Tuesday, 28. July 2009
Italy's immigration deal with Libya - Italiens Einwanderungsabkommen mit Libyen
ingridina, 16:31h
11.6.2009 - Human rights groups have expressed outrage at an Italian agreement to send immigrants back to Libya without screening them for asylum claims, tarnishing Muammar Gaddafi's "historic" visit to Italy, which ends on 12 June.
Italy agreed to pay Libya a $5 billion reparations deal over its 1911-43 colonial rule. But in fact, most of the money is Italian investment committed over 20 years, and no transfer of sums will take place. Libya is also pumping petrodollars into major Italian companies like UniCredit and Eni, as well as supplying a quarter of Italy's oil imports.
Under a 'Treaty of Friendship', the two countries agreed to cooperate in fighting illegal immigration. The pact allows Italy's coastguard to swiftly deport boatloads of illegal immigrants back to Libyan shores, skipping procedures for filing potential asylum applications.
Human right groups claim the agreement violates Italy's international human right obligations by dumping migrants and asylum seekers on Libya. Italy stands accused of handing over immigrants to Libya, which is not party to the United Nations Refugee Convention and has no asylum system.
The centre-left Democratic Party, the anti-corruption 'Italy of Values' party and the Radical Party opposed the visit and lambasted the immigration deals. In a recent interview with EurActiv, former EU commissioner and Radical Party leader Emma Bonino said that under Berlusconi's tenure, there was a "total lack of respect for the rule of law" in fields such as the media, the justice system and immigration.
Link with background details: http://www.euractiv.com/en/justice/italy-immigration-deal-libya-sparks-uproar/article-183116
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Menschenrechtsorganisationen haben ihre Empörung über eine Vereinbarung Italiens ausgedrückt, Einwanderer zurück nach Libyen zu schicken, ohne ihre Asylanträge zu prüfen, was Schatten auf Muammar Gaddafis „historischen“ Besuch in Italien wirft, der am 12. Juni endet.
Italy agreed to pay Libya a $5 billion reparations deal over its 1911-43 colonial rule. But in fact, most of the money is Italian investment committed over 20 years, and no transfer of sums will take place. Libya is also pumping petrodollars into major Italian companies like UniCredit and Eni, as well as supplying a quarter of Italy's oil imports.
Under a 'Treaty of Friendship', the two countries agreed to cooperate in fighting illegal immigration. The pact allows Italy's coastguard to swiftly deport boatloads of illegal immigrants back to Libyan shores, skipping procedures for filing potential asylum applications.
Human right groups claim the agreement violates Italy's international human right obligations by dumping migrants and asylum seekers on Libya. Italy stands accused of handing over immigrants to Libya, which is not party to the United Nations Refugee Convention and has no asylum system.
The centre-left Democratic Party, the anti-corruption 'Italy of Values' party and the Radical Party opposed the visit and lambasted the immigration deals. In a recent interview with EurActiv, former EU commissioner and Radical Party leader Emma Bonino said that under Berlusconi's tenure, there was a "total lack of respect for the rule of law" in fields such as the media, the justice system and immigration.
Link with background details: http://www.euractiv.com/en/justice/italy-immigration-deal-libya-sparks-uproar/article-183116
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Menschenrechtsorganisationen haben ihre Empörung über eine Vereinbarung Italiens ausgedrückt, Einwanderer zurück nach Libyen zu schicken, ohne ihre Asylanträge zu prüfen, was Schatten auf Muammar Gaddafis „historischen“ Besuch in Italien wirft, der am 12. Juni endet.
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