EU TACKLES ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, SORT OF


Brice Hortefeux of France's new ministry of immigration and national identity wants to expand an existing scheme whereby illegal immigrants are paid to go home:

"We must increase this measure to help voluntary returns. I am very clearly committed to doing that," French minister Brice Hortefeux was cited as saying by the BBC.

According to the long-time friend and ally of president Nicolas Sarkozy, a family with two children would be paid €6,000 to leave French territory.

A similar sweetener has already been in use, with some 3,000 families leaving France in exchange for money in 2005-2006, the BBC reported.

Paying illegals to go home is not unique to France:

Between 2008-2013, the 27-nation bloc will be able to make use of a European return fund running to €676 million...

Such incentives might produce unintended consequences:

"The European Commission is in favour of voluntary return," one official told EUobserver, adding "incentives for voluntary return should not become a pull factor for migrants to come the EU illegally, however."

Yep, a paid holiday to Europe might be too good to pass up.