Category Archives: Tunisia

by | 25 Mar 2011 · 14:00

Italian Ministers Frattini and Maroni in Tunis for Migration Negotiations

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Interior Minister Roberto Maroni are in Tunis today for negotiations with Tunisian Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi and others in an effort to seek Tunisian cooperation to prevent migrant departures from Tunisia.  According to a statement on the Italian Foreign Ministry web site, Italy is calling for “the resumption of cooperation to combat illegal immigration” and for “immediate and adequate coastal monitoring as well as cooperation in identifying and readmitting irregular migrants.”  According to ANSA, Italy is “ready to offer economic aid, personnel and equipment (vessels, equipment, radar, etc.).”

Click here (IT) for article and here and here for statements on the Italian Foreign Ministry web site (IT).

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by | 25 Mar 2011 · 00:08

Frontex Announces Extension and Expansion of Joint Operation Hermes in Central Mediterranean

On 23 March Frontex announced a 5 month extension of its Joint Operation Hermes.  Frontex also announced a westward expansion of the operational area to include Sardinia, roughly 300 km northwest of Lampedusa.  According to Frontex Director Laitinen, “100 percent [of] the request the Italian authorities [have] made to Frontex” has been satisfied.

Frontex statement in full:

“Warsaw, 23 March 2011 — Due to the notable increase in migratory pressure on Italy and the island of Lampedusa in particular, Frontex has widened the operational area of Joint Operation Hermes and extended its duration for five more months, with the aim of strengthening Europe’s border control response capability in the Central Mediterranean.

‘In close cooperation with the Italian authorities, we have decided to run Joint Operation Hermes until the end of August 2011, and to extend the operational area to include Sardinia, where Frontex has already deployed aerial assets to strengthen the patrolling capacity of the Italian authorities,’ said Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen.

‘Frontex is closely monitoring the developments in North Africa and stands ready to assist the Member States operationally if requested. We are also continuously developing additional operational responses for potential rapid deployment throughout the Mediterranean if needed,’ he added.

As of 23 March 2011, Lampedusa remained the main destination for migrants from Tunisia. During the previous week alone, 3,230 undocumented persons arrived on the island, bringing the total number of arrivals detected in the whole operational area since Hermes began on 20 February to 9,098. The majority of migrants are young men but 52 women and more than 240 minors were also detected during Italian-led Hermes. At the time of writing the great majority of migrants who recently arrived in Lampedusa claimed to be of Tunisian nationality.

In addition to one aircraft and two vessels already financed and coordinated by Frontex, one Dutch and one Portuguese plane have now arrived in Pantelleria and Sardinia respectively to assist the Italian authorities in strengthening their border control activities.

‘With this equipment and 20 experts currently working in the centres of Bari, Caltanisetta and Crotone, we have satisfied 100 percent the request the Italian authorities made to Frontex,’ Laitinen concluded.

The cost of the first 40 days of the operation amounts to EUR 2.6 mln.”

Click here for statement.

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by | 24 Mar 2011 · 05:29

Italian Navy Transports 600 Migrants from Lampedusa to Sicily

In an effort to relieve the severe overcrowding on Lampedusa, the San Marco, an Italian naval ship yesterday transported about 600 Tunisians from Lampedusa to Sicily.  The ship’s departure was delayed by several hours because the ship’s captain had apparently not been given instructions where to take the migrants.  The ship was eventually directed to sail to the port of Augusta on Sicily.  It is unclear whether the ship will return to Lampedusa to pick up more migrants.

There has been confusion over the identity of the 600 migrants who were selected to be moved to Sicily.  Initial statements by Italian officials said that the migrants who were to be moved had been identified as asylum seekers or were women and children.  But later reports indicted that there were fewer than 20 women and children among the 600 and that none of the 600 have been identified as asylum seekers.   UNHCR said that no formal refugee processing is being conducted on Lampedusa in part due to the chaos and severe overcrowding on the island and also due to the fact that only a few migrants have reportedly expressed a desire to seek asylum.

