On 14 July, the UN agency for Refugees (UNHCR) has sent to unalettera Italian government seeking information on the treatment aimigranti refused to Libya, and called for respect for normeinternazionali on.
UNHCR staff has interviewed 82 people intercepted il 1° luglio dalla Marina italiana a una trentina di miglia dall’isola di Lampedusa, e trasbordate su una nave libica che le ha riportate nel paese nordafricano.
Da quanto è emerso dagli interrogatori, sembra che la Marina italiana non abbia in alcun modo cercato di stabilire la nazionalità dei migranti, né i motivi che li avevano spinti ad abbandonare i rispettivi paesi.
Giunti in Libia, ha precisato l’UNHCR, i migranti respinti sono stati rinchiusi in centri di detenzione, dove l’agenzia è poi riuscita a interrogarli.
Delle persone che avevano cercato di raggiungere l’Italia, 76 provenivano dall’Eritrea: tra queste, nove donne e almeno sei bambini. Sulla base di una valutazione the situation in Eritrea and reported by the subjects interviewed, UNHCR believes that a significant number of people in the group in need of international protection.
What says the UNHCR, migrants have accused the Italian Navy personnel to have them forcibly transferred to the Libyan vessel, enough to force six of them to seek medical attention. The migrants themselves have also reported being deprived of their personal effects and have been left without any support throughout the operation which lasted for 12 hours.
For years, the Italian authorities had saved thousands of people in distress in the Mediterranean Sea, providing assistance and protection to those who need it. Since last May, at least 900 migrants trying to reach Italy were diverted to other countries, especially Libya.
The UN agency has expressed concern that this new policy will prevent access to protection and lead to return people to countries where they face serious human rights violations.
