Debate on immigration” “

An extraordinary debate on European immigration and asylum policy took place on Wednesday, 22 October. The debate had been convened by the Italian Presidency of the EU following the tragic events of Lampedusa and especially the reluctance of the countries of northern Europe to support the need for the EU to assume the costs and management of a phenomenon that can no longer be regulated by the individual states. Before the plenary assembly of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the current President of the European Council Silvio Berlusconi confirmed the decisions taken on matters of immigration at the recent summit in Brussels: the creation of a European Agency for the control of the frontiers, the reinforcement of the measures to curb clandestine immigration, and also the adoption of “common admission policies for those who enter the Union legally”. According to the Italian Presidency, “Christian and civil Europe cannot remain indifferent to all those who regard our continent as a promised land, a haven from the misery of their country of origin. So while a policy of strict controls is necessary, it’s equally important that Europe should adopt an approach of solidarity and a policy of welcome. The loss of so many human lives that were desperately seeking a better future must induce Europe to reinforce mutual collaboration to prevent such tragedies”. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, declared in the course of the debate that “we cannot close our eyes to the tragedies of immigration”. He confirmed the executive’s support for the launch of the European policy for immigration and asylum and invited all member states – including the candidate countries – to participate in it.