EFL: IMMIGRANTS to Britain will have to swear an oath of allegiance to EU laws and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, rather than the Queen, under a proposal announced by Brussels. The European Commission also announced measures to counter illegal immigration across Europe and others to promote integration of legal immigrants. Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner for justice and security, proposed an âoath of faithfulnessâ requiring all immigrants to the EU to swear allegiance to the union. He said: âOne can get every immigrant to somehow declare they will respect national law, EU law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.â The charter is seen by its supporters as representing the basic values of the EU. It goes considerably further than the old European Convention on Human Rights, offering, for example, the right to parental leave if you adopt a child, the right to continuous training, the right to social security benefits and the right to strike. It has no legal force because it was part of the European constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters.
The Government recently started requiring immigrants to swear allegiance to the Queen and British democracy. Signor Frattini proposed a charter to which 90 per cent of Franceâs immigrants sign up as a model for the rest of Europe. âAll those who enter Europe must respect European laws,â he said. âWe can insist on respecting the basic values of Europe, and we can demand full respect for existing laws.â The rise of Islamic terrorism, and the growth of alienated ethnic communities, has persuaded many governments that more efforts must be made to promote integration of immigrants, including loyalty oaths.
The oath of allegiance to the EU â which could be in addition to or in place of the oath to the Queen â would be subject to negotiation, but the Government cannot veto it because it gave up its national veto on EU immigration law last year. Britain does have an opt-out, but it would have to reject the entire package of immigration measures.
A government spokesman said: âQuestions of citizenship should be organised by member states nationally.â An EU diplomat said of the proposal: âItâs loony.â
Timothy Kirkhope, the leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, and former immigration minister, said: âI am amazed. You can laugh, but it worryingly shows the views of people who should know better. I swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen. I am not going to take kindly to an Italian gentleman telling me to swear allegiance to unelected people, or to swear allegiance to something I donât agree with â a unified European state.â
Mike Nattrass, deputy leader of the UK Independence Party, said: âAn allegiance to something with no single culture, no agreed history, no common language and packed with fraud and corruption? The EU must be joking.â