'European Pact on Immigration' unveiled[fr][de] 

The ministers' main concern is how to sell the pact to the rest of the world, a diplomat from an EU country told EurActiv. A first attempt could come as early as the 13 July 'Summit for the Mediterranean' in Paris, he predicted. 

Internally the ministers appear to have solved their major division by abandoning initial plans for a proposed compulsory "integration contract" for immigrants. The other stumbling block – bringing an end to mass legalisations – also appears to have been solved, with a more flexible language now being used (EurActiv 2/07/08).

"I think we are very close to an accord," French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Tuesday (1 July). "There are only a few problems of semantics to resolve." 

The pact starts with a preamble, which is intended to reassure countries from across the world that the Union is not becoming a 'Fortress Europe'. It recalls the fact that Europe receives more immigrants than North America and states that the continent needs immigration for economic and demographic reasons. 

Five major guidelines are developed: 

• To better protect Europe by controlling its borders in a spirit of solidarity. The centerpiece on the operational side is the strengthening of Frontex, the agency of European police for external borders. An 'Etat major' will be established, with two permanent bodies of command, one for the southern and the other for the eastern EU borders. The countries themselves will be responsible for the control of their part of the EU external borders, but the most exposed countries will also benefit from "solidarity on the European scale". 
• To organise legal migration in harmony with the capacity of each member country to receive immigrants and in a spirit of solidarity. Here the centerpiece is the European 'Blue Card' initiative, especially since the other proposal – "integration contracts" for immigrants - was abandoned. The idea is to reverse the trend of Europe receiving low-skilled immigrants compared to Canada and the USA. 
• To organise the selective repatriation of illegal immigrants. To a great extent the recently adopted Returns Directive already covers this area (EurActiv 19/06/08). What the pact adds is better co-operation between member countries, which could use joint flights for the repatriation of illegal immigrants, improve the legal base of readmission agreements and increase the fight against human trafficking, etc. 
• To build a Europe of asylum. The countries are expected to put in place by 2010 common guarantees on asylum and a uniform refugee status. 
• To promote the development of the countries of immigration. In exchange of their commitment to finding common answers for the fight against illegal migration, the EU will offer third countries opportunities for legal migration for work or studies. Measures will also be adopted to promote the return of third country nationals to their places of origin - for the benefit of their societies. The Commission is asked to put in place mechanisms to facilitate and promote the investment of immigrants' earnings in their home countries.