- Title: SPAIN: Immigrants protest EU immigration rules in Madrid
- Date: 22nd June 2008
- Summary: BN15) MADRID, SPAIN (JUNE 21, 2008) (REUTERS) IMMIGRANTS AND LOCALS GATHERED AT A MADRID LANDMARK SQUARE TO PROTEST EU RETURN DIRECTIVE BANNER HANGING FROM STAGE READING: "NOT TO DETENTION CENTRES. NOT TO RETURN DIRECTIVE" BANNER IN SPANISH AND ARABIC READING: "DOWN WITH THE SHAME DIRECTIVE" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MIGRANT FROM ECUADOR, SEGUNDO, SAYING: "This directive does not consider us at all. When they need workforce then we are valuable people, but when they don't then they ditch us." POLICEMEN CONTROLLING WOMAN HOLDING BANNER READING: "DOWN WITH THE RACIST DIRECTIVE" ARAB MEN PROTESTING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MIGRANT FROM MALI, MORI, SAYING: "Europe has to understand that it is poverty that brings us here, supporting all this. They must understand that we are just poor and not a threat." PROTESTER HOLDING ECUADOREAN FLAG WOMAN CHANTING "THERE ARE NO ILLEGAL HUMAN BEINGS" WRAPPED IN AN ECUADORAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MIGRANT FROM MOROCCO, LATIFA, SAYING: "This directive hurts us. We are only here because we can't make it in our home countries. It's not our choice." PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS FROM BANGLADESH AFRICAN MIGRANTS AT RALLY GENERAL VIEW OF PROTESTERS AT SQUARE
- Embargoed: 7th July 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: European Union
- Reuters ID: LVA1GT2GLV9JMX95N1SNMCMIGIV6
- Story Text: Immigrants in Madrid rally against EU Return Directive calling it the
"directive of shamefulness" and claiming that there is no such thing as an "illegal human being".
Hundreds of immigrants and locals took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday (June 21) to object the new European Union rules on migration allowing member states to lock up people who have not committed any crime.
The European Parliament agreed on Wednesday (June 18) on a law that allows illegal immigrants to be detained for up to 18 months. The new limit is longer than the maximum detention in two-thirds of the 27 EU states.
Holding banners reading "down with the racist directive" and chanting slogans like "There is no illegal human being" protesters claimed the approved 'Return Directive' represents true shame for Europe.
European states seek to harmonise the procedures for the return of thrid-country residents --the directive also provides for immediate expulsion to their country of origin, and a five-year prohibition on their re-entering the EU.
Children can also be detained, according to the new text, which says that this should be for the shortest appropriate period of time.
Segundo from Ecuador simply said he does not understand such harsh measures.
"This directive does not consider us at all. When they need workforce then we are valuable people, but when they don't then they ditch us," he said.
Thousands of illegal immigrants attempt the journey from Africa to Spain's Canary Islands every year in open-topped wooden boats. Many die trying to reach Europe in search of work.
Mori from Mali has been living in Madrid for more than seven years and has left his wife and four children behind. He says poverty is driving people like him to desperation, and punishing them as criminals is immoral.
"Europe has to understand that it is poverty that brings us here, supporting all this. They must understand that we are just poor and not a threat," said Mori.
"This directive hurts us. We are only here because we can't make it in our home countries. It's not our choice," echoes Latifa from Morocco.
The EU executive estimates there are up to 8 million illegal migrants in the bloc. More than 200,000 were arrested in the first half of 2007 but less than 90,000 expelled.
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