Europe Immigration News

Ministers from five European Union countries agreed on 5 July to collaborate on repatriating illegal immigrants, according to French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy."All together, the European countries, the five big states, we will organize some flights to repatriate illegal immigrants in Great Britain, Spain, Germany, France and Italy," he said.

The German embassy is opening a call centre in New Delhi to be operated by VFS India, a private service provider and division of Kuoni India.

Europe's five biggest economies are discussing plans for stopping illegal immigration, including fingerprinting of visa applicants and tougher screening at airports.

In a tongue-in-cheek dig at the French fear of eastern European migrant workers, the Polish tourist board is using the image of a handsome plumber to promote Poland as a holiday destination.

Slovakia has initiated a pilot scheme to help its unemployed immigrate to neighboring countries. The Jobs Abroad scheme means any Slovak on unemployment for more than three months can ask for a ticket to another EU country.

Germany's DIW Institute estimates that up to 150,000 people from the ten newest EU member states have immigrated to the older members since May 2004. Economic research group DIW found that more than 50,000 people had made their way to the UK over the past 12 months. A previous report in May issued by the Home Office also said that 176,000 workers from eight of the new member states had registered in the UK.

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