Approximately 650 other migrants were transported off the island yesterday by planes and yesterday marked the first day in many days where there was a net decrease in the migrant population on Lampedusa.  1200 migrants left the island and about 300 new migrants in seven boats arrived on the island yesterday.

Foreign Minister Frattini and Interior Minister Maroni are now scheduled to travel to Tunis on Friday, 25 March, to discuss a new migration agreement with Tunisia.

Click here (IT), here (IT), here (IT), and here (EN) for articles.

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by | 24 Mar 2011 · 03:10

Save the Children: Conditions for 250 Unaccompanied Migrant Children on Lampedusa Unacceptable

Save the Children released a press statement yesterday describing the conditions for more than 250 unaccompanied migrant children on Lampedusa and calling for their immediate transfer from the island.  Excerpts:

“’The structure that has been allocated [to the children on Lampedusa] is totally inadequate and the conditions on an hourly basis are becoming more critical from the point of view of hygiene and [other conditions]’ said Raffaella Milano, Italy-Programs Manager, Save the Children Europe.  Since the beginning of the increased arrivals of migrants from Tunisia – since February 10 – more than 530 children, the vast majority of them unaccompanied, have arrived in Lampedusa.  Of these, 283 have been placed in communities to accommodate the children in Sicily.  ‘More than 250 unaccompanied minors are still remaining in Lampedusa and many have been living many days in conditions that do not guarantee minimum standards of reception.’ …  Save the Children calls for the transfer of the children and setting up temporary structures … if necessary, where the children may stay until being placed within the community. … This delay is not justifiable.”

For more information:
Press Office Save the Children Italy,
Tel. 06.48070023-71-001;
press@savethechildren.it
http://www.savethechildren.it

Click here for link to statement.

Also click here for 22 March UNHCR urgent call for action by the Italian authorities to alleviate overcrowding on Lampedusa.

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by | 23 Mar 2011 · 13:55

EMHRN Statement: Italy and EU should suspend all measures of forcible removal towards Tunisia

Press release in its entirety from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network:

“Brussels, 23 March 2011.  Italy and the other Member States of the EU should suspend all measures of forcible removal towards Tunisia and share in the reinstallation of Libyan and non-Libyan refugees who have to flee Libya

Italian ministers Frattini and Maroni have announced their intention to travel to Tunisia to renew bilateral cooperation on migration issues. In the view of the Euro-Mediterranean Network, in the present circumstances, the ministers’ insistence that the Tunisian authorities must prevent new departures from Tunisia and cooperate in the forcible removal of the Tunisian migrants who have landed in Italy since the beginning of the year, is particularly inappropriate.

The upheavals that are shaking the region at the moment have exposed the short-sightedness and futility of a policy that favours dictators instead of migrants.

Expecting from the Tunisian authorities, first and foremost, a crack down on immigration from third countries and emigration towards the European Union amounts to encouraging them in returning to the authoritarian practices of the former regime. This is not the kind of support Tunisia needs.

In this transition period, Italy and the other member states of the European Union should, on the contrary, suspend all measures imposing the forcible removal of Tunisian nationals towards Tunisia and share in the resettlement of Libyan and non-Libyan refugees who have had to flee Libya, arrived in Tunisia and cannot return to their home country.

While the number of Tunisian migrants who have landed on Lampedusa Island is significant relative to the size and population of the island, it is minuscule, on the European scale, when compared to the scope of the humanitarian emergency confronting Tunisia on its border with Libya. No fewer than 165,000 people have crossed the border at Ras Adjir in an attempt to flee the violence in Libya since 20 February, but no Tunisian official has made inflammatory statements comparing migrants and asylum seekers with criminals or terrorists. Tunisia is forced to cope with the arrival of tens of thousands of Tunisian workers, some of whom had been living in Libya for many years, as well as tens of thousands of immigrant workers, mainly from Bangladesh and sub-Saharan countries, who are awaiting repatriation to their countries of origin with assistance from UNHCR and OIM, not to mention Libyans and nationals of countries such as Somalia, Eritrea or Sudan, who for obvious reasons cannot return to their countries of origin, where their lives and physical integrity would be at risk.”

