Posted on 06/23/2002 12:22:02 AM PDT by Timesink
European Union leaders yesterday moved to establish an EU border police force to patrol shores, ports and crossing points against illegal immigrants. The dramatic attempt to strengthen "fortress Europe" could mean foreign guards wearing an EU uniform patrolling in Britain.
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The heads of government said that the moves were a stepping stone to the creation of a fully fledged European-wide force which would act in tandem with each nation's police.
The proposals were launched at the Seville summit against opposition from Tony Blair. The Prime Minister suffered a double defeat as his own rival plan to counter illegal immigration - withdrawing aid from some Third World countries - was thrown out.
In contrast, the move towards a common border force, to be called the European Union Corps of Border Guards, was given an enthusiastic welcome. The summit agreed to launch a series of working groups to hone proposals made by Italy for the new force, which would have its own uniform and badge and be drawn from all 15 member states. It could be in place by 2007.
As an early step, co-operation between the existing police and immigration units of member states is to be enhanced immediately. Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor, confirmed that enhanced co-operation was a mere stepping stone to the corps. "The creation of a common police force to guard our border remains the long-term goal," he told reporters at the close of the two-day European Council.
Antonio Vitorino, the EU's Justice Commissioner, said that he expected the border force to become a reality within five years. "It is a gradual process, that will start with the mere co-ordination of efforts that could evolve quickly so that in the medium term, in four to five years, it will be possible to have a European border guard force," he said.
The proposal is the latest attempt to harmonise Europe's legal systems. It follows moves to create a common body of criminal law, corpus juris, across the EU and to increase the powers of investigation handed to the Europol agency, including search warrants.
European leaders have been rattled by the growing controversy over illegal immigration and the rise of Right-wing parties in recent elections.
The new plan was taken up after Italy unveiled the results of a detailed feasibility study drawn up over eight months. At its centre were the remarkable results of a 15-day trial, held last month, during which guards from all 15 member states joined forces to patrol borders in France, Italy and Spain, including 24 airports.
Officers on the teams succeeded in stopping 4,500 illegal immigrants and arrested 34 alleged traffickers during the study.
Italy and Spain are among several southern states which are desperate for the EU to pool its resources and to share the burden of guarding their immensely long coastlines against a flood of human traffic.
The Italian interior minister, Claudio Scajola, said: "The work that has been going on for eight months has been coordinated by our experts."
Ministers of EU member states and the 13 EU candidate countries agreed at a meeting in Lisbon last month to set up a "task force" to coordinate efforts to curb illegal immigration at Europe's busiest air and sea ports. The body is now expected to develop Italy's plans for a common force.
The British Government had claimed before the summit ended that the idea would not be taken up. Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, made clear on Friday that he opposes the plan.
"Such is the opposition to the principle of a European Union border police that it will not feature except as an acknowledgement that a discussion took place," said Mr Straw.
In fact, the conclusions recorded that the leaders had "welcomed" the Italian plan and urged the creation "without delay" of a body to harmonise border controls. Eurosceptics said last night that moves towards a single EU border police were a prelude to a fully integrated EU force.
Daniel Hannan, a Conservative MEP, said: "As usual, they are presenting something which, on the face of it seems reasonable, as a way of establishing a harmonising principle.
"In this instance they are being particularly clever since they have chosen an area that has traditionally been a concern of the Right.
"In fact the asylum crisis is the result of a previous integration of immigration policy and more of the same is not the solution."
Failure to block the EU border police plan helped make the two-day summit one of Mr Blair's least successful.
Having told other European leaders that it was "politically imperative" to agree a "tougher approach" on immigration he saw his rival plans unravel amid opposition from other EU countries, as well as from Clare Short, the International Development Secretary.
Miss Short's comment that any moves to dock aid to poor countries was "morally repugnant" meant that Mr Blair had little hope of overcoming resistance led by President Chirac of France.
In any case, the EUnuchs are really starting to push things to the point where the residents of one of the oppressed member countries are going to rise up and demand withdrawal.
Answer: the Euro-sheeple
If the Canadians offered help in stemming the flood of illegal immigration across the Mexican border, would our southern states object?
It seems that the EU is taking the problem of illegal immigration a lot more seriously than the U.S. Government is. That said, eack nation in the EU should be allowed to decide for itself if whether or not it wants outside help regarding border control.
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