New foreign passports designed for Ukrainians
The government approved the technical description and a sample blank of the new foreign passport for citizens of Ukraine. The relevant resolution was adopted at a regular Cabinet of Ministers meeting.
According to the document, data entries in the blanks are made: in the passport - "by laser engraving or by printer printing", in the travel document - by printer printing in black ink using Ukrainian letters.
The passport is issued for a period of up to 10 years. The document specifies: first name, last name, citizenship, date of birth, identification number of the individual taxpayer and other mandatory payments, gender, place of birth, code of the authority that issued the document, date of expiration of its validity. In addition, a new transliteration of Latin letters is introduced. Information about children is entered on the second and third pages of the passport.
As stated in the Interior Ministry's explanatory note to the draft Cabinet resolution, the new-style foreign passport approaches "the level of new-generation documents used in developed European countries." "The introduction of the passport will facilitate the acceleration of the creation of a unified state register of individuals, which will significantly improve the level of service to citizens in all structures that work with identification documents," the Interior Ministry notes.
It is expected that previously issued old-style foreign passports will remain valid for the period specified in those documents.
Czech Republic to tighten punishment for illegal migration
Czech President Vaclav Klaus approved a new version of certain provisions of the Criminal Code. From now on, the punishment for illegally moving migrants across the border will double. The offender faces 12 years in prison, and in the case of aggravating circumstances - a 15-year term.
In the new version of the Criminal Code, punishment now threatens not only those who employ illegal immigrants, but also those who rent housing to them. A new type of criminal offense has also been introduced: "assistance in obtaining unauthorized residence documents." People who are in family relationships will not be punished. Tightening the punishment for organizing illegal migration is one of the requirements of the European Commission.
In 2006, after a series of police checks on foreign affairs, 11,500 illegal immigrants were registered. At the same time, the number of legally residing foreigners reached 3% of the total population, which is approximately 346,000 people.
Among foreigners living in the Czech Republic, migrants from Ukraine dominate, followed by Slovaks, and in third place are Vietnamese. Since 2003, the Czech government has been interested in attracting qualified specialists from other countries to the Republic. "Due to economic development, we need foreign labor. We welcome everyone who dreams of connecting their future with our country, but this process can only be carried out with full respect for the values and laws of our land," recently declared the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, Petr Nečas.
New Poland will be built by Indian workers
Due to an acute labor shortage, Poland intends to attract hundreds of thousands of Indian construction workers to create the necessary infrastructure for the 2012 European Football Championship. Polish Minister of Labor Anna Kalata has already visited Delhi on an official visit, during which a memorandum was signed on attracting Indian citizens to work in Poland, writes The Guardian newspaper.
By 2012, Poland needs to build three new stadiums and reconstruct three more. It is also necessary to build five airports, a large number of modern hotels, and about a thousand kilometers of roads.
After Poland became a member of the European Union, many skilled workers left for the West. In the United Kingdom alone, the last wave of labor migration from Poland amounted to 400,000 people, and in total, according to various estimates, between 800,000 and 2 million workers left the country. With economic growth at 7% per year, the country is experiencing a huge shortage of bricklayers, roofers, installers, and bulldozer operators. Despite the fact that the labor shortage has raised wage levels in the construction sector, similar work in the West remains more attractive.
In India, on the contrary, there is a labor surplus, and the pay level of a skilled craftsman even in Delhi does not exceed $250 per month. In Poland, Indians will be offered several times higher wages than in their homeland. At the same time, the influx of foreign workers raises fears that the country will become an immigrant country.
45,000 scientists and engineers immigrated to the States
The U.S. National Science Foundation has calculated that 45,000 scientists and technical specialists moved to the United States from Ukraine. In total, according to the Foundation, out of 21.6 million American scientists and engineers, immigrants make up 16% (or 3.3 million people). By "immigrant," the Foundation means a person born in another country who permanently lives and works in the United States - including those foreigners who have already received American citizenship. All data are as of 2003.
Asian countries provided the largest number of minds to the United States. India - 515,000, China - 326,000, Philippines - 304,000, South Korea and Taiwan - 120,000 each. Among European states, the UK (122,000) and Germany (73,000) are beyond competition.
From Russia, 63,000 scientists and technical specialists moved to the United States, from Ukraine - 45,000. It should be noted that only those scientists who named Ukraine and Russia as their home country are counted; natives of the USSR are not included here. For comparison, Italy supplied 24,000 scientists and engineers to the United States, France - 25,000, Argentina - 54,000, Cuba - 64,000, Iran - 87,000, Japan - 46,000.
Interestingly, the main reason for scientists moving to the United States is "family circumstances" - that answer was given by 37% of those surveyed by the Foundation for Immigrant Scientists. In second place is "opportunities for education and professional development" (30%), in third - "work or economic opportunities" (21%), in fourth - "scientific or professional infrastructure" (chosen by 5%).
