Europe Immigration News

The European Union parliament last week gave final approval for a pan-European driving license scheme. The current plan is to create a database tracking drivers' history throughout Europe, rather than allowing drivers with a bad record in one country to obtain a new license in a different country.

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that visa procedures for Algerians will be speeded up in 15 European countries.

Mr Sarkozy, seen as a front-runner for the right-centre party in next year's presidential election, was speaking on a visit to Algeria in mid-November. There are approximately one million voters of Algerian origin in France; many Algerians and their relatives stand to benefit greatly from such a policy change.

The Dutch parliament was holding crisis talks on 13 December after MPs passed a motion condemning its caretaker Immigration Minister for refusing to halt deportations of rejected asylum seekers until a new ruling coalition was formed.

Rita Verdonk, known as "Iron Rita" because of her crackdown on immigration in recent years, made no immediate comment but was expected to resign following last night's motion.

Millions of travelers will be able to leave their passports at home after European Union governments agreed at the beginning of this month to begin scrapping border controls for citizens of new entrants like Poland and Malta by the end of 2007.

The accord was an historic event for Europe, said Kari Rajamaki, the interior minister of Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency. "We are preparing for a very significant enlargement" of the free movement of European citizens, Rajamaki said.

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy called for a special Ministry of Immigration to be set up as he pledged to pursue a tough line on illegal arrivals.

A decree of the Prime Minister dating back to October, 2006 on "Additional measures regarding the inflows of non-seasonal non-EU citizens in 2006" provides for the issuance of 50,000 more residence and work permits in the Lazio Region of Italy.