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On 18 June 2008, the European Parliament (EP) has adopted in Strasbourg the EU Return Directive and has thus accepted the compromise on the dealing with irregular migrants negotiated between the Rapporteur of the EP and Member of the European Parliament (MoEP), Manfred Weber (CSU), and the Council of Ministers. This means a further step towards the harmonisation of the EU migration policy. The core elements of the Directive are as follows: The Member States are to grant irregulars in future a period of seven to 30 days during which they can voluntarily return to their country of origin. Only such persons are to be taken into custody whose deportation can also be legally enforced. In doing so, the period of custody in special detention centres is to be kept as short as possible and should normally not exceed six months. If legal proceedings are delayed, however, custody can also be extended up to a period of 18 months. In the case of infringements of the obligation to return, a five-year ban to re-enter the EU is to be issued. Critics of the Directive such as refugee relief organisations and political mandate holders consider the possible custody period of 18 months to secure deportation of illegals and in particular of minors as too long. Karl Kopp, German spokesman of the European umbrella organisation European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), said that even today there would be an "excessive interpretation of the acts governing asylum". The implementation of the compromise would set a disastrous standard and constituted an infringement of human rights. The chairman of the Liberals in the European Parliament, Graham Watson, stressed, however, that the EU in its entirety committed itself for the first time to comply with certain minimum standards when dealing with illegals. Refugees were given now also the possibility to claim a number of rights. Now, the Member States have a 24 month"s time to transpose the Directive into national law.
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