Immigrants to pledge oath to EU
Brussels officials want immigrants to swear an “oath of faithfulness” to the European Union, rather than a national figurehead, according to reports.
This could mean immigrants to Britain would no longer pledge an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
Franco Frattini, EU justice and security chief, said he hoped every immigrant would issue a loyalty oath to honour national and EU law and the charter of fundamental rights. The charter is said to enshrine the core values of the 25-nation union.
Mr Frattini said the oath was based on a French document, which nine out of ten migrants had signed up to.
But the Conservatives have criticised the idea, with Tory Europe spokesman, Graham Brady, describing it as “ludicrous”.
However, the European Commission believes the oath will counter illegal immigration and promote better integration.
To date, the charter of fundamental rights has not been ratified as it forms part of the EU treaty, rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums. And all EU states must ratify the treaty for it to come into effect.
Mr Brady said the idea was “ludicrous” and demonstrated “how little the Brussels establishment has learnt from the rejection of the proposed constitution”.
He added: “The EU is not a country, the citizens of countries of Europe owe no allegiance to it. And any attempt to create such an oath of allegiance must be resisted at all costs.”
Timothy Kirkhope, leader of Tories in the EU parliament and an ex-immigration minister, said he was amazed at the suggestion.
“You can laugh, but it worryingly shows the views of people who should know better. I swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen,” he said.
“I am not going to take kindly to an Italian gentleman telling me to swear allegiance to unelected people, or to swear allegiance to something I don’t agree with – a unified European state.”
Mike Nattrass, deputy leader of the UK Independence party, said the EU must be “joking” to suggest immigrants must pledge allegiance to a bloc “with no single culture, no agreed history, no common language and packed with fraud and corruption”.
Meanwhile, the EU commission also proposed common standards for the deportation of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.
In 2004, the commission found only a third of those expelled from the EU actually left.
Now, Mr Frattini wants a six-month time detention limit on those waiting to be returned, with a five-year ban stopping people excluded from one country from entering another EU member state.
