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18 May 2009 The European Council has urged the
Italians to reverse decision to return immigrants to
Libya.
The Italian decision that is backed by Malta is viewed
by the European Council as inhumane.
Meanwhile, Italy delivered on Thursday three new
coastguard vessels to Libya. Libya's ambassador to
Italy Hafid Gaddur and head of Italy's Guardia di
Finanza, Cosimo D'Arrigo, attended the ceremony
announcing the move in the port city of Gaeta in the
central Lazio region. AKI reported on Thursday.
The Council's Human Rights Commissioner Thomas
Hammarberg told ANSA: ''We hope that Italy and Maroni
will no longer pursue this return policy.''
''Italy's initiative tosses up completely the right to
seek asylum'' in Italy and this is not a ''good''
thing, said Hammerberg, stressing that it ''ignores
the possibility of the right to escape from repressive
and violent situations'' whether in Europe or other
parts of the world.
Italy's interior minister Roberto Maroni made a strong
statement saying: "we have a moral obligation, and
even the right, to stop illegal immigration and human
trafficking using any means necessary," as quoted by
AKI.
On 7 May, Italy provoked an international outcry when
Italian patrol vessels returned a boat with an
estimated 227 migrants on board to Libya.
The event appeared to reinforce Italy's hardline
stance against immigration which has drawn criticism
from the Vatican and human rights organisations,
including the United Nations' High Commissioner for
Refugees.
Libyan ambassador to Italy Hafid Gaddur said Libya
would fully implement the agreement signed in 2007
with the then prime minister Romano Prodi of the
centre-left.
"Libya has an agreement with Italy, signed on 29
December 2007 with the centre-left Prodi government,
that we are now implementing with the centre-right
Berlusconi government," said Gaddur during the
ceremony as quoted by AKI.
"It is said that some immigrants who arrive in Libya
are being persecuted, but instead, our country already
hosts two million immigrants, without proper documents
and without passports: whoever wants to work can stay
in Libya, provided they do not commit crimes," he as
European Council Calls on Italy to Reconsider Return
of Immigrants' Policy
The European Council has urged the Italian decision to
return immigrants to Libya.
The Italian decision that is backed by Malta is
reviewed by the European Council as inhumane.
Meanwhile, Italy delivered on Thursday three new
coastguard vessels to Libya. Libya's ambassador to
Italy Hafid Gaddur and head of Italy's Guardia di
Finanza (or tax police), Cosimo D'Arrigo, attended the
ceremony announcing the move in the port city of Gaeta
in the central Lazio region. AKI reported on Thursday.
The Council's Human Rights Commissioner Thomas
Hammarberg told ANSA: ''We hope that Italy and Maroni
will no longer pursue this return policy.''
''Italy's initiative tosses up completely the right to
seek asylum'' in Italy and this is not a ''good''
thing, said Hammerberg, stressing that it ''ignores
the possibility of the right to escape from repressive
and violent situations'' whether in Europe or other
parts of the world.
Italy's interior minister Roberto Maroni made a strong
statement saying: "we have a moral obligation, and
even the right, to stop illegal immigration and human
trafficking using any means necessary," as quoted by
AKI.
On 7 May, Italy provoked an international outcry when
Italian patrol vessels returned a boat with an
estimated 227 migrants on board to Libya.
The event appeared to reinforce Italy's hardline
stance against immigration which has drawn criticism
from the Vatican and human rights organisations,
including the United Nations' High Commissioner for
Refugees.
Libyan ambassador to Italy Hafid Gaddur said Libya
would fully implement the agreement signed in 2007
with the then prime minister Romano Prodi of the
centre-left.
"Libya has an agreement with Italy, signed on 29
December 2007 with the centre-left Prodi government,
that we are now implementing with the centre-right
Berlusconi government," said Gaddur during the
ceremony as quoted by AKI.
"It is said that some immigrants who arrive in Libya
are being persecuted, but instead, our country already
hosts two million immigrants, without proper documents
and without passports: whoever wants to work can stay
in Libya, provided they do not commit crimes," he
added.
EsinIslam.Com
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