of Cathedral of Cordoba by Muslims is out of the question

SWITZERLAND: Radical party in Geneva wants ban on all religious clothing in public

UK: Obliging a “terrorist” suspect to live 240 km from family amount to a breach of his human rights

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