Tag Archives: Lampedusa

by | 16 Feb 2011 · 06:22

Frontex Receives Request for Assistance from Italy (finally)

After several days of inconsistent public statements by Italian officials, according to a statement on the Frontex web site “[t]he Italian Government [on 15 February] requested assistance in strengthening the surveillance of the EU’s external borders in the form of a Joint Operation. In addition, Italy requested a targeted risk analysis on the possible future scenarios of increased migratory pressure in the region in the light of recent political developments in North Africa and the possibility of the opening up of a further migratory front in the Central Mediterranean area. … In the current situation, the Agency foresees its main role as coordinating border guards from among the Member States, particularly with regard to second-line experts in the screening and debriefing of irregular migrants as well as in coordinating an appropriate operational response to the humanitarian needs in the area. In addition, the Agency is investigating the most optimal means by which to adapt a range of technical assets engaged in Sea Border Operations in the Mediterranean to the needs of the Italian authorities.…”

Click here for full statement.

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by | 15 Feb 2011 · 07:03

Frontex: No Formal Request for Assistance Has Been Made by Italy

Frontex posted a statement on its web site on Monday saying that it is sending a fact-finding team to Italy “to liaise with local authorities and monitor the situation on the ground” but that “[a]s of Monday February 14, Frontex has not received a formal request for assistance from the Italian Government, however, the Warsaw HQ is ready to act if necessary and is preparing an appropriate operational response in the event of it being requested.”

Commissioner Malmström reiterated on her blog that as of yesterday “Italy has not made a formal request for assistance, but of course we are looking at how we can assist both in a humanitarian capacity and practically with the screening of potential refugees (so far it does not seem that any of the Tunisians who have come to Italy have asked for asylum) and with their return.” (“Fortfarande har Italien inte kommit med någon formell begäran om hjälp men vi tittar förstås på hur vi skall kunna bistå både humanitärt, praktiskt med screening av eventuella flyktingar (hittills verkar det inte som om någon av de tuniseier som kommit till Italien har begärt asyl) och med återvändande.”)

Click here for the Frontex statement and here for Malmström’s blog.

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by | 15 Feb 2011 · 06:42

EP Plenary Session on 15 Feb Will Consider the Question of “Immediate EU measures in support of Italy and other MS affected by exceptional migratory flows”

The agenda for the Tuesday, 15 February, plenary session of the European Parliament will include the following two items:

  • State of European asylum system, after the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights – Commission statement [2011/2579(RSP)]
  • Immediate EU measures in support of Italy and other Member States affected by exceptional migratory flows – Commission statement [2011/2582(RSP)]

These agenda items are scheduled to be considered at 16:00 or at the end of the preceding debate.

Click here for agenda.

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by | 14 Feb 2011 · 20:18

Italy and Malta Call for Extraordinary Meeting of EU Council to Discuss Mediterranean Migration Emergency

Italy has requested an extraordinary meeting of the Council of EU Heads of State to discuss the migration situation in Italy.  According to the EU Observer, “Hungarian [EU Presidency] sources told EUobserver that Budapest ‘will do all it can to accommodate the Italians,’ but the timing is tight, and it is far from certain whether other EU member states will view the situation the same way as Rome.”  The next regularly scheduled meeting of the EU justice and home affairs ministers who would ordinarily consider the situation and Italy’s requests for assistance is scheduled for 24-25 February.

Mario Mauro, MEP, Head of the Italian Delegation (PDL) of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, has also called upon Herman Van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso, and EP President Jerzy Buzek to convene a meeting of the EU Heads of State within the next few days.  Mauro’s press release describes the situation as “an epic emergency comparable in intensity and scale to the fall of the Soviet Bloc in 1989” and further says that “[w]hat is happening in the Maghreb countries has to fully put into question the weakness of the EU Mediterranean Strategy. The European Commission’s solidarity initiatives or parliamentary debates will not be enough, nor will the prompt use of FRONTEX instruments. We must realise that history is making us face a challenge that has to be tackled with the same determination and the same resources used in recent years to stabilise Eastern European countries. Southern European countries should not be left alone to deal with this urgency.”

In the meantime, the Times of Malta reports that Tunisian security forces are expanding their efforts to secure the departure points in Tunisia.