Click here for link.

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by | 21 Mar 2011 · 15:40

IOM: New Migrant Arrivals on Lampedusa Lead to Massive Overcrowding

Full text:  “IOM Press Note – Monday 21 March 2011 – New Migrant Arrivals on Lampedusa Lead to Massive Overcrowding —  The arrival of more than 1,630 irregular migrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday 20 March and overnight Monday 21st has led to massive overcrowding at the migrant reception centre where IOM and partners monitor reception assistance and provide legal counselling to migrants, asylum-seekers and unaccompanied minors.

With the weekend’s arrival of Tunisian migrants bringing the current number of migrants on Lampedusa to nearly 4,780 and the reception centre built to host 800 people, migrants are being hosted wherever possible around the island.

This includes about 2,000 migrants at the port area which doesn’t have the sanitation facilities needed to host such numbers of people and who for the past few days have been sleeping in the open without adequate protection from the elements and in whatever space they can find.

Among the nearly 4,780 migrants on Lampedusa are about 200 minors. IOM and UNHCR worked with partner Save the Children to find suitable accommodation for all the minors who have arrived in recent days and who could not be left to sleep at the pier with no blankets or mattresses.

IOM also found safe accommodation for 13 women away from the overcrowded reception centre.

With boat landings taking place during the day and night, IOM and partners are working in shifts to ensure assistance is provided 24 hours a day.

Staff report that the situation on the island, which has a population of 5,000, is critical and tense and that rapid transfers to other migrant reception centres elsewhere in Italy are essential.

Since February, around 14,000 Tunisian migrants have arrived on Lampedusa. With migrant reception centres in Puglia in southern Italy and on Sicily also fairly full, Italian authorities have established a centre at an ex-NATO base residence at Mineo on Sicily.

From today, 21 March, IOM staff will be present at Mineo where, as part of an Italian government funded project, the Organization will provide legal counselling to migrants and monitor reception assistance.

The vast majority of the migrants who have arrived on Lampedusa are young men who have left Tunisia either to find employment in Europe or to be united with families. For further information, please contact Flavio di Giacomo, IOM Rome, email: fdigiacomo@iom.int – Tel: +39.06.44.186.207 or +39.347.089.89.96

For additional information:

Jemini Pandya Tel : 41 22 717 9486 – Mobile : 41 79 217 33 74, Email : jpandya@iom.int

Jumbe Omari Jumbe Tel: 41 22 717 9405 – Mobile: 41 79 812 77 34, Email: jjumbe@iom.int

ISDN Line : 41 22 788 38 61″

I don’t have a link to this press briefing other than the following google docs link here. First posted on Euromed-MigrAsyl.

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by | 21 Mar 2011 · 13:31

Italy Has Not Requested Frontex Assistance with Transfer of Migrants from Lampedusa

According to the EUobserver, “[a] spokeswoman for … Frontex, … told this website that the Italian authorities have not yet asked for help in transferring the migrants from Lampedusa to Sicily, for instance by extending the existing ‘Hermes’ operation set up in February to assist them with the Tunisian situation.”  No Frontex “debriefing experts sent by member states [are] based in Lampedusa.”  “Romain Prevot, a French border official now based in Trapani, northern Sicily, told EUobserver that ‘initially we were supposed to be in Lampedusa,” but then “for security reasons,’ the Italian government decided to deploy them to Sicily and the mainland.”

Click here for full article.

