Une politique européenne commune sur limmigration clandestine ? Sangatte et au-delà

European policies concerning illegal immigration are criticised in light of France and GB's agreement about Sangatte (a camp for illegal immigrants). Analytical frameworks that see illegal immigration as a cultural, criminal, or national security problem are contested. A more rational approach would be to consider who the illegal immigrants are, before making immigration laws. Australian immigration figures - analogous to those of European nations - reveal that typical illegal immigrants are young British or US citizens who have overstayed their visas in order to work or to enrol in a university ; they are not criminals. Rather than being driven by emotion, immigration laws should be written to account for the realities of immigration.