Click here for MEP Mauro’s Press Release.

Click here and here for articles. (EN)

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by | 14 Feb 2011 · 15:34

Statement by PACE President Çavusoglu Regarding the Arrivals in Lampedusa

PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu released a statement today concerning the arrivals in Lampedusa and elsewhere in Italy and called for the proper treatment of those who are arriving, including granting of international protection where appropriate, and asking that there be no mass expulsions.  The statement also said that “it is also absolutely necessary that Europe share the responsibility for these people. Today it is Italy taking the brunt. Tomorrow it could be Malta, next week it could be Greece, in a year Turkey. All of Europe is concerned. In this context, the EU Agency Frontex has an important role to play, but it must abide by all the maritime and human rights provisions applying to rescue and interception at sea.”

The statement also referenced PACE Resolution 1637 (2008), “Europe’s boat people: mixed migration flows by sea into southern Europe” whose provisions include the following:

“9. The Assembly calls on Mediterranean member states of the Council of Europe receiving mixed flows of irregular migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to:

9.1. comply fully with and, when applicable, implement international and regional human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), international refugee law, and European Union legislation, including Council Directives 2003/9/EC (laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers), 2004/83/EC (“refugee qualification directive”) and 2005/85/EC (“refugee procedures directive”);

9.2. comply fully with international maritime obligations on search and rescue, and examine fully any allegations of breaches of these obligations, including allegations of boats being refused assistance and being “pushed back”;

9.3. progressively proscribe administrative detention of irregular migrants and asylum seekers, drawing a clear distinction between the two groups, and in the meantime allow detention only if it is absolutely necessary to prevent unauthorised entry into the country or to ensure deportation or extradition, in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights; [***]

Click here for Statement.

Click here for PACE Resolution 1637 (2008).

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by | 11 Feb 2011 · 15:12

Frattini: Italy is facing migration emergency

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini released a statement describing the recent arrivals by Tunisians as an immigration emergency and calling for a “Marshall Plan” for immigration from the south.  The statement also says that Tunisia’s new Foreign Minister will visit Italy next week to reaffirm cooperation agreements between Italy and Tunisia.

Full statement:

11 Febbraio 2011

“Per l’immigrazione dal Sud del mondo serve un ‘piano Marshall’ e cioè una visione strategica un po’ più di medio termine”. Lo ha detto il Ministro Franco Frattini, soffermandosi, a Trieste, sui nuovi sbarchi di clandestini a Lampedusa. “E’ un allarme vero e noi lo avevamo previsto – ha detto Frattini – Per questo la prossima settimana sarà in Italia il nuovo ministro degli Esteri della Tunisia per riconfermare gli accordi di collaborazione”.

Per Frattini “siamo in presenza di una vera e propria emergenza migratoria e noi non possiamo immaginare che l’Italia sia il luogo dove tutti arrivano e tutti restano. Con la Tunisia avevamo una eccellente collaborazione e la dobbiamo confermare con il nuovo ministro”.

Sul concetto di ‘piano Marshall’ per l’immigrazione, Frattini ha quindi spiegato che “significa avere una visione un po’ più di medio termine, vuol dire non limitarsi all’emergenza. Vuol dire che questi Paesi – Tunisia, Algeria, Egitto ma anche altri – richiedono una strategia in cui l’Europa metta a disposizione fondi assai più sostanziosi per lo sviluppo economico, per i giovani, per gli studenti, per l’università”. In pratica, ha concluso il Ministro, “un piano Marshall per evitare che la disperazione innesti flussi di immigrazioni. Questo è il pericolo”.

Or click here (IT) for the statement.

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by | 11 Feb 2011 · 05:16

Hundreds of Tunisians Continue to Arrive in Lampedusa – ANSA: “Si e’ riaperta ‘l’autostrada del mare’ nel Canale di Sicilia”

Hundreds of Tunisians have continued to arrive in Italy on Lampedusa, and the islands of Pelagie and Pantelleria.  A Tunisian newspaper reported that 12 boats have left Tunisia in recent days.  400 migrants have arrived in Lampedusa and other Italian islands over the past two days.  EveryOne Group estimates that more than 1200 Tunisians have arrived on Italian territory over the past week.

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

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