PARAGUAYANS OUTRAGED AT EU IMMIGRATION ACCORD

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000476 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/BSC KBEAMER AND DRL IZSOLDOS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2033 TAGS: EUN OAS PREL SMIG PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAYANS OUTRAGED AT EU IMMIGRATION ACCORD REF: STATE 70970 Classified By: A/DCM John Beed for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies and Foreign Ministry declared the European Union Parliament's new immigration accord a violation of human rights. The Foreign Ministry's Special Affairs Minister Victor Hugo Pena said June 25 that the Paraguayan government considers the EU accord "excessive" and "devastating" to millions of Latin American migrants who emigrated to Europe. Local EU official Enrique Dejoie said June 26 that the accord is nonbinding and that each EU member state -- including Spain, a major Paraguayan immigration destination -- must decide whether to adopt the accord. The new Lugo administration will likely wok multilaterally through the OAS and Mercosur to mitigate the affects of the accord. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies and Foreign Ministry declared the European Union Parliament's new immigration accord a violation of human rights via a June 17 statement, which decried the EU accord for authorizing the arrest, detention, and expulsion of illegal immigrants from EU member states. The Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved a resolution June 18 rejecting the EU legislation. The resolution states that the EU accord violates Paraguayan human rights. (NOTE: The Paraguayan government bases its human rights claim on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. END NOTE.) President-elect Fernando Lugo denounced the EU accord during a June 20 press conference, and stated that Mercosur should act to protect migrants affected by the EU's decision. Lugo noted that South America accepted many European immigrants following the two World Wars and that Europe should reciprocate. ¶3. (C) The Foreign Ministry's Special Affairs Minister Victor Hugo Pena told PolOff June 25 that the Paraguayan government considers the accord "excessive" and "devastating" to millions of Latin American migrants who emigrated to Europe. (NOTE: EU representative Enrique Dejoie estimated that up to 150,000 Paraguayan immigrants reside in Europe, including as many as 100,000 Paraguayans who live in Spain. Many live in Europe illegally as a result of a recent surge in Paraguayan emigration caused by a lack of domestic employment opportunities. END NOTE.) Paraguayan representatives attending the June 26 Special Meeting of the OAS Permanent Council expressed public disappointment with the OAS' response, stating that Paraguay would have preferred a stronger response than the OAS resolution calling for a high-level mission to the European Union to study the accord (reftel). ¶4. (C) Dejoie told PolOff June 26 that the EU immigration accord is nonbinding and that each EU member state -- including Spain, a major Paraguayan immigration destination -- must individually decide whether or not to adopt the accord. He noted that the Spanish government is relatively open to immigration, and will likely not implement the new accord when it goes into effect in 2010. (NOTE: The press reported June 26 Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos reassured Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano that Paraguayans would not be expelled "en masse" from Spain and that the EU accord would not impact Paraguayans' immigration status in Spain. END NOTE.) Dejoie noted that the EU does not require Paraguayans to obtain visas for short-term visits but that this privilege could end if Paraguayans continue to emigrate to the EU illegally in large numbers. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: The new Lugo administration will likely work multilaterally through the OAS and Mercosur to mitigate the affects of the EU accord. The Paraguayan government reacted negatively to news of the immigration accord because it did not take into account the fact that the accord is optional for EU member states. The EU accord hit a nerve in Paraguay, and will likely continue to be an emotionally-charged issue. END COMMENT. Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion Cason