As a spokesman for the assembly's press service reported, 367 deputies voted in favor of the new supranational bill, 206 voted against, and 109 abstained. The so-called 'Return Directive' was approved on June 5 by the ministers of justice and interior of the 27 EU member states.
For three years, expert groups from the European Commission, the EU Council, and the European Parliament have been working on the development of unified rules for the repatriation of illegal immigrants, according to RIA Novosti. The new EU directive gives priority to the voluntary deportation of illegals. It also provides that their detention should not exceed six months and may be extended to 18 months in exceptional cases.
This provision may also apply to minors who have entered the EU territory alone. The set of new rules also provides for a five-year ban on entry into the EU for illegal immigrants previously deported from one of the EU countries. According to experts, there are over 10 million illegal immigrants in the EU.