Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has defended the recent EU directive on the return of illegal immigrants, denying that it violates human rights, local media reported Sunday.
"One could agree or not, but what cannot be said is that it goes against human rights," Zapatero said in an interview with local daily "El Pais."
The Return Directive, passed on June 18, lays down common EU rules for the expulsion of illegal immigrants.
Among other measures, it extends the length of time for which illegal immigrants may be detained to 18 months, and allows a re-entry ban to be applied for a maximum of five years if an illegal immigrant fails to return home voluntarily within a period of seven to thirty days.
The European directive on immigrants' return is a "progressionist advance," because it is the only such common normative frame in existence, Zapatero added.
Several Latin American countries have slammed the EU directive, with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez calling it "shameful" and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva saying it is an expression of Europe's "xenophobia."
Source:Xinhua
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