92001E0086

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0086/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Accidental death of twelve immigrants from Equatorial Guinea in the Murcia region of Spain

On 3 January 2001, in the Murcia region of the Spanish state, twelve immigrants from Equatorial Guinea were run over by a train at a level crossing as they were being transported to their workplace in an overcrowded bus. These twelve people were employed on a farm illegally, without decent housing, regular pay or welfare benefits, and were deprived of their legitimate civic and trade union rights. These tragic deaths serve to remind us that the Mediterranean region of Spain is now home to some 20 000 Latin American immigrants employed as agricultural workers, who do not have legal resident status under the Law on Foreigners adopted by the Spanish government in implementation of the EU rules, if the Spanish government's statements are to be accepted. Is there any basis in EU law that allows the Spanish government to maintain immigrants from Equatorial Guinea and other countries in working and housing conditions of this nature and to deprive them of their civic rights?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2001)

The Commission has learnt with regret about the accidental death of twelve illegal residents, who were run over by a train at a level crossing as they were being transported to their workplace in an overcrowded bus. As with other sad incidents of this nature, this accident shows that persons who are employed illegally do not always share the same treatment as legal workers. It is therefore crucial to develop policies at Union level to deal with issues of illegal immigration and illegal employment. The Union has the competence to do so according to Article 63(3)(b) (ex Article 73K) of the EC Treaty.

For the time being no binding rules have been adopted. The Commission intends to present a communication on a common fight against illegal immigration in the near future.

The Commission adopted a communication on illegal work in 1998. This communication aimed to initiate a debate in the Member States and among the social partners on the most appropriate strategy to fight illegal work. A study to examine what Member States have done in response to this communication has recently been completed.

Moreover in the recent Commission's Communication on a Community Immigration Policy(1) it is pointed out that there is a need for immigration in certain sectors of the economy and that immigration might contribute coping with demographic decline. New admission policies could therefore also have an positive effect on the reduction of the number of illegal migrants.

(1) COM(2000) 757 final.