Montag, 2. November 2015

Agrigento: Deportation of asylum seekers – press release


Borderline Sicilia expresses concerns over the fate of approximately ten asylum seekers whose asylum applications were declined by officials in Agrigento last week. A deportation order was also issued against them. 
Apparently, these deportation orders, which were issued after a hearing of the asylum seekers, were unfounded. Rather, they are based upon a recent decision to enforce two guidelines that came into effect on September, 30th.
Yet, the adequacy of these specific decisions of the official committee in Agrigento seems highly questionable and unacceptable. Officials in Agrigento have thus made it possible to deport people who are legally considered asylum seekers until the time-limit to contest this measurement (decline of the application for international protection) is exceeded.
Even worse methods surfaced, which barred declined asylum seekers from reception. From some employees we learnt in fact that by Agrigento’s officials’ order, all centers of the province were to stop immediately accommodating any person that was issued a deportation order. This order was issued under threat of severe punishment if not followed. Because of this, the declined asylum seekers are thrown out at a moment’s notice, without a euro on them as the officials do not provide them with their allowance.
Borderline Sicilia denounced the illegitimacy of this praxis. Agrigento’s officials are violating the rules how to contest the decline of asylum (mainly Art. 35 of the Decreto Legislativo, N. 25/2008). In fact, they deny dozens of people the right to a proper legal defense and abandon them without a place to live and without any money.
This is the hundredth institutional trick (one per delayed deportation that was reported during the month of October). This trick is performed, on the one hand, to have available reception centers, and, on the other hand, to fulfil the efficiency standards of the EU, which Italy accepts unresistingly. These standards of efficiency only concern the numbers not the law and are enforced even at the expense of severe violations of the law.
Borderline Sicilia demands that the government stops its countless illegitimate practices that were executed in 2015. They demand that the government instead searches for solutions that are compatible with human rights. There should be a reasonable asylum policy and not one that discriminates against the people involved and violates their interests.

Borderline Sicilia Onlus

Translation: Annika Schadewaldt