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ITALY: The truth about the hotspot system – violations and illegality in Lampedusa

07 April 2016

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"Over the last few weeks, dozens of people from Mali, Gambia, Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea and Nigeria arrived in Palermo, as well as in Catania and other Sicilian cities, in possession of a deferred refusal of entry order which requires that they leave Italian territory from the border crossing in Rome’s Fiumicino [airport] within 7 days. They all come from Lampedusa, where they arrived after being intercepted at sea and taken onto the island.

These migrants have not been allowed to apply for international protection, although they had managed to contact UNHCR. They tell us that they were informed of the possibility of applying for asylum, without having any way to do so in practice.

Instead, they tell us they were forced to sign a form whose content they did not understand because they did not speak the language it was written in (while at the bottom of the order, absurdly, the phrase ‘the interested party refuses to sign’ is always present as these forms are prepared and pre-printed in bulk)...."

See the full text: The truth about the hotspot system – violations and illegality in Lampedusa (pdf)

First signatories: Borderline Sicilia Onlus, Borderline-Europe, Centro salesiano Santa Chiara di Palermo, Circolo Arci Porco Rosso di Palermo, Ciss – Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud, Comitato Antirazzista Cobas (Palermo), Comitato NoMuos/NoSigonella, Forum Antirazzista di Palermo, La città Felice(Ct) – Le città vicine, L’Altro Diritto Sicilia, Laici Missionari Comboniani, Palermo Senza Frontiere, Rete Antirazzista Catanese

To sign up: forumantirazzistadipalermo@gmail.com

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