Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Even the European Agency confirms: "No request for intervention by Italy"

After the blunt denial of Cecilia Malmstroem, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs responsible for immigration, even Frontex, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders, made it known that no evidence supporting the request for action by the 'Italy in the emergency landings in Lampedusa from Tunisia.

Just Frontex, established in 2004, aims to facilitate cooperation between Member States on the management of external borders, with staff training and assistance to national authorities in case of emergency. But while the minister Roberto Maroni gave the numbers of emergency landings in Lampedusa (almost 6 thousand people from 15 January, 66 children and 60 women, 80 thousand other early arrivals) and asked for 100 million euro in Brussels, EU agency based in Warsaw was not any call for help or support.

Statements that echo those of Malmstroem, who yesterday said she was "very surprised by the recent statements of some Italian authorities on the alleged slow and bureaucratic response given by the European Commission to call for help on the Italian increased migratory pressure from Tunisia.

Saturday I was personally acquainted with the Italian authorities to which I asked if they needed our help to meet these exceptional circumstances. Their answer was clear: no thanks, at this time we do not need assistance from the European Commission. In the afternoon, however, Frontex has promised: "We will help Italy." Propio Frontex has sent in recent days on a mission of experts in Sicily to take stock of the situation and help the Italian authorities in distress.

"The Agency is aware of the situation in Lampedusa monitor from our base of Piraeus in Greece. On February 14 we have not received any official request for assistance by the Italian government, however, our Headquarters in Warsaw is ready to intervene promptly if we are needed. " According to statements by Maroni, it would appear that the intervention is called for the sending of a European contingent of armed guards along the border as well as did last October in Greece.

At that time, heavy use of the Rapid Border Intervention Teams (Rabit) ariginare for illegal immigration along the border turkish sparked not a few criticisms of Brussels. The Agency EU has already intervened in Italy in 2007 with the Nautilus and Hermes operations to assist some countries, including Italy, dealing with massive flows of illegal immigration from North Africa and the Middle East.

However Frontex statistics show that from January to September 2010, the irregular migration to Europe have declined along all of their general guidelines, including the Central Mediterranean (-20% in Spain, in Italy -65%). Flows that might be sharply following the collapse of the authoritarian governments of Tunisia and Egypt in recent weeks, in accordance with regimes that Southern European countries, according to some humanitarian organizations have helped to tighten the taps of immigration on output.

Meanwhile, the Minister Maroni has sent a letter to the European Commission asking for 100 million to meet the emergencies of Lampedusa. "We expect to receive it in detail to know what are the practical demands," said Michele Cercone, spokesman for the Commissioner Malmstrom. "There are funds already allocated and available in Italy is benefiting.

We'll see if there is a need and the availability of any new emergency measures. " These funds are the European Fund for Refugees, the management of borders and that for the integration of third-country nationals. This is very significant and amounts allocated on the basis of five years.

Now we see what has been spent so far.

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