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.

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