NGO’s Launch Final Offensive

by Simona Ion Bădulescu

The Migration Policy Institute has warmly welcomed this proposal as a starting point for negotiations on a more systematic and comprehensive European policy on migration. However, they ask the officials to reconsider a couple of assumptions and basic principles in the proposal.

For example, the Commission’s proposal sets as its main objective the external management of the EU's borders at in the Mediterranean, neglecting the EU's common interest in negotiating a comprehensive policy which provides for the management of migratory flows at the eastern and south-eastern borders. Secondly, without future immigration, the working age population (15-64 year-olds), which is currently at 333 milion, will drop to 242 million in 2050. The number of people actually working or seeking employment will decline from 239 million to 171 million at current labour force participation levels. Thus, in the unlikely absence of immigration and considering internal EU sources a proactive migration policy will be crucial for the EU's future development.

In spite of the Commission's explicitly stated intention to enhance a more migrant-centred and rights-based approach to migration, actual and tangible  measures for effective integration of immigrants in the EU appeared over-shadowed by security and border management concerns. This is also the case for mechanisms to ensure the protection of migrant and refugee rights, perhaps due to the favouring of immediate and short-term concerns of southern EU member states. But it fails to meet the necessity of establishing long-term solutions to the migration challenges faced by the Union as a whole. Broadening the scope of a common migration policy is both an opportunity and a challenge for the Commission as well as member states in these final negotiations.

If plan A doesn’t work, the Alphabet has 25 more letters

The Alliance of European Nationalists Movements (AENM) complained of naïveté and lack of sound reasoning after its meeting with Migration Policy Institute, La Strada International, and Amnesty International, on Saturday 24 march. For instance, the idea, proposed by La Strada, that illegal immigrants already in Europe should have the possibility of being legalized. “This will obviously create a leap hole into Europe and undermine the already underpowered security system”, said AENM President Bruno Gollnisch. AENM’s general picture was one of NGO lack of realism and unrealistic demands. AENM were also concerned about tendency to overlook the threat caused by the immigrants, towards national and European culture, jobs and security.

NGOs joins for a quick pow-wow. La Strada must have felt a bit uncomfortable 

along the by now most recognizable figures of the summit, the ”Terror Twins”, Gollnisch & Griffin 

The two AENM representatives were quickly encouraged, when they were been invited by French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, for a meeting joint meeting, also including, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. The AENM delegates were overjoyed as they could now voice their concerns directly to some of the negotiators. “Mr. Sarkozy will definitely try to make our voice to be heard, because it is also in his interest”, says Mr. Nick Griffin of the British National Party. He was indeed very proud in his moment of glory, that his “ideas are finally beginning to interest Europe”.

”G&G ” or the ”Terrible Twosome”. The nationalists of the AENM 

have certainly managed to get their share of the spotlight at the summit

The sharing of ideas is a mutual fact, as he continues to agree with the following statement: “I think Chancellor Merkel is right when she criticizes Greece for not doing enough, despite this heavy funding of 300 million euro for border protection. We can still see floods of immigrants coming to Greece and spreading to the rest of Europe as well”.