Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-06-Speech-3-027"
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"en.20000906.1.3-027"2
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"Mr President, I would like to begin by warmly congratulating the European Commission and especially Commissioner Vitorino, on its extremely constructive legislative proposal on the issue of family reunification. At last, Europe is on the move, after decades of zero immigration and, more especially, after so many years of refusal by Europeans to grant third-country nationals residing lawfully in the European Union their fundamental human rights.
Recognising the right to family life is one of the basic conditions for the integration of refugees and migrants in the social life of the country in which they reside. Unfortunately, those in this Parliament who extol the virtues of the family and hold it up as the highest ideal happen to be the very people who undermine it. This is exactly what is happening with this draft directive on the reunification of the families of refugees and migrants. Self-righteous hypocrisy is the main feature of this wing of the European Parliament, and we have experienced it again and again.
Yet I would like to say that I understand the qualms of many governments, including my own, concerning this draft directive. Indeed, countries such as Germany, where millions of refugees and migrants have sought refuge, are shouldering an enormous burden. But at the same time I would like to point out and to highlight the enormous contribution that refugees and migrants make to the economic development of our countries, through their work and through taxation. The social burden that is referred to by the critics of the proposal may be reduced if refugees and their family members have the right to work, as provided for by the Commission proposal
Finally, I would like to point out that this directive sets out the minimum requirements, and governments retain the right to put in place better conditions for the reunification of families."@en1
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