Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-04-Speech-1-060"
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"en.20020204.5.1-060"2
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"Mr President, I should like to thank both rapporteurs, and I welcome these initiatives. I also echo Baroness Ludford's comments on the British government's lack of enthusiasm. It is a pity that her more progressive ideas narrowly missed endorsement in the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs and we now have before us a more begrudging approach to long-term residents from third countries, with an overemphasis on terrorism, language acquisition and sufficient resources, especially in the area of pensions. Again, I agree with Baroness Ludford's comments on the first two of those. The Commission's proposals were certainly better than what is now proposed in those areas.
This says to me that the image of third-country nationals in the minds of some in this House represents only a very narrow part of the reality – in terms of a specific geography perhaps, a social class or political views. This image certainly does not include the overwhelming majority of third-country nationals, who contribute enormously to the economy and society of the European Union and have proved this over a number of years. Why else would so many of our governments be increasingly seeking to recruit from third countries at all skill levels if this were not the case? Why should such people choose to come here and settle for a number of years if they are to be seen as suspect or second-class, here on sufferance only and viewed as another dimension of a disposable society? As others have said, we should be looking at equal rights for people who make such contributions to our societies."@en1
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