MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur summit calls EU migratory policy “xenophobic”

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez

South American leaders meeting at the Mercosur summit called the new European Union immigration policies that permit the detention of undocumented workers for up to 18 months “xenophobic” and said the measure may damage economic ties between the two regions.

"We have to defend our citizens who emigrated abroad because they weren't able, at that time, to find the conditions in our own countries to build a better life'' said Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez during the summit in Tucumán, Argentina. "It's xenophobic and discriminatory", he insisted. "Emigrating is not tourism" said Vazquez who talked of being the grandson of poor European immigrants. "It hurts us deeply that there is no respect for the human rights of Latin American immigrants, who had to leave and seek elsewhere what they don't have in their own lands, just like their grandparents did". The strong attacks on the EU both for its migratory and farm subsidies policies centered the last of the two day Mercosur summit when the pro tempore chair, for the second half of 2008 was passed on to Brazil's President Lula da Silva. Argentina presided over the first half of the year. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the migratory measure could hurt trade and investment ties between Latin America and Europe. "We can't be silent about this" Chavez said at the summit. "We need to take a stand. So called civilized Europe is doing something barbarous". The EU adopted the new immigration rules on June 18, and they are to take effect by 2010. The policy allows governments to detain illegal immigrants for up to 18 months and imposes a re-entry ban of up to five years. Thousands of Latin Americans migrate to Europe in search of job opportunities and the EU estimates eight to 12 million illegal immigrants live in Europe. The Mercosur meeting also focused on the global food and energy crisis, noting that member nations have the potential to thrive, since its members include major energy and food exporters. Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugar and of cane sugar ethanol, and second in soy. Argentina, also an important soy grower, is the world's No. 2 in corn and No. 4 in wheat. "The situation of food and energy prices presents the region with an enormous opportunity if we can take advantage of it with solidarity and regional integration" said President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina, which hosted the summit.