Quel partage des charges en matière d’immigration dans l’UE ?[en] 

A common EU immigration policy has been pursued for years by Italy and other Southern European members, whose governments complain that they have been left alone to deal with a problem that concerns all European countries. 

The absence of border controls within the EU makes it easier for an illegal migrant to enter one country and move to another. 

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who served as EU justice and home affairs commissioner (responsible for immigration) before joining the present Italian government, has repeatedly called for stronger EU competencies on immigration. But such calls have thus far failed to attract genuine support in Brussels. 

Immigration was a hot topic in Italy during the campaign for the European Parliament elections in June. One EU-wide poll suggested it is twice as important an issue for Italians as the rest of Europe, with 69% of Italians rating it as a top priority compared to an EU average of 31% (EurActiv 04/06/09). 

Recently, the Swedish EU Presidency announced that Brussels will issue new immigration policy proposals, known as the 'Stockholm Programme', by the end of October (see EurActiv 24/08/09, 11/06/09 and Swedish EU Presidency LinksDossier). 

EU members would annually pledge how many people they would be ready to admit, rather than making case-by-case decisions as with the recent acceptance of Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan, according to proposals obtained by Reuters. The countries would receive EU funds to help with resettlement. 

The draft Commission proposal says the 27-nation bloc's international image is suffering from the low number of refugees from poor or war-stricken countries it admits each year via an unpredictable process. 

"The current relatively low level of involvement of the EU in the resettlement of refugees impacts negatively on the ambition of the EU to play a prominent role in global humanitarian affairs and hence on the influence of the EU in international fora," the draft said. 

The scheme, to be unveiled on Wednesday, is meant to discourage people, mainly Africans, from trying to reach Europe on makeshift boats or hidden in lorries with the help of human traffickers. 

By making the system more transparent and increasing the number of people EU states would be prepared to take, the Commission says illegal entry would become less attractive. 

"The principal objective of joint EU action on resettlement should be to demonstrate greater solidarity to third countries in receiving refugees, to involve more member states in resettlement activities and to provide for an orderly and secure access to protection for those resettled," the draft said. 

The proposal would be negotiated by EU governments and the European Parliament. Later this year, the Commission will propose harmonising asylum and family reunion laws across the bloc. 

According to UN figures, EU countries accepted 6.7% of the 65,596 legally resettled refugees worldwide last year. In 2010, some 203,000 people should in theory be resettled. 

Under the Commission's proposal, a new European Asylum Support Office would meet regularly and annually define priorities for resettlement, taking into account refugees' needs, available places and EU foreign policy needs. 

(EurActiv with Reuters.)