Parlatino president condemns new EU immigration policy

SANTIAGO, June 29 (Xinhua) -- President of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) Chilean Jorge Pizarro condemned Sunday the latest immigration policy of the European Parliament (EP), claiming it seriously violates human rights.

On June 18, the EP approved the Directive of Return, which was endorsed by interior ministers of the EU's 27 member countries in Luxembourg earlier this month.

Under the tough new immigration rules, illegal immigrants will face up to 18 months' detention before deportation and will be banned for up to five years from re-entry to EU countries.

"The expulsion of undocumented immigrants and the possibility of being detained without juridical order will criminalize immigration, and this affects millions of Latin Americans," Pizarro told a press conference.

The new immigration law "seriously violates human rights," Pizarro said.

Pizarro said this issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Parlatino to be held on July 3-4 in Santiago, Chile.