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by | 21 Mar 2011 · 02:30

Inhumane Conditions on Lampedusa; Local Residents Block Ship Carrying Supplies for Migrants in Effort to Prevent Construction of Tent City

Hundreds of migrants from Tunisia continue to arrive on Lampedusa.  While thousands of the migrants have been moved to other locations in Italy, over 4000 are now on the island.  Their living conditions are dangerous and unsanitary.  Many of the newly arriving migrants have wet clothes and lack shoes and are being housed outdoors without shelter.  Hundreds do not have access to toilets, wash facilities, or adequate food.  About 700 migrants reportedly arrived yesterday, but only 300 migrants were able to be transferred off the island yesterday.   An Italian navy ship is expected to arrive in the “coming hours” which will have the capacity to transport at least 1000, perhaps 2000, migrants from the island.  The mayor of Lampedusa, Bernardino De Rubeis, said “[t]he attitude of the State is a shame. Italy is allowing thousands of these immigrants to be treated like animals, forced to sleep under the water. All of Italy should be ashamed. («L’atteggiamento dello Stato è vergognoso. L’Italia sta consentendo che queste migliaia di immigrati vengano trattati come bestie, obbligati a dormire sotto l’acqua. Tutta l’Italia dovrebbe vergognarsi».)

Hundreds of local residents engaged in a new round of demonstrations yesterday by preventing the unloading of a ship carrying tents, portable toilets, and other supplies for the migrants on the island.  The residents are trying to prevent the creation of a tent city.  They fear that if conditions for the migrants are improved, it is less likely that the migrants will be moved from the island to other locations.

Click here and here for articles. (IT)

Click here (IT) for update from EveryOne Group.

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by | 20 Mar 2011 · 03:16

Hundreds of Tunisians Continue to Arrive in Lampedusa; Italian Navy Ship to Transport Migrants from Island to Relieve Overcrowding; Local Residents Block Migrant Landings

Hundreds of Tunisians continue to reach Lampedusa.  Conditions at the main migrant reception centre on the island are extremely bad due to massive overcrowding and hundreds of migrants are sleeping in the open under tarps.  The centre is currently holding about 3000 persons whereas its capacity is supposed to be limited to 800 persons.  An Italian navy ship was scheduled to arrive on the island late on the 19th or on the 20th of March and it is anticipated that the ship will transport at least 1000 migrants to other locations in Italy.

Some local residents protested the continuing arrival of migrant boats by preventing for several hours coast guard and Guardia di Fiananza boats carrying rescued migrants from docking and disembarking the migrants in port.

Click here (IT), here, (IT), here (IT), and here (EN) for articles.

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by | 16 Mar 2011 · 04:38

2000 Migrants Reach Lampedusa Over 24 Hour Period; Ship Carrying 1800 Remains in Int’l Waters in Need of Fuel

Approximately 2000 new migrants in more than 20 boats arrived in Lampedusa on 14-15 March.  Some were rescued and some reached Lampedusa on their own.  One boat is believed to have sunk near Tunisia and approximately 35 persons are believed to be missing.

According to a UNHCR briefing yesterday, just over 10,000 migrants, nearly all young Tunisian men, have arrived in Italy since mid-January.  UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming said that “[t]he outflow from Tunisia is unrelated to the ongoing crisis in Libya. From our interactions with Tunisians arriving in Italy over past weeks, we believe that most are seeking employment and better economic opportunities, rather than international protection.   UN staff and partners in Tunisia report that some villages appear largely empty of their young male population, with only women, children and elderly people remaining. This type of outflow is not atypical of countries in transition, and we are well aware of the many demands on the Tunisian authorities at present. Solutions to this type of flow need to be found in dialogue between the concerned governments, including arrangements for the orderly and dignified return of persons who are found not to be in need of international protection, and the establishment of opportunities for labor migration which can meet the needs of countries on both sides of the Mediterranean.”

The standoff with the Moroccan ferry, the Mistral Express, continues.  The ship left Libya several days ago and is located in international waters about 20 miles from the port of Augusta, Sicily.  Italian authorities have refused to permit the ship to enter Italian waters and are considering providing fuel to the ship while it remains at sea in order to prevent any of the 1800+ mostly Moroccan passengers from attempting to leave the ship and enter Italy.

Click here for UNHCR press briefing.

