Mr President, this debate is close to the hearts of the citizens of Europe. At the Seville European Council it was stated clearly that the Union needed to make a determined effort to combat illegal immigration. An integrated and balanced approach was advocated. The aim was to combat this new form of exploitation of human beings, which affects women and children in particular. Day after day, these individuals appear at the Union’s borders. They arrive all along the southeastern flank, right down to the southernmost tip of Europe. Following the Seville Council, Parliament and the Commission have worked hard to structure and develop what should become a common policy on immigration and asylum. For some time now, the Committee on Development and Cooperation has been emphasising the need for greater cohesion of our aid policies with the countries where these migratory flows originate and within the framework of the Union’s external activity. This would facilitate the development of more effective ways of managing such flows. It certainly is important to strengthen more efficient border policies. Much more is needed, however, if the desired objectives are to be attained. It is essential to develop a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with immigrants’ countries of origin. Only then can the underlying reasons for the migratory flows be dealt with. Only then will it be possible to increase and improve ways of combating poverty, which is, of course, the real reason for immigration from developing countries. The Union must aim to integrate joint management of migratory flows effectively into its relations with third countries. To that end, aid agreements must include a commitment by all parties to discharge their respective responsibilities in the fight against the gangs. On both sides of the borders, it is the gangs who profit most from exploiting human beings in this way. Their activities amount to nothing less than a new and sophisticated form of slavery. All action taken by the Union should also help to stimulate wealth creation. The latter is a crucial factor in the promotion of codevelopment. Illegal trafficking in immigrants is a new kind of slavery. It provides ample opportunity for exploitation in the workplace. It is also a breeding ground for corruption and an entry route for individuals who could pose a threat to security. Readmission agreements should become a new feature of the Union’s relationships with third countries. Finally, I should like to point out that in the course of this last year, the size of the very substantial financial flows generated by immigrants’ remittances to their home countries has been much in the limelight. Handling charges for such remittances are outrageous. In some cases, they amount to outright usury. I am aware that this is outside your competence, Commissioner, but I feel bound to say that the Commission ought to be able to put in place appropriate legal instruments to ensure easy and secure transfer of the fruits of immigrants’ labours. These funds could be used to promote codevelopment initiatives in third countries. They could also be used to support initiatives designed to strengthen civil society and the private sector in those countries. All this would be very much in line with the conclusions of the Monterrey Conference. A few steps in the right direction have indeed been taken during the past year, and I should like to thank Commissioner Vitorino for his valuable input. Sadly, however, there is still a long way to go. IN THE CHAIR: MR COLOM i NAVALVice-President

Political group: PPE-DE