Commission: “resettlement” of refugees “Offer protection to refugees, increasing political and practical cooperation among Member States”: objectives and strategy of a possible “Joint EU resettlement Programme”, set out last week in Brussels by the European Commission. The 27 Member States are currently discussing the proposal. The initiative is aimed at “the resettlement of refugees coming from third countries to a Member State”: resettlement is the transfer of refugees from the first country of asylum, outside the EU, to another country, “where they can start a new life and find permanent protection”. “A large majority of refugees worldwide find themselves in places far away from the EU, in developing countries in Asia and Africa”. “The UNHCR estimates the global resettlement needs at about 747,000 refugees; in 2008 only 65,596 refugees were resettled. Of these, only 4,378 resettled in one of the EU countries” (at present only 10 EU Member States out of 27 have resettlement programmes). Commissioner for freedom, safety and justice, Jacques Barrot, said: “Resettlement to an EU Member State of refugees who find themselves outside the EU should be distinguished from the resettlement of refugees from one EU Member State to another for the purpose of intra-EU solidarity”, that is currently linked to migrants and asylum seekers across the Mediterranean. “Resettlement is seen as a last resort – Commissioner Barrot pointed out – when the refugee can neither return to his country nor remain in security in the third country. Many of these refugees are the most vulnerable ones, such as children, single women with children.” Mr. Barrot, who has often used the word “firmness” (against illegal immigration) and “humanity”, stressed, “the different sorts of activities related to resettlement, such as selection and reception and EU integration programmes for resettled refugees”. Furthermore, “Member States are free to decide whether to participate to the resettlement programme and the number of resettled refugees”. “To encourage the initiative each Member State will be allocated 4,000 Euros per resettled person”.Uyghur leader at the European Parliament”The Chinese government, through its proxies in the official media, is obscuring the truth in order to conceal a massive killing of Uyghurs”. Ms Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the Uyghur minority in Kinjiang, in her address to the European Parliament told her version of her version of the riots in and around Urumchi, the regional capital, between the Muslim minority and Beijing’s security forces, that led to the killing of 200 people and injuring of 2,000. “I am willing to sit and talk with the government of reforms needed to solve six decades of unrest”, Ms Kadeers explained in Brussels, calling for an independent investigation on the events. The Assembly on July 5 had debated on the situation in the north-western Chinese region. Ms. Kadeer (62 years old, twice nominated for the Nobel peace price, after 8 years of prison is currently living in exile in the United States) condemns all types of violence, even the one against her; she also claimed Beijing intent to ” erase our ethnic and religious group” and drew a parallel between the Uyghur situation and that of Tibet. Getting ready for the G20 in Pittsburgh. Extraordinary EU Summit In view of the G20 meeting scheduled for the end of September in Pittsburgh (United States), Sweden’s prime minister and European Union president-in-office, Fredrik Reinfeldt, convened an extraordinary Summit in Brussels for September 17. Together with the G 20 economy and finance ministers meeting held on September 4 and 5 in London, President Reinfeldt explained: “The EU extraordinary Summit will be an opportunity to discuss long term solutions to the financial and economic crisis” and allow a debate on ” how to fund the fight against climate change”. The Swedish PM wants EU Member States to present a common position in Pittsburgh, “to speak with one voice”.Trade and investments between China and EuropeEU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton is in charge of monitoring economic ties with China, deemed essential for the EU single market. Speaking ahead of the trip to China (September 6-11), Commissioner said: “The EU and China share common goals in trade and investments; we must continue to build confidence in order to realise our full potentials and deal effectively with issues that may arise”. At the various meetings with eminent politicians and Chinese entrepreneurs the Commissioner will focus on issues such as rules in trade, investments, protection of intellectual rights and green technologies.
