afrol News, 19 June - Despite protests over long detentions and deportations in some member countries, the European Union lawmakers went ahead to approve a directive that allows illegal migrants to be held in detention centers for up to 18 months and banned from the Union's territory for five years.

Human rights groups swiftly criticized the directive, crying foul that it "severely flawed" the rights and dignity of migrants. Some even called the measure "a directive of shame."

Cimade, the only French non-governmental organisation that is allowed access to 23 detention centers in France, damned the new measure. The body is contemplating whether to contest the parliament's move at the European Court of Justice or the European Court of Human Rights, claiming to be carefully studying the passed law.

Amnesty International was also deeeply disappointed by the development, and called on member states currently applying higher standards to refrain from using the directive.

Lawmakers' decision was necissitated by the problems caused by the huge influx of illegal migration in most European countries. The EU lawmakers believed that the new law provived common standsards for the treatment of migrants throughout the union.

According to a German lawmaker, Manfred Weber, it was about time that member countries decide "whether they need illegal migrants or not."

The regional parliament also rejected the ten amendments intended to offer migrants some protections and legal recourse. A judge was left to decide on the 72-hour detention after arrest of migrants, obligation to provide detainees with free legal counsel and imposition of the five-year ban on re-entry.

Proponents of the new measure said it would enable EU countries to adopt a unify system to enable member countries to get rid of migrants who overstay their visas. Once the directive became operational, member countries would be mandated to track down illegal migrants from crossing borders.

Over the years, migration has placed a great burden on the EU that has 224 detention centers for migrants. EU member states differ on the length of detention period. In France, migratns can be confined for 32 days whereas in Germany 18 months. Surprisingly, in eight EU countries, migrants can be detained indefinitely without trial.

Critics fear the directive would give leverage to countries with shorter limits to extend them.

Slovenia's Interior Minister, Dragutin Mate, warned lawmakers to be wary of the dangers of not approving the directive.

The new directive followed the EU's was at the brink of starting negotiations with Senegal over a so-called "mobility partnership" that could ease legal migration to Europe.

At a recent meeting of European Council in Luxemburg, ministers urged the European Commission "to take forward exploratory talks with Georgia and Senegal and to open dialogue with these countries, with a view to launching additional pilot mobility partnerships." They were thrilled by the positive evaluation of the pilot mobility agreement signed with Cape Verde.

The new package is designed to manage illegal migration flows between the EU, its partners and migrants. If reached, a defined number of Senegalese citizens would be given legal emigration to Europe. It would also make it easier for illegal migrants to be repatriated to the West African country.

Most migrants, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa, have been forced by poor economic conditions to embark on journeys of no return, in search of greener pastures Europe.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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