DESPITE Michael Portillo's antiEuropean Union sentiment (esigned to increase his support on the Tory far right) it is clear that the European Union itself is very effective in limiting the free passage of migrants and in persecuting refugees and asylum seekers.
Fortress Eurone has been constructed through the Maastricht Treaty in 1991 gave the European Commission the ability to determine policy on immigration in the form of rules concerning visa control across the EEC wherby the Council of Minsters can impose visa controls for six months without consulting the European Parliament. Such an imposition is to be used where there is a 'threat of a sudden inflow of nationals from a particular country".
This supports the sentiment of the Commission in 1991 in approvino measures by member states to make "the material situation of asylum seekers less attractive while their case is being considered: witholding of certain social security benefits, restrictions on employment and freedom of movement"
The racism of the Tory government is therefore actively endorsed by the European Union.
Indeed the Schengen agreement. supposedly drawn up originally to allow free travel between Belgium. the Netherlands and Luxembourg (it now includes most member states but not Britain) has been used to justity tougher rules on exclusion of migrants from 120 countries outside the EU.
'Negative list'
The EU at the 1989 Madrid summit to draw up this common "negative list of countries whose people require a visa for entry into the EEC.
This has recently been updated by the idea of a 'white list of safe countries from which no-one will be granted asylum.
Other European wide measures include co-operation between EU countries in policing the borders of the union and exchange of information concerning refugees and asylum In addition the "Ad-hoc group on iron, made up or miteror ministers from EU countries, drew up proposals to limit asylum seekers to single applications to one EEC country (enshrined in the 1990 Dublin agreement) and proposed sanctions against airlines carrying unauthorized asylum seekers. It also proposed the compulsory finger printing of asylum seekers (as supported by the Tory asylum Act).
The second phase of Maastricht, to be discussed at next year's intergovernmental Conference, is to include proposals to further strengthen European border controls and anti-immigration policies. European integration effectively means exclusion of non-Europeans or to be more specific non-white non-EuropeThe continued increase of racist measures by European governments comes at a time of continued growth in fascist parties.
New anti-immigration laws are grabbed upon by fascists as justification for their racist and supremacist ideology. The state therefore employs as its racist foot soldiers not only the police and anti-immigration officials but also fascists and their supporters.
Unemployment, the planned result of liberal capitalist economic policy, is blamed on immigration. The enemy within' is identified by the state for continued viscious attacks.
This enemy is not only black people but is increasingly seen as anyone ditfering from the 'norm' of white middle class heterosexualism.
It is a pity that it is this 'norm' a media myth of the soap opera which Blair is constantly chasing. It is also a pity that despite the welcome self-organisation of black people represented by the Nation of Islam that it continues to divide the osack cortiv nity along the lines of gender and sexuality.
State
The racism of the state is the act of a tired and desparate capitalist pay, unemployment and the continual misery faced by working people.
Workers must unite against the increased attacks on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers represented in Michael Howard and Peter Lilley's proposals.
We must also build a united antiracist, anti-fascist movement which not only recognises the crucial importance of black self-organisation but also the fundamental need for a united working class offensive against racism and all forms of oppression. The demonstration on October 28 is a welcome move in that direction. The fight must continue including in the struggle against the detention and deportation of migrant Michael Howard, not yet fully revealed in public, for further restrictions on the right to appeal against delum rights.
Force
The Tories are also pianworkers to enforce the in. fits announced by Lilley.
DSS workers, teachers. ers will all be expected to finger suspected illegal immigrants' who may be claiming state benefits.
A successful week of accation and detention centre campaigns and by CARF (Campaign Against Racism and Fascism) which included a picket of Downing Street against Lilley and Howard's new proposals on 14 October and a demonstration outside Tory Party conference.
It is vital that nationally ues and that campaigns in this country also link up with campaigns against state racism in the rest of Europe such as SOS Racisme and MRAX.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No 92, October 28 1995. Page 9.