Spanien erklärt Lateinamerika "Richtlinie der Schande"[en] 

After almost three years of tedious negotiations with member states, the European Parliament on 18 June endorsed new EU-wide rules on returning illegal immigrants back to where they came from (EurActiv 19/06/08). 

But tough clauses, including permitting the detention of people for up to 18 months before their expulsion, have infuriated human rights groups. In the following days, similar reactions came from near or distant countries. 

The Returns Directive is considered the backbone of a 'European Immigration Pact', which French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been calling for since his election campaign. Migration will indeed be one of the priorities of the French Presidency when it takes over the EU's helm on 1 July (EurActiv 05/06/08), with officials from Paris stating that the immigration pact is likely to be one of the dominant themes at the European Summit on 15 October in Brussels.

Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero reacted to mounting criticism from Latin America, saying the main problem with the directive was the lack of communication. The next move was by Zapatero's deputy, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, who announced an "information crusade" to explain the text to the governments and countries concerned with the virtues of the new EU directive. 

No changes in immigration policy 

Spain insists that it will not change its immigration policy and will continue to apply less stringent measures than those under the directive. As an example, Spain would not detain an illegal immigrant for more than 40 days, although the directive's limit is 18 months. 

But at this stage it is difficult to say if the Governments concerned would consider the case closed following these explanations. The agenda of the Mercosur summit to be held on 1 July in the city of San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, already contains as an item the adoption of a declaration against the 'Shame Directive', the Spanish press reported. 

Mercosur comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay as full members and has six associate member countries, namely Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The Organisation of American States also showed its discontent over the directive. 

Spanish lower chamber ratifies Lisbon Treaty 

Meanwhile, the Spanish Parliament on June 26 overwhelmingly approved the Lisbon Treaty, with 322 votes in favour, six against and two abstentions.The treaty is to be put to the Senate for final approval after the summer recess. Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said the vote could be held earlier, possibly in July. 

Spain's Parliament is the 20th within the EU to approve the document Ireland rejected in a referendum on 12 June. It was the only country to put the document to a public vote. But the Union is trying to proceed with the ratifications in all other countries, hoping that the Irish will hold a second referendum, as they did for the Nice Treaty in 2002. 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the rules "shameful" and threatened to both cancel investment in, and disrupt oil exports to, the countries that enact the controversial immigration measures. 

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva said that "the cold winds of xenophobia are once again blowing from Europe". 

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa warned that trade talks between the EU and the Andean Community could be suspended if the 27 member bloc pushes ahead with the new law. "What do we have to talk about with a union of countries that criminalises immigrants? It will be very hard to talk business and ignore human rights," he said, quoted by international media.