[1]http://www.ansa.
05-11_111371649.
2009-05-11 16:13
New immigration policy under fire
Council of Europe urges end to repatriation of boat people
(ANSA) - Strasbourg, May 11 - Europe's human rights body, the
Council of Europe, on Monday urged Italy to reconsider its new
policy of returning would-be-immigrants picked up by Italian
vessels in the Mediterranean to Libya.
''We hope that Italy and (Interior Minister Roberto) Maroni willno longer pursue this return policy,'' the Council's Human Rights
Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg told ANSA.
''Italy's initiative tosses up completely the right to seek
asylum'' and this is not a ''good'' thing, said Hammerberg,
stressing that it ''ignores the possibility of the right to
escape from repressive and violent situations''
its controversial new policy last week, turning back boats of
would-be-immigrants and possible asylum seekers trying to reach
the country's southernmost island of Lampedusa.
The vessels, intercepted by coast guard and navy vessels, were
escorted back to Libya, the most popular jumping off point for
illegal immigrants.
Maroni has hailed the policy as ''a new phase in fighting illegal
immigration'
at sea or expose refugees to the threats they had fled.
''The lives of people desperately trying to escape poverty or war
comes before any other consideration for us,'' he said.
''This principle has always inspired the search and rescue
activities that the police and navy carry out in the
Mediterranean, often in waters that are not Italy's
responsibility,
Maroni firmed up the new policy last week after the latest in a
string of disagreements with Malta over who should take migrants
located in disputed waters.
Under the policy, which sees a key part of a landmark accord with
Libya implemented for the first time, migrants are rescued in
international waters and taken back to Libya where humanitarian
organisations can vet their asylum claims.
MALTA BACKS ITALY'S MOVES AS ''POSITIVE STEP''.
Malta's interior minister, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, echoed Maroni
in hailing the deal with Libya.
''It's a very positive step, which we support,'' he said on
Friday.
''It is no longer acceptable to see people on leaky boats risking
their lives to cross the Mediterranean while we stand by,'' said
the minister, who announced that he and Maroni would visit Libya
soon along with European Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot.
Italy, which rescues thousands of North African migrants a year,
mostly at Lampedusa south of Sicily, and Malta, which rescues
hundreds, will now ask Brussels to put together a ''stronger''
aid package for Libya, he said.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Hammerberg's reaction was
to be ''expected'' but stressed that Italy was ''bound by a
decision taken by the European Union''.
Frattini said that people seeking asylum or trying to flee
violence-racked areas could do so by ''filing requests directly
from their own countries or from transit countries''.
He suggested that the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), who said last week that deporting migrants
while still at sea was against international law, should open up
a special office in Libya.
According to Frattini, on average, ''50% of 100 would-be-migrants
apply for political asylum and only half obtain it''.
''So we can't allow 100 clandestines to arrive simply to accept
about 20 requests for asylum,'' he said.
He stressed that the new repatriation policy was ''very
respectful of European policies'' and in line with the 2008
European Pact on Immigration and Asylum.
The Pact - a document of political intent but not binding laws -
sets out principles for managing migration, fighting illegal
immigration and forming partnerships with countries that people
leave or travel through to get to Europe.
It also attempts to make border controls more effective while
building better asylum policy.
Meanwhile, Maroni said Italy would ask the EU to apply the
principle of solidarity and share hospitality costs for
immigrants who have been granted refugee status. ''It's fitting
that we take care of initial reception costs; after that,
hospitality expenses for refugees should be funded by all the EU
countries,'' Maroni said.
''Italy is the Mediterranean country that has the greatest influx
of illegal immigrants because it's the gateway to Europe. Among
immigrants arriving here there are some who don't have the right
to refugee status and they are repatriated. Others, including
those fleeing from a war-torn country seeking to live in Europe
have this status and they can stay. But the entire cost of
providing hospitality is always fully covered by Italy''.
Maroni said Italy's request was being weighed by the European
Commission.
''I hope the issue is put on the agenda of the upcoming EU summit
in Stockholm because the request is a very legitimate one,'' he
said.
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