New Delhi
24 October 2007
There is massive immigration pressure from Punjab and about 5,000
individuals are refused visa every year on the grounds of forged or improper
documentation, according to German diplomatic sources.
Germany appreciates that a restrictive visa regime does not go hand in hand with
strategic partnership but it has its own compulsions. It does not want immigrants to
come in only to enjoy the social benefits paid for by a German tax-payer.
Germany will prefer a readmission agreement so that illegals can be identified and
repatriated. "Some kind of arrangement would be helpful, then at least there is a chance
to send unwanted people back," a German diplomatic source said.
The German diplomatic sources referred an arrangement between India and the United
Kingdom, whereby the Indian authorities help the UK in identifying immigrants, to state
that Germany wants to put in place a similar mechanism with India.
The issue is likely to to be discussed during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's first
visit to India next week. She will visit New Delhi and Mumbai on her four-day State visit
starting from October 29.
Germany joins a chorus of countries seeking a mechanism to regulate illegal
immigration from India. The European Union and Russia have in the past made similar
suggestions to New Delhi.
A sizable number of illegal immigrants are living in Germany today who are profiting
from the system of social benefits and burdening the financial liability of the agencies
dealing with this system, the sources explained.
They clarified that Germany does not have a problem if the immigrants conform to rules
or are willing to return to India but unskilled people should not come in only because of
the social benefits that are offered.
"Germany and certain other countries are facing a shortage of qualified workers like
engineers and would really like to attract intellectual potential so that they can make a
contribute to national innivation and strength," the source added.
According to the sources, immigration and visa are hotly debated issues in Germany
today. "There is a debate raging on," a source said, before going on to cite the
arguments put forth by the pro- and anti-immigration groups.
Trade unions want Germany to exercise caution in opening up its borders to foreign
labour when the unemployment rate is at nine per cent. Others argue that the more
intellectual potential Germany attracts, the better it will be for the country.
The International Organisation for Migration has said that India is among the top three
migrant-sending countries. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in turn, says
that that many of the illegal immigrants hail from Punjab.
The British High Commission in New Delhi has organised an "outreach activity in
Punjab" to make potential migrants aware of the realities of illegal migration. Britain has
since come out with the document, "Enforcing the Rules: A Strategy to Ensure and
Enforce Compliance with our Immigration Laws", which seeks to address the issue of
illegal migration.
No comments:
Post a Comment