2006年VOA标准英语-EU-Africa Summit Addresses European Migration

By Sabina Castelfranco
Tripoli
22 November 2006

European and African nations met in Libya on Wednesday to seek ways to stem the rising tide of illegal migration¹. The Libyan foreign minister, Abd al-Rahman Shalgam, told the conference that EU countries must provide assistance to Libya.  Sabina Castelfranco has more from the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

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Would-be immigrants arrive in the port of Los Cristianos on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain, Sept. 8, 2006

Libya is one of the main transit² countries for illegal migrants, along with Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania. Every year thousands of sub-Saharan migrants try to reach Libya in the hope of then crossing the Mediterranean³ Sea to reach Europe. They are fleeing poverty and hope that at the end of their journey they will find a better life.

In an effort to increase cooperation between African nations and the European Union, Libya agreed to host the first ministerial conference on migration in Tripoli. For two days, delegates from the African Union and European Union are discussing ways to curb⁴ illegal immigration.

Libya's foreign minister, Abd al-Rahman Shalgam, says this conference shows just how urgent the problem is.

"To have this gathering⁵ today here in Libya it means that the whole continent, the two continents, Europe and Africa, are completely aware [of] the importance and the complexity⁶ of this issue and we hope that we can have a declaration, a political declaration and a plan of action of what we can do on the ground regarding these poor people who are suffering, starving, civil wars, epidemics⁷ to keep them on their own soil,” he said.

 
Spanish Coast Guard vessel⁸ Punta Salinas carries 43 African migrants recovered earlier at sea in port of Los Cristianos on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife
Shalgam says that, on its own, Libya cannot control the tide of illegal migration, because its territory is too large. Libya, he says, has more than 4,000 kilometers of borders on the Sahara desert and about 2,000 kilometers on the Mediterranean Sea.  That is why, he says, it needs the assistance of the European Union.

EU officials say they understand the problems Libya faces and have offered assistance, including equipment and staff.

Shalgam also says more projects are needed on the ground in Africa to keep people in their own countries. African leaders agree that more jobs need to be created so that people will not have to leave their countries to earn a living.

At the conference, discussions also focused on ways to widen opportunities for legal migration.

The EU justice and interior commissioner⁹, Franco Frattini, on Wednesday said the EU plans to provide African countries with information on job opportunities in Europe through the establishment of a European Job Mobility¹⁰ Portal. He also said the EU Commission would propose new legislation that imposes penalties against employers of illegal immigrants.

Frattini also spoke¹¹ of the need to support African states with strategies to combat the trafficking in human beings. He said instruments need to be in place to prosecute¹² traffickers and offer protection to victims, with special attention to minors¹³ and women.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

3 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

7 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

8 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

9 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

10 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

13 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》