Legal migration policy ‘most rational and humane policy’ for EU

Labour MEP Alfred Sant has called for a common European policy on legal immigration to the EU, one that would satisfy the demand for more workers in certain member states and reflect the different economic requirements of others.

“Such a policy would be able to channel the demand for economic migration coming from outside the Union and help calibrate policies to exercise vigilance at frontiers. It would offer a rational and humane approach to the huge personal problems created by any form  of mass migration,” the former prime minister said.

In his address to the EP on a European policy on legal migration, Sant said vigilance at the frontiers and the regulation of asylum should become more effective.

“Unfortunately, there has been the least progress in the development of a common policy on legal migration. Yet this is an area where the call for ‘more Europe’ makes most sense. Up to now it has been the President of European Parliament Martin Schulz who has given this priority the greatest recognition,” Sant said.

Alfred Sant said there should be effective vigilance at EU frontiers. “A lot remains to be done in this field. The countries at the Union’s frontiers by themselves are not succeeding to cope with the problems. Meanwhile, the common effort that has been undertaken in this regard is still insufficient.”

Sant said an asylum policy had to be comprehensive, updated and well co-ordinated. “Significant steps in this direction have been taken but again, a lot remains to be done especially by way of burden sharing... in dealing with the movement of people coming to live in Europe, these factors have to be developed in step with each other if we are to face coherently the challenges leading to signficant numbers of people migrating. We need too to remain coherent with the values that constitute Europe.”