Felix Krull
31.08.2009, 16:34
Italy: Illegal immigrants sent back to Libya
Palermo, 31 August (AKI) - Italian coastguard on Monday returned to the Libyan port of Zawia 75 illegal immigrants believed to be Somalis whose boat was intercepted between Sicily and Malta late Sunday. The European Union is writing to the Italian government asking for information on the incident, the European Commission's spokesman Dennis Abbott told Adnkronos International (AKI).
"The commission will ask Italy and Malta for information about the latest incident and will be sending a letter as soon as possible," Abbott said.
"It needs this information to assess the situation. The commission underlines that every human being has the right to apply for protection," he said.
Abbott said the commission had yet to receive the information it requested from Italy last week about the African immigrants who died of hunger and thirst aboard their marooned boat off the southern Italian coast earlier this month.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Laura Boldrini, expressed shock and disbelief that only five of the 80 who set sail from Libya at the start of August aboard a motorised rubber dinghy were rescued.
They had been adrift for at least 20 days and seen between Malta and the tiny island of Lampedusa, off the coast of Sicily.
Italy's conservative government has pledged to crack down on illegal immigration and recently made it a crime punishable with deportation and stiff fines.
Italy is believed to have returned around 1,000 illegal immigrants to Libya since May under a controversial friendship treaty signed between the two countries a year ago. [...]
Italy: Illegal immigrants sent back to Libya (http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.0.3718097724)
Das Geschrei der Gutis ist natürlich unüberhörbar, aber die wohnen auch hinter hohen Zäunen, wo die Neger nicht hinkommen.
Palermo, 31 August (AKI) - Italian coastguard on Monday returned to the Libyan port of Zawia 75 illegal immigrants believed to be Somalis whose boat was intercepted between Sicily and Malta late Sunday. The European Union is writing to the Italian government asking for information on the incident, the European Commission's spokesman Dennis Abbott told Adnkronos International (AKI).
"The commission will ask Italy and Malta for information about the latest incident and will be sending a letter as soon as possible," Abbott said.
"It needs this information to assess the situation. The commission underlines that every human being has the right to apply for protection," he said.
Abbott said the commission had yet to receive the information it requested from Italy last week about the African immigrants who died of hunger and thirst aboard their marooned boat off the southern Italian coast earlier this month.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Laura Boldrini, expressed shock and disbelief that only five of the 80 who set sail from Libya at the start of August aboard a motorised rubber dinghy were rescued.
They had been adrift for at least 20 days and seen between Malta and the tiny island of Lampedusa, off the coast of Sicily.
Italy's conservative government has pledged to crack down on illegal immigration and recently made it a crime punishable with deportation and stiff fines.
Italy is believed to have returned around 1,000 illegal immigrants to Libya since May under a controversial friendship treaty signed between the two countries a year ago. [...]
Italy: Illegal immigrants sent back to Libya (http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.0.3718097724)
Das Geschrei der Gutis ist natürlich unüberhörbar, aber die wohnen auch hinter hohen Zäunen, wo die Neger nicht hinkommen.