Human Rights Watch: report on rejections of unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers from Italy to Greece
Human Rights Watch published a report on January 22, 2013, entitled "Turned Away: Summary Returns of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adult Asylum Seekers from Italy to Greece", in which it denounces Italy for refusing the entry of unaccompanied migrant children and adult asylum seekers coming from Greece, where they are returned and have to face an asylum system that does not work properly, inhumane detention conditions and an hostile environment.
The report documents the failure of the procedures of the Italian Border Police at the Adriatic ports of Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Venice to screen adequately for people in need of protection. Human Rights Watch interviewed 13 children aged between 13 and 17 years who have been sent back to (summary returned to) Greece in a couple of hours without properly examining their claims. Moreover, to none of them was granted a guardian or social service assistance, as it should be provided according to the Italian and international law.
In addition, the Human Rights Watch’s research indicates that the age of migrants and asylum seekers it is not always determined. Only one of the surveyed kids said he had been subjected to a form of procedure of age determination, which in his case was limited to wrist x-ray.
Furthermore, the majority of surveyed adults reported they didn’t had the opportunity to lodge an asylum claim, while those who had this possibility had to couple with lack of information from the officials of the Italian Border Police.
The European Court of Human Rights would soon issue a judgment in the case Sharifi and Others v. Italy and Greece, concerning the summary return to Greece from Italy of 25 adults and 10 children, in 2009. The complainants claim violations of the following rights: the right to life, the right to effective remedy and the right of protection against torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants, François Crépeau, have recommended that Italy urgently suspend the expulsions to Greece.
Human Rights Watch recommended that Italy has to immediately refrain from the expulsions to Greece; further it has to make sure that unaccompanied minors are admitted to the Italian territory, and has given to them meaningful access to a proper age determination process and a guardian; have to conduct appropriate adults screening, required for the identification all those who have special needs for protection, are in a special weakness position or are expressing a wish to apply for asylum; Italy also has to ensure that the authorized non-governmental organizations have full and free access to all migrants, so that they can provide information, assistance and legal protection; ensure that all ferry companies operating between Greece and Italy have clear and enforceable guidelines on humane and safe treatment of returnees.