Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-11-17-Speech-3-054"
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"en.20041117.3.3-054"2
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"Mr President, Mr President-in-Office, a Greek friend who recently visited Holland told me that what had impressed him most was that the police on the streets of Amsterdam gave the impression that they were there to protect citizens and their diversity, not to watch and suspect them.
The tragic events with Van Gogh and the extremists from the other side illustrate, unfortunately, that terrorism is working and what it is seeking: to ultimately suppress the obvious. Racial violence deserves zero tolerance, but the victory of the terrorists will be that we in Europe, unfortunately like others elsewhere, also consider that, in order to combat violence, war means peace and restricting personal freedoms means protecting them. Consequently, congratulations are in order for the Dutch presidency for the fact that, on the very days when these horrendous incidents occurred, it organised an informal conference for the 11 common authorities on the subject of integration. You have got the right emphasis. Integration. Not policing.
I have just three comments to make on the foregoing:
First, the Hague five-year programme which we are debating today makes provision for special funds to return immigrants and guard borders, but it makes no provision for a special integration fund, even though integration is one of the basic actions. We are asking for a commitment that the financing for integration be given the same priority, so that we get beyond words.
Secondly, when we lay down policies for integration, we cannot ignore the fact that we have millions of European citizens in countries the world over who are themselves immigrants. Their experience cannot be ignored. From this point of view, we must be prepared to grant immigrants who settle in the countries of the European Union a similar level of treatment to that which we demand for European immigrants in third countries. Otherwise we are not being consistent.
Thirdly, attention to personal rights when dealing with terrorism. Biometric data in passports and other similar measures may be important; on the other hand, however, they may add little to security in relation to what they take away in civil liberties. Only if they are absolutely necessary and effective in addressing very clearly predefined objectives can they be the subject of discussion in my opinion."@en1
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