European Parliament finally passed the so-called "repatriation directive", giving the report of the German MEP Manfred Weber 369 votes for, 197 votes against, and 106 abstentions. The directive lays down "common regulations on the detention and repatriation of illegal migrants, and also promotes voluntary return". The directive is one of a series of EU provisions for a common migration policy, covering related aspects: the fight against illegal migration (repatriation directive) and the promotion of the legal immigration of skilled labour (Blue Card directive). Yesterday, the EU Commission submitted its own guidelines on migration and asylum, and new legislative procedures should take place in the next few months. The principles laid down by the repatriation directive include the possibility of a "period of temporary detention" for illegal migrants from third countries which may not exceed a total period of 18 months; the directive applies, although with some special exceptions, to "unaccompanied children" as well; in addition, the repatriation provisions involve a ban on re-entry for up to five years.
