The common immigration policy makes its comeback on to the European agenda. This issue is the focus of the meeting of the ministers of justice and interior affairs of the 27 member states. The Brussels meeting is chaired by Brice Hortefeux, French minister of immigration and current president of the EU Council. "This is the last discussion among the ministers about the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum reads a note from the presidency with a view to a political agreement on the text submitted" by the Paris government. Then the text will be sent on to the European Council of 15th and 16th October for approval. The ministers are also reviewing "the draft directive on the admission of highly skilled labour, on which negotiations have gone on". The Council will also entrust the Commission "to organise a mission to Syria and Jordan to check the state of the Iraqi refugees". Finally, the ministers will address another two issues: the residence of foreign citizens married to European citizens and the fight against illegal immigration.
