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.Home affairs ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain met in the French town of Evian on Lake Geneva, to discuss joint efforts against illegal immigration, the drugs trade, organised crime and human trafficking.

Under changes introduced 1 July, skilled migrants wanting to work in regional and low growth areas of Australia will be granted an additional 10 points under the Skilled Independent Regional (SIR) visa.

The SIR visa helps states, territories and regional authorities meet their needs in addressing critical skill shortages, while providing skilled migrants with the opportunity to experience the Australian lifestyle.

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.

In a real-life African version of Tom Hanks' 2004 Hollywood hit "The Terminal," Sanjai Shah, 43, has been eating cafeteria food, sleeping on plastic transit lounge chairs, and showering in arrival hall toilets since May 2004.

His morning alarm is the dawn announcement advising the safe landing of the first flight.

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

An analysis of the Bush administration's guest worker plan claims that it has actually helped fuel illegal immigration because some believed President Bush is offering amnesty.

The survey, some of the results of which were obtained, analyzed and released 28 June by Judicial Watch, found that 63 percent of more than 800 immigrants arrested along the nation's southern border said they had heard from the Mexican government or media that Bush was offering amnesty. Forty-five percent said they attempted to cross the border based on those beliefs. Eighty percent said they wanted to apply for amnesty.