Russia may reduce quotas for foreign labor
The Federal Migration Service (FMS) of Russia proposes to amend the federal law on the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation regarding the abolition of quotas on issuing work permits to foreigners arriving without a visa requirement. The proposal was considered at a meeting on further work to improve the regulation of external labor migration, which was held by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The FMS also proposes, when setting the quota for issuing work permits, starting from 2008, to provide a reserve of at least 50% of the regional demand for foreign workers.
EU agrees to hand over passenger files to the US
The European Union has agreed to provide the United States with information on passengers of transatlantic flights, reports Associated Press. Washington had insisted on obtaining this data to combat terrorism.
The agreement, which will be formally concluded in July-August, will replace the temporary data-sharing arrangement adopted after September 11, 2001. Under the new agreement, the United States will receive a smaller amount of information but for a longer period. The number of items in the "dossier" for each passenger has been reduced from 34 to 19. Delicate information (racial, religious affiliation, political views, and sexual orientation) will be automatically deleted by the American side. Exceptions will be made when this information "saves the life of a passenger or someone else." Data will be stored by the American side for up to 15 years, but after seven years it will be "frozen," with access strictly limited.
The interim agreement was due to expire in July, and if the parties had not reached a deal, European carriers would have faced serious sanctions from the United States, including a fine of $6,000 for each unaccounted passenger and a landing ban.
More than half of Earth's inhabitants will soon move to cities
A report on population has been published at UN headquarters. UN experts predict that 2008 will be a turning point in human history - more than half of Earth's inhabitants, namely 3.3 billion, will become city dwellers.
The historic milestone in urbanization does not at all mean that city dwellers automatically gain access to the benefits of urban civilization - today 1 billion people live in urban slums, often without access to sanitation or drinking water. The fastest growth of urban population is observed and will continue to occur in the developing world of Africa - over the first 30 years of this millennium, the number of city inhabitants there will grow two and a half times. Cities in Asia and Latin America will grow at slightly less impressive rates. "Many new city dwellers will be poor," warn the report's authors, reminding that poverty is growing faster in urban areas than in rural ones.
UN experts also noted that the world's megacities with populations exceeding 10 million people have not grown to the even more enormous sizes predicted in the 1980s. More than half of urbanites live in cities with half a million people. The report notes that the rate of territorial expansion of modern cities outpaces population growth. By 2030, city boundaries in developing countries will triple, and in industrialized countries - by 2.5 times.
New 2,000-crown banknote appears in Czech Republic
Since July, the Czech Republic has put into circulation a new 2,000-crown banknote (about $100). At first glance it is almost no different from previous banknotes, but there are differences.
On the new banknote, the security strip is wider, the microtext is larger and clearer, and the abbreviated name of the Czech Central Bank has been added to it. The metallic shiny paint used for part of the lyre depicted on the banknote will change color from green to dark purple at different angles. There are also some changes visible only under ultraviolet light. There are also secret details known only to central bank employees. Old banknotes will remain in circulation and will not be withdrawn.
Smoking banned in public places in England
A ban on smoking in public places has come into force in England. Such rules now apply throughout the United Kingdom: Northern Ireland was the first to take this path, followed by Scotland and Wales. Smoking is prohibited in places such as institutions, restaurants, pubs, clubs, schools, hospitals, and prisons.
The authorities explain their decision as a concern for public health: it is an attempt to reduce the number of deaths caused by so-called "passive smoking." According to doctors, about 600 people die from it each year in the country.
According to Interfax, violators of the ban will face a fine of 50 pounds (almost $100). However, if the fine is paid within 15 days, it will be reduced to 30 pounds. If the smoker's case goes to court and they are found guilty, the violator will be fined up to 200 pounds. For companies and organizations, the fine will be up to 2,500 pounds.
Smoking to be completely banned on Austrian trains starting in autumn
Austrian railways are completely banning smoking on their trains from September 1. 93% of passengers supported this measure in a recent survey. Since last October, smoking has been prohibited in dining cars - this measure was supported by 81% of respondents. Smoking has been banned at railway stations for a year and a half already.
The railway company will gain economic benefits from the smoking ban. In recent years, smoking seats have sold poorly, and smoking compartments in carriages often remained half-empty. By eliminating the division into smoking and non-smoking compartments, the company can achieve optimal use of its rolling stock. Previously, smoking was completely banned on trains in Italy and Switzerland, as well as on regional trains in Germany.
Slovenia also fights smoking
The Slovenian parliament passed a law banning smoking in public places and the sale of tobacco products to persons under 18 - previously cigarettes could be sold to young people who had reached 15 years of age.
The new law, which takes effect in August, bans smoking in all public places except hotels and restaurants, where special areas are designated for this purpose. "Smoking rooms" will be spaces separated by glass walls and equipped with ventilation.