“Italy has just passed a law which allows for the deporting of all petty crinimals who are not Italians.”- This came in the wake of the murder of a 47 year old Italian woman by an unemployed Romanian youth (the lady was raped, beaten and thrown into a ditch). Since June 2006, Romanians have allegedly committed 76 murders in Italy. The mayor of Rome estimates Romanians have accounted for 75% of arrests for murder, rape and robbery in his city in 2007.Romani Prodi, the Italian leader, has tried to calm the resulting outcry by issuing a decree allowing Italy’s local authorities to expel EU citizens posing a threat to public security. The problem is, the decree is probably illegal under EU law (Directive 2004/38/EC). By virtue of this particular piece of EU legislation, murder isn’t sufficient justification for deportation.It’s not the Human Rights Act in the UK that’s the problem - it’s EU Directive 2004/38/EC. It’s not the barristers’ and judges’ fault either - the British Human Rights Act is subordinate to EU law!The EU legislation also forces EU countries to grant entry to recent immigrants from third countries who have gained residential status in other EU states. Once given EU residency, an individual’s relatives get residency too (Article 17, paragraph 3 allows children, parents and in-laws to stay too). So, if individuals are accepted in any EU country, so are their relatives – with all of them then free to migrate to any other EU country. There is already evidence from the Netherlands that this has been abused by EU citizens marrying one partner, divorcing, marrying another, etc. In such cases, each successive spouse plus their family members gain the right to stay in any EU country. Anyone want to bet this ain’t happening in the UK too? [As for Vanessa’s son’s refugee clients, control over the admission of asylum seekers has also been handed to the EU via Regulation 343/2004.]-------So, the Italian legislation won’t work, it’s illegal under the EU’s higher law.Similarly, Gordon Brown’s guarantee of a "British job to every British worker" would also be illegal under EU law if preference were given to, er, British workers. So too would David Cameron’s pledge that:“…we can and should do more in relation to marriages across national boundaries … a Conservative government will raise the minimum age for a spouse coming to Britain - and for the sponsor - to twenty-one … we will [also] insist that every spouse coming to Britain should have a basic level of English: the same level as those applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain because they work in Britain.”Cameron, Brown and Prodi know they’re talking bollox. They also know, however, that most people don’t know they’re talking bollox. Given close to 85% of British law is handed to Westminster by Brussels, the leaders know their tough talk means nothing. They’re simply playing to an internal audience left in the dark, taking us for mugs.It makes ‘em look tough.
Fraser Pearce ● 6476d