Illegal immigration and asylum, both burning issues, particularly for southern EU countries will be at the heart of the Swedish presidency. Although Stockholm’s agenda does not end there, it also intends to put the citizen first in determining its justice and home affairs priorities.

Over the next six months, Sweden plans to renew its justice and home affairs programme (the so-called Stockholm programme) for 2010 -2014, a comprehensive cover-all package ranging from citizens’ rights to the fight against crime and including tackling illegal immigration and the creation of a European asylum system. Proposals on these issues were made by the Commission in mid June with two main objectives: to establish a voluntary redistribution mechanism and equal treatment of refugees in all member states and to cooperate with the countries of origin and transit, particularly Libya, the main route for illegal immigration into the EU.

Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, the most affected by the flow of immigrants from Africa, will undoubtedly push for more “concrete decisions” following their successful negotiations at the European summit in Brussels, on 18-19 June, for stronger commitments (see Europolitics 3777). And they are not about to let go. Particularly with the advent of summer and the expected arrival of shiploads of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers who are prepared to do anything to get into Europe.

Stockholm has not, however, come out with a specific position on the recent events in Italy whereby Rome sent some 500 immigrants back to Libya from whence they had come without even giving them the right to apply for asylum. The practice has been condemned by NGOs and the UN knowing that Tripoli has not signed the 1951 Geneva Convention on refugee status. “These are extremely serious questions, and knowing how to deal with them is a priority,” Carl Bildt, Sweden’s foreign minister, said during the presentation of the Swedish Presidency’s priorities in Brussels, on 22 June. The same response was given for the re-admission of illegal immigrants into Turkey. The Swedish minister in charge of immigration is due to visit Malta in the next few days. Improving dialogue and cooperation with third countries as well as the fight against illegal immigration “without removing the possibility of requesting asylum” are all part of the Swedish programme, he explained.

DISTRIBUTION OF REFUGEES

For five years now, Cyprus and Malta have been asking their neighbours for help in taking charge of asylum seekers. Malta is three times the size of Paris and is faced with having to deal with asylum seekers originating from Africa who arrive in its territorial waters with the result that Nigerians, Ethiopians, Eritreans and Somalis find themselves in refugee camps with sanitary conditions that are widely condemned by human rights groups. Most asylum seekers are rejected.

The possibility of distributing refugees between European countries has already been evoked, but things are moving very slowly. France, for example, is to receive 100 asylum seekers who landed in Malta. “We are sending a message to our partners, we are the first to make an effort,” the French Minister for Immigration, Eric Bessom, announced on 25 June.

Sweden also intends to focus on migrant populations and the exchange of national practices. The Presidency notably wants to identify comparable indicators in the EU to follow the results of different national immigration policies.

OTHER MATTERS

Still part of the Stockholm programme, Sweden wants to give priority to citizens’ rights – to give them access to justice – and to the fight against crime. Stockholm also wants to make progress in terms of the management of crises and catastrophes by tackling the Commission’s recent communication on the prevention and management of nuclear, radiological, bacterial and chemical risks.

On the subject of crime, the Presidency will continue to work on the bigger issues, such as the revision of EU legislation against the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, including ‘grooming’ practices on the internet.

Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus will undoubtedly push for more “concrete decisions”  

Agenda

5-17 July, Stockholm: informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers

22-23 July, Stockholm: conference on ‘European justice as seen by the citizens’

15-16 October, Malmö: conference on labour immigration and its potential for development in the age of mobility.

19-20 October, Brussels: ministerial conference ‘Towards a global European policy on treating human beings’. Present will be participants from the EU, the European Neighbourhood Policy, Russia, the United States and others.

14-16 December, Malmö: conference on “the integration of new immigrants with the spotlight on work incentives”.