thomas davison Party Leader
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 4018 Location: northumberland
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:52 am Post subject: EVEN EASIER FOR ILLEGALS TO ENTER EU WHEN TURKEY JOINS |
|
|
'Even easier' for illegal migrants to enter the EU if Turkey becomes a member, warn MPsTurkey's border controls are not strong enough, report warns
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:02 AM on 1st August 2011
Illegal migrants will find it 'even easier' to enter the EU if Turkey is allowed to become a member before its border controls are strengthened, MPs have warned.
They fear the country could be used as a gateway into the union and raised concerns about people trafficking and drug smuggling.
In today's report the influential Commons Home Affairs Select Committee called for Turkey to be made to demonstrate it has met stringent border control rules set by Brussels before accession.
Easier: It will be simpler for illegal migrants, such as these trying to board a lorry in Calais, to get into the EU if Turkey becomes a member state, MPs have warned
Turkey's membership would extend the EU's external border up to Iran, Iraq and Syria.
The report said the land border between Greece and Turkey constitutes the main loophole for irregular immigration into the EU.
It added that thousands of migrants are entering the EU through Turkey every month, many aiming to reach the UK.
More...'Elite' EU border guards sent to Europe's crisis spots are powerless to stop migrants
But the committee said it believed that the risks posed in relation to organised crime were 'considerably outweighed' by the potential benefits of Turkey joining, mainly because of the opportunities it would bring for increased cooperation.
Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: 'It was clear from our visits to Turkey and Greece that, despite the willingness of the authorities to tackle the problem of illegal migration into the EU through this region, much more needs to be done.
Easy: The report said the land border between Greece and Turkey constitutes the main loophole for irregular immigration into the EU
'In particular, we require a collective commitment from Greece, Turkey and the European and international law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and work together to bring down the criminal gangs who are responsible for bringing thousands of migrants into the EU each month.
'I am concerned that, if action is not taken now, it will become even easier for migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iran to enter the EU once Turkey is a member.
'The UK Government and its EU partners must therefore do everything they can to assist Turkey in tightening its border controls.'
EU border agency Frontex has helped to reduce the number of irregular crossings, but is unable to turn back migrants.
MPs called on Brussels to make special arrangements for Turkey to take on some of the attributes of EU membership prior to full accession, in order to tackle organised drug and immigration crime more effectively.
Worry: MPs fear Turkey, its capital Istanbul is pictured here, could be used as a gateway into the union
The report said up to 80 per cent of the heroin trafficked from Afghanistan to western and central Europe comes via Turkey and seizures in Turkey of cocaine bound for the EU are increasing.
The committee also called on the Home Office to carry out an impact assessment of the likely scale of legal migration of Turkey nationals to the UK following EU accession.
It said forecasts for the whole EU had varied widely at between 500,000 and 4.4 million arrivals in the period up until 2030.
The committee said it was cautious about allowing Turkish citizens full freedom of movement and backed the Government's commitment to applying 'effective transitional controls as a matter of course' for all new member states.
A UK Border Agency spokesman said: 'There has been a significant drop in the number of illegal immigrants attempting to evade border controls over the past year, so the message is getting through - if you're not legal you're not welcome.
'We are working with other governments to increase their capacity to deal with illegal migration and to raise awareness among potential illegal migrants about how dangerous and unsuccessful these attempts are.
'We are committed to controlling migration to the UK. This government will apply transitional controls for all new EU Member States as a matter of course in the future.'
The answer is easy too, get out of the EU and close our borders to all immigrants, search and find those that should not be here and get them out.
Just think if 4 million uninvited guests were to leave, more work, more houses, more of a future. |
|