More attacks on asylum seekers

international | eu | news report Wednesday September 22, 2004 20:02 by SP Member - SP

Neo-liberal and anti-refugee policies feed reaction

On 30 September, at a meeting with the ministers responsible from the EU countries, the German minister,Otto Schily, will move a resolution advocating the deportation of asylum-seekers to camps outside the EU’s borders. (Tchad is one country he has mentioned.)

This is a proposal Germany previously has opposed. Schily will be seconded by the new EU commissioner for asylum issues, Rocco Buttiglione from Italy. These two also advocate that the right of appeal for refugees should be abolished.

The proposals are connected to the neo-liberal cuts in welfare, but also aim to win over the least conscious layers of the population in an attempt to shore up falling political support. Attention will be diverted to the ‘cost’ of refugees instead of the failure of the politicians and the increased exploitation of the big companies. The German government has also partly attempted to foster discontent against the EU, emphasising “German interests” in the debates over enlargement and the EU budget.

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