EU and HK sign repatriation deal

The European Union and Hong Kong have signed an accord allowing for rapid repatriation of illegal immigrants between each others' territories.

The readmission agreement, the first of its kind, will also cover non-nationals arriving in Europe from Hong Kong without permission.

The European commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs, Antonio Vitorino, said it was an important milestone and hoped it would boost the EU's efforts to develop a common policy on illegal immigration.

However correspondents say France and other EU members believe the union is still not being tough enough on non-EU countries.

EU ministers meeting on Thursday will discuss granting the commission mandates to negotiate deals with Turkey, China and other states, but some EU states, including France, have threatened to withdraw their support.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service