WRITTEN QUESTION E-0086/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Accidental death of twelve immigrants from Equatorial Guinea in the Murcia region of Spain.
Date: 2001-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ecuador, Region of Murcia, illegal migration, moonlighting, mortality, transport accident

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/177

does the Council intend to take with the Spanish government to attempt to put an end to these scandalous
deaths which are occurring every day in southern Spain, casting a shadow over the large numbers of
young Africans who wish to work in Europe?

Reply

(24 April 2001)

The Council reminds the Honourable Member that it has replied and taken a position on this question
a number of times. The Council refers the Honourable Member to its replies to Written Questions P-1391/
00, by Mr Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, E-2878/00, by Mr Camilo Nogueira RomÆn E-1013/00, by
Mr AndrØ Brie and P-3308/00 by Carlos Bautista Ojeda.

(2001/C 187 E/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0086/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (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
if the
Law on Foreigners (cid:129) adopted by the Spanish government in implementation of the EU rules,
Spanish government(cid:146)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.

the time being no binding rules have been adopted. The Commission intends

For
a communication on a common fight against illegal immigration in the near future.

to present

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(cid:146)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.