EU urges to oppose human trafficking

The EU's justice and home affairs commissioner called on the bloc's governments Tuesday to quickly adopt new measures to curb human trafficking into Europe. Franco Frattini is to present proposed new EU rules at a conference on trafficking Wednesday in Brussels. He said that it is a "moral necessity" to combat human trafficking committed for the purpose of sexual or labor exploitation, adding that action against the trafficking of children should be a priority.

The proposal also focuses on boosting cooperation with non-EU countries, like those in Africa and other parts of Europe, which are used by many organized crime gangs as bases from which to move illegals into the EU.

Frattini has warned that some 30,000 would-be migrants were in Algeria and Morocco ready to attempt entry into Europe. He said 95 percent of the migrants trying to break into the EU were from sub-Saharan Africa, the AP says.

The EU commissioner would visit Spain, Italy and other Mediterranean EU states in the coming weeks to assess what other action the EU could take to stop the flow of illegal migrants, Frattini's spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing told reporters.

Spain and France said Monday they will present a joint initiative at an EU summit next week in Britain to boost the EU's fight against illegal immigration by seeking economic development in African countries that are the main source of the problem.

T.E.