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ROME,
Jun 18 (IPS) - Aki, a young Kurd, is among the lucky
few to have got political asylum in Italy. But after
months of pain and anxiety he is bitter even after
his success.
"When we Kurds seek asylum, we say we hope to live
in Europe because there is democracy here. But now I
know that in Europe and Italy democracy is not for
everybody."
Many seem to know that before they apply, and Italy
gets few applicants as a result. The 2004 report of
the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
says 7,408 asylum applications were received in
Italy last year, which is 0.12 per thousand
inhabitants, compared to the European average of 0.6
percent.
Last year just 780 applicants succeeded in obtaining
asylum, and another 2,352 obtained humanitarian
protection. These are small numbers, but represent
more than half of the refugees whose cases were
considered by the Central Commission for the
Recognition of Refugee Status.
The waiting period before a hearing is 18 months on
average. While they wait, applicants at most places
are not allowed work or education, and their
movements are restricted. Some just disappear; there
is no way of tracing applicants who are not
sheltered by local governments or non-governmental
organisations.
The Italian government was accused of violating the
1951 human rights convention after thousands of
asylum-seekers from Asia and Africa who landed on
Italian coasts were sent back to Libya. Most were
not even allowed to request refugee status. UNHCR
representatives were barred from speaking to them.
Libya in turn sent most of these refugees back to
their countries of origins. More than 100 of them
are reported to have died crossing the desert on
their way back.
Further mass deportations from Italy have been
stopped for the moment after the European Parliament
and the European Court of Human Rights declared that
Libya was not ”a reliable third country” to send
refugees back to.
Italy is the only European Union (EU) country that
lacks a comprehensive asylum bill, though the
constitution recognises the need to protect
refugees. A draft bill is still pending after eight
years of debate.
Some new provisions came into force April 21 this
year. Under these, seven regional commissions will
replace a central one, and the UNHCR has
representation on them. Applicants will be processed
within 35 days, but with no appeal possible against
a decision.
Humanitarian organisations have expressed concern
that the new identification centres will turn into
detention centres. Only three of the seven centres
have provisions to provide work for the applicants.
”The sad truth is that those centres are coming up
in the same areas where reception centres for
immigrants are located, which are often sheds,
containers or caravans notorious for overcrowding
and hard survival conditions,” Father Francesco de
Luccia, president of the Centro Astalli Foundation,
a part of the Jesuit Refugee Service told IPS.
The regional commissions have begun to process
applications received after April 21. But
applications made before that date could get further
delayed as a result.
Between 22,000 and 25,000 asylum-seekers are waiting
for their applications to be heard. At places
hearings are now taking place at the rate of 50 a
day, says Christopher Hein, director of the Italian
Council for Refugees (ICR) which represents several
non-governmental organisations working with
asylum-seekers. This can lead to a summary dealing
of applications, he says.
”Many refugees go where they can in Italy looking
for a job,” Hein said. ”They change jobs, they
change their address, or they go abroad.”
Humanitarian organisations are asking for a fast but
just procedure to deal with applications that
provides for a possibility to appeal and provides a
guarantee against deportation in the meanwhile. They
want a welcome system that does not amount to
detention, priority for minors and extension of the
refugee status to families.
ICR wants a new law that goes beyond dealing with
people who have landed in Italy. ”Legal arrival in
Italy needs to be provided,” Hein said. ”Conditions
need to be created to provide for seeking asylum in
third countries or even in the country of origin
through the Italian embassies.”
The UNHCR has made ”courage” the theme of the
refugees day this year. It does take courage to
request asylum in Italy.
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