Immigration - in brief (5)
01 June 2000
Italy: Struggle for residence permits: Undocumented migrants have begun a campaign to get residence permits as part of the regularisation process which started in 1998. The last date to register for the process was 15 December 1998, but over 50,000 applications have still to be resolved. The claims are processed in police headquarters throughout Italy, where a massive backlog has built up - most of these applications were thought to be destined for rejection. Within two months the movement, which started on 20 May in Brescia (Lombardy), spread to several other cities including Rome, Florence, Naples, Milan, Palermo, Lucca, Bologna, Treviso. After a demonstration on 18 June marched to the Interior Ministry in Rome, Massimo Brutti, Under-Secretary at the Interior Ministry, said that in many cases the rejected applications could be granted, acknowledging that special circumstances sometimes apply. "Many applicants have had difficulty presenting proper evidence for reasons which they cannot be blamed for - for example those who had an employment, but on the black [market] - and this must be considered." 11 Manifesto 9 & 17.6.00, 2 & 16. 7.00, 5 & 6.8.00; Social centres website www.ecn.org; Radio Onda d'Urto communiques
UK: Charter flights for deportations: Barbara Roche, Home Office Minister, announced the government's intention to hire private charter planes to carry out
deportations. An increase in the number of applicants refused asylum and the problems the Immigration Service faces using scheduled flights for deportations have combined to make the option cost effective. People deported by air are often accompanied by immigration officials and most airlines refuse to take more than four deportees on a flight to minimise disruption.
Spain: Asylum: In 1999, Spain only granted 3% of the political asylum
applications it received. The number of applications rose to 8,405, and 294 were granted. This figure is the lowest in the last decade, while requests rose by 26% compared to the previous year, when 4% of them were granted. This illustrates a hardening of policies on the granting of political asylum, which uses a kind of quota system.
Spain: Electronic wall in the Strait: According to the plan (SIVE) drawn up by the Spanish government for the electronic control of the Strait, the SIVE, consisting of an electronic barrier of video-cameras, infrared cameras, an OPTRONIC system, sensors, radars and Guardia Civil units, will start being installed in 2002. The project will cost 20,000 million Pesetas.