The Spanish Bishops are "worried" about the "Directive" passed by the European Parliament regarding the "repatriation of illegally-residing immigrants". In a note published today by the Commission for Migrants of the Spanish Bishops Conference, the Bishops make an appeal to the members of the European Parliament and to the governments of the EU member states to "always respect the dignity and fundamental rights of the immigrants, regardless of their legal status". In addition, they ask that in all the legal means, administrative or related to security and public order, "paperless immigrants must not be really or seemingly compared to criminals". The Commission makes an appeal, especially about "the treatment of ‘detained’ and repatriated immigrants and children without parents". In Spain, the number of immigrants, largely coming fro Europe, increases by about half a million a year. The Spanish Bishops Conference, which has paid special attention to the phenomenon of immigration, published a document at the end of 2007, named "The Church in Spain and the immigrants", containing reflections and guidance for the pastoral of immigrants in Spain.
