France Will Keep Only a Few Thousand Illegal Immigrants
French authorities will grant residence permits to 6,000 illegal immigrants. According to French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, about 20,000 applications have been submitted by illegal immigrants, but under the new immigration law, about 70% of them will be refused residence permits.
Earlier, Sarkozy stated that immigrants who do not receive the right to work in France must voluntarily leave the country during the summer, otherwise they will be deported. In 2006, it is planned to expel about 25,000 people.
Recall that France's new immigration law was adopted in mid-May. It was drafted by Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who called the document a law on "selective immigration." According to this regulation, only people with certain job qualifications, knowledge of the French language and local traditions can enter the country.
France has between 200,000 and 400,000 illegal immigrants.
Fewer Illegal Immigrants on US-Mexico Border
The number of arrests of illegal immigrants on the US-Mexico border has decreased by 45% since President George Bush's May announcement to send "about six thousand" National Guard soldiers to the Mexico border for a one-year period. This was reported by US Border Patrol chief David Aguilar. "Our work is becoming more effective," he noted.
In the 69 days following George Bush's May announcement, 166,299 arrests were made at the border, compared to 302,447 in the 69 days before. A decrease in border arrests is traditionally observed in the summer months because intense heat deters many people from attempting to cross the border illegally. However, such a significant drop in arrests has been recorded for the first time - in the same period last year, 27% fewer border violators were arrested than the rest of the year, and in 2004, 29% fewer.
According to authorities, the decrease in arrests is partly explained by the fact that increased border security measures have led to fewer attempts to cross illegally. As reported by US National Guard chief Steven Blum, 4,500 National Guard soldiers are currently serving at border sections in California, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.
At the same time, immigrant rights advocates believe that the decrease in arrests is not due to the strengthening of the US border, but because illegal immigrants are attempting to cross in more remote and dangerous areas.
Russians Not Ready to Accept Foreign Migrants
According to a poll by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), only 16% of Russians are in favor of Russia being an open country and accepting immigrants. Russian citizens make exceptions only for their compatriots.
However, opinions on who should be considered compatriots are divided. 40% of respondents consider only Russians living abroad as such. 33% consider all citizens of the former USSR as compatriots. And only 22% of respondents noted that there is a common fatherland for all people who speak Russian and are associated with Russian culture.
34% of Russians propose settling immigrants in rural areas, and 19% in the regions of Siberia and the Far East. Almost 60% of respondents believe that it is necessary to create all conditions for migrants, and the state should handle this.
More than half of respondents are confident that resettling compatriots from abroad will help solve the problem of Russia's population decline and labor shortage. 35% of respondents oppose immigration because, in their opinion, this process will cause problems in the labor market.
Costa Rica Cancels Visas
The government of Costa Rica has introduced a new visa regime for citizens of 102 countries, eliminating most formalities for visits to this country. This was announced in San Jose by the director general of the migration service, Mario Zamora.
The new visa regime, in particular, allows one to come to Costa Rica and stay there for 30 days upon presentation of a foreign passport without requesting a visa. This procedure applies to citizens of most former Soviet republics.
At the same time, the government approved a list of 12 countries whose citizens' visits to Costa Rica are undesirable. These include Cuba, Haiti, China, Afghanistan, Syria, North Korea, Somalia, Palestine, and others. Citizens of these states can come to Costa Rica only in extreme circumstances, and the granting of a visa to them will be considered by a special commission headed by the director general of the migration service.
As Mario Zamora explained, the inclusion of China on the "black list" is due to the fact that recently cases of underground trade in Costa Rican visas have been recorded, which the international mafia sells to Chinese at exorbitant prices totaling $37 million per year.
Germany to Pay for Lake Constance Disaster
The court of the city of Konstanz found Germany responsible for the crash of the Bashkirian Airlines plane over Lake Constance in 2002, reports AFP.
The airspace over Lake Constance has been controlled by Swiss air traffic controllers since World War II, but a corresponding official agreement between Germany and Switzerland has not yet been signed, therefore the court deemed the transfer of flight control to a dispatcher of the Swiss company Skyguide illegal.
Thus, the German authorities will have to pay compensation to the company and the relatives of the passengers of the Russian airliner who died in the plane crash. The court ruling does not specify the exact amount, but the verdict states that Germany must compensate for the cost of the aircraft, as well as possible claims from the victims' families. Earlier, Bashkir Airlines demanded about €2.6 million in compensation for the loss of the Tu-154 aircraft.
Recall that in July 2002, a passenger Tu-154 and a cargo Boeing 747 collided in German airspace. The disaster killed 69 people on board the Russian airliner, as well as two pilots of the Boeing.
Oxford to give preference to low-income applicants
Oxford, one of the most prestigious universities in the UK, has changed its admissions system. Now preference will be given to graduates of state schools attended by children from less affluent families, The Guardian reports.
University representatives will request an applicant's academic performance report, and if the grades meet the 'passing' requirements, they will schedule an interview. Moreover, it will be easier for a student from a state school to get an interview with the Oxford admissions committee than for a student from a private fee-paying school.
According to the initiators of the new system, it is not aimed at discriminating against wealthier students. This measure should help establish a balance among students at the leading UK university, making good education accessible to children from underprivileged families. The new system will begin operating next year. Despite its introduction, the annual tuition fee for children from the UK and the EU will remain at £1,200.
Recall that to enter Oxford, you need to achieve a certain grade in a relevant subject at school; then passing the entrance exam will not be a problem. According to university representatives, about 35% of the top subject grades are achieved by private school graduates, although only 7% of English children attend such schools. They state that if the exam requirements are raised, only 20% of Oxford students will be state school graduates. This is explained by the fact that education is better in private schools.