Electronic passports to be introduced for CIS labor migrants
To regulate migration processes on the territory of the CIS, it is planned to introduce electronic passports. This was stated by Mikhail Krotov, Secretary General of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS (IPA CIS).
According to him, passports will be issued to labor migrants traveling to other countries for work. Krotov noted that Russia, Kazakhstan, and Moldova have presented their developments. In the opinion of the IPA CIS Council Secretary General, the development of such documents should primarily be undertaken by countries that are buyers of labor, i.e., Russia and Kazakhstan.
Krotov emphasized that migration will be the main topic of the next assembly meeting, to be held on October 31 in St. Petersburg. He recalled that the heads of CIS states discussed the topic of migration at a summit held in Dushanbe on October 5-7. According to Krotov, the creation of personnel centers in the former Soviet republics will allow selecting the best candidates for work in Russia. Earlier, Moscow authorities proposed creating a unified database for foreign workers.
According to various estimates, the number of migrants in Russia ranges from 10 to 12 million people, with only 2.2 million guest workers having legal status. Approximately 80% of all labor migrants are citizens of CIS countries. //Lenta.ru
Lithuania experiencing shortage of agricultural workers
Lithuania lacks milkmaids and tractor drivers; they will be brought in from neighboring eastern countries. This was announced in the Seimas by the chairman of the country's agricultural chamber, Bronius Markauskas: "Agriculture lacks 1,500 specialists, primarily milkmaids and tractor drivers. We have appealed to the parliamentary committee on rural affairs to help include these professions in the category of shortages so that labor can be imported."
On the domestic labor market, "for that fairly decent salary offered by farmers and agricultural partnerships, we cannot find the necessary specialists," said Markauskas. A milkmaid in Lithuania can earn up to €580, a tractor driver up to €1.160, with the average salary in the country at €522. But there are still no willing workers in rural areas. Statistics show that the number of people employed in agriculture in Lithuania decreased from 20% of all workers in 2000 to 12% in 2006. The chairman of the agricultural chamber sees a solution in inviting specialists from neighboring eastern countries, primarily Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. He believes that working in Lithuania will be useful for people in terms of gaining experience, as agriculture in these countries is still being restructured.
Lithuania began to experience a labor shortage due to the mass outflow of people to the West. According to official data, during the years of independence, every tenth resident of the country's 3.4 million population left, and according to unofficial estimates, at least 0.5 million people.
On the eve of Lithuania's entry into the EU, polls showed that 70-90% of young men and women aged 15 to 24 and 60-70% of Lithuanians with higher education diplomas wanted to leave the country. However, only 9% of them expressed intentions to leave Lithuania forever. At the same time, according to statistics, many of those who emigrated "for a short time" do not return. They have already settled well in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Scandinavian countries, and the USA. // «Expert Online»
Split in French government over DNA tests
Fadela Amara, Secretary of the French government for Housing and Urbanization, threatened to resign in protest against the introduction of DNA tests for immigrants seeking family reunification, reports TV channel LCI.
"As the daughter of immigrants, I declare: I am tired of the topic of immigration being used every time for completely different, albeit quite specific, purposes. This is disgusting," said Amara. "Don't forget, I am a free woman and can say what I want, and if one day all this becomes unbearable for me, I will simply leave."
Fadela Amara also spoke out against using statistical data showing the size of various ethnic groups when implementing immigration policy. "I do not want people to be defined by their origin or religious affiliation. Dividing society into categories is dangerous," she added.
Patrick Devedjian, Secretary General of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, which holds a majority of seats in parliament, said that Amara insults deputies who support the government when she calls the measures he voted for "disgusting." At the same time, he did not decide whether Amara should leave the government after such statements or not.
Recall that the French Senate approved a bill on October 3, according to which people wishing to move to France to join relatives must undergo DNA tests. Such a procedure is adopted in 12 EU member states. The DNA tests will be fully paid for by the French government. //Lenta.ru
European Parliament approves Open Skies agreement
The European Parliament approved an agreement between the European Union and the United States in the field of air transport, which has been called "Open Skies," reports the Associated Press. The agreement is to enter into force on March 30, 2008.
According to the agreement, discussions on which lasted more than four years, European airlines, regardless of which EU country they represent, will be allowed to fly to any US city. However, the agreement does not give them the right to use American domestic airlines.
In addition, European aviators are allowed to invest in the authorized capital of American competitors, but their representatives will not be allowed to manage U.S. air carriers. Under the Open Skies pact, which in the long term envisages the creation of a common EU-US aviation area, European air carriers have for the first time been given the right to participate in the so-called Fly America program. This will allow them to transport official U.S. persons, who until now were allowed to use only the services of American airlines, and to perform certain cargo flights to the United States.
In turn, the Americans secured easier access for their carriers to European hub airports, primarily London's Heathrow, and the lifting of some restrictions on night flights over the territory of a united Europe. Currently, only four airlines - two American and two European - are allowed to operate flights between Heathrow and the United States.
EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot earlier told reporters that over the next five years, the volume of passenger air traffic between Europe and the United States will increase from 50 million to 65 million people, which will create 'more interesting and attractive tariffs for both Europeans and Americans.' //RIA Novosti
Bulgaria and the EU argue over the spelling of the euro currency
The signing of a cooperation agreement between the European Union and Montenegro was threatened by Bulgaria's demand to write the name of the common European currency in Cyrillic transliteration, reports AFP.
Bulgaria, which joined the EU on January 1, 2007, insists that the official documents of the European Union, including the agreement with Montenegro, should include another spelling of the name of the single currency - evro. This is how the name of the euro, which most EU countries write as euro, should appear when transliterated from Cyrillic. Bulgaria, the only EU member using the Cyrillic alphabet, claims it has the right to insist on the spelling 'evro' because that version of the currency's name appears in the agreement on Bulgaria's accession to the European Union.
As proof of the seriousness of its intentions, Bulgaria threatened not to sign the EU-Montenegro cooperation agreement, a key document for the accession of this Balkan state to the European Union.
Los Angeles residents allowed to sleep on the streets
The authorities of Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union have reached an agreement under which from 9 pm to 6 am, the city's homeless are officially allowed to sleep on the streets, reports NBC.
Under the terms of the agreement, sleeping homeless people must not be located less than 10 feet (3 meters) from entrances to residential buildings and institutions, and must not violate the law (for example, sleep in places where outsiders are prohibited). The agreement was reached after six homeless people filed a lawsuit against the city authorities, who issued an order prohibiting sleeping on the streets.
The document will be in effect until the city builds 1,250 affordable apartments for the poor, which will take several more years. Los Angeles has a population of about 10 million people, and among them are about 90,000 homeless. //Lenta.ru
Smoking almost universally banned in South Africa
One of the toughest smoking bans in the world has come into effect in South Africa: finding a place where you can smoke without consequences is now extremely difficult.
The law prohibits smoking near windows, doors, ventilation openings, and generally any buildings - public or private. It is also not allowed to smoke in one's own home or car if children under 12 are present. The fine for violation is 500 rand ($70). //Travel.ru