Oh, Australia!
Reader comment on item: West Africa - Europe's New Border
in response to reader comment: how to solve the Canary Island problem

Submitted by Octavio Johanson (Italy), Mar 20, 2006 at 04:44

Mark, I have heard about the Australian policies on immigration and asylum. You forget one thing: Spain is a European nation, and it is under the jurisdiction of the infamous European Tribunal of Human Rights. By European, standards, Spain is already doing a fantastic job in stopping the influx of people into the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. I am not being sarcastic: Spain is doing a very good job.

Mark, if I look at points number 2 and 3 of your list, the only European nation that goes anywhere near that is Italy. Illegal immigrants who arrive in Italy are arrested and kept in detention centres for a while, but very rarely they are deported. As for point number 3, there is indeed an agreement between Italy and Lybia, which resembles the one you advocated for Spain and Morocco. What you don't realize is that this is not Australia, it is Europe, and we have got our hands tied. Spain and Italy are probably tougher on illegal immigration than the rest of Europe. Britain has got very lax laws on immigration and most of central and northern Europe does. Italy has already been attacked by Amnesty International for its agreement with Lybia. Spain would be savaged by international criticism if it followed your suggestion for the Canary Islands. Australia is lucky. Oh, Australia!

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