Click here, here, here, here, and here for articles.  (IT)

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by | 15 Mar 2011 · 06:28

Le Pen in Lampedusa: Migrants Should Be Stopped At Sea

Marine Le Pen, the head of France’s Front National, visited Lampedusa yesterday.  She was critical of the EU’s efforts to stop illegal migration and called for the use of bi-lateral agreements between Italy, France, and Spain and North African states to prevent migration.  She also suggested that migrants should be prevented from reaching European territory by being intercepted at sea, though in such cases humanitarian assistance in the form of food and water should be provided to the migrants at sea rather than on Lampedusa as is now the case.

Click here (IT), here (EN), here (EN) and here (IT) for articles.

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by | 09 Mar 2011 · 06:53

Migrants Being Prevented from Leaving Libya

According to several media reports, Libyan soldiers have prevented up to 30,000 migrant workers from fleeing Libya to Tunisia.  “The migrant workers were rounded up and apparently held in Libyan immigration buildings near the Tunisian border last week, Ibrahim Osman of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told The Associated Press.”  If this information is correct, it would explain the sudden drop in the numbers of persons trying to cross in to Tunisia in recent days.  According to IOM, as of 8 March, 224,661 migrants have reached Libya’s borders with Tunisia, Egypt, Niger and Algeria.

Click here and here for articles.  (EN)

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by | 08 Mar 2011 · 07:12

“Non-Stop” Boat Arrivals Continue in Lampedusa; Maroni Says Libyan Smuggling Organisations Now Operating From Tunisia

Boats containing over 1000 Tunisians arrived in Lampedusa on Monday.  The boats are reportedly leaving Tunisia from the southern coast from the port of Zarsis and the island of Djerba, an area near the border with Libya.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said on Monday that “we know that criminal organizations that operated by moving illegal immigrants from Libya have reappeared and are now repositioning themselves in the south of Tunisia.  (“Al ministro dell’Interno Roberto Maroni che parla di altre ‘migliaia e migliaia di persone pronte a partire’ e lancia un allarme: ‘abbiamo notizia – spiega – che sono riapparse le organizzazioni criminali che operavano prima in Libia facendo partire i clandestini e che adesso si stanno riposizionando nel sud della Tunisia’.)  Maroni said that “Italian intelligence had reported ‘thousands and thousands of young people’ heading for … Zarzis and Djerba, and that it would require a ‘significant commitment’ from EU countries to block their departure.”

Click here (IT), here (IT), here (IT), and here (EN) for articles.

 

 

 

Credit: Lampedusa, ancora sbarchi dalla Tunisia-FOTOGALLERY- LASTAMPA.it:

 

 

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by | 08 Mar 2011 · 06:29

Marine Le Pen to Visit Rome and Possibly Lampedusa, to Denounce Lack of EU Migration Controls

Taking full advantage of her rise in the French presidential opinion polls (recent opinion polls give her 23-24% of the vote in the first round of the 2012 presidential election, outpolling Sarkozy and DSK among others), Ms. Marine Le Pen, the head of France’s Front National, announced that she will travel to Rome next week and, if possible, she will also visit Lampedusa for the purpose of denouncing what she characterises as a lack of EU migratory controls.  (“Lors de son déplacement [en Italie], elle entend dénoncer «l’incapacité de l’Union européenne à juguler le déferlement migratoire qui frappe l’île de Lampedusa» après la révolution tunisienne. La candidate FN à l’Élysée envisage également de se rendre ultérieurement sur l’île de Lampedusa. «Si je peux me rendre à Lampedusa, j’irai, bien sûr», a-t-elle assuré.”)

Le Pen has referred to the Tunisians who have reached Italy in recent weeks as “the vanguard of a new massive wave of immigration.”  (“d’«éclaireurs d’une nouvelle vague migratoire gigantesque».”)  Her official web site contains an updated press release on the situation in Lampedusa: “Lampedusa : pendant que les clandestins sont accueillis, le maire est poursuivi !”

Click here (FR) for article.

Click here (FR) for link to Le Pen’s web site.

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by | 07 Mar 2011 · 06:50

Over 1000 New Migrants Reach Lampedusa

Migrant arrivals in Italy continue with over 1000 migrants reaching Lampedusa in at least 11 different boats on Sunday.

Click here (IT) and here (IT) for articles.

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