During the anniversary of the 2013 Lampedusa shipwreck, European Parliament member Leoluca Orlando visited migrant reception centers in Pozzallo and Augusta to verify the conditions of migrants who survived the Mediterranean crossing. Orlando, representing Avs, stated that despite the commitment of law enforcement and operators, the situation highlights Italy’s inadequacy in addressing critical issues that undermine the physical and mental health of migrants who have suffered torture and various forms of violence.
Conditions at Reception Centers in Pozzallo and Augusta
Accompanying Orlando during the visits to the two reception facilities were representatives from Euromed Rights, the Greek Council for Refugees, and Arci. According to the European Parliament member, Non solo violenza – ha aggiunto Orlando – perché si registra una grave carenza informativa e di assistenza legale di persone in gran parte provenienti dalla Libia
.
Orlando noted that the visits successfully identified dozens of cases that provide a foundation for formal complaints and requests for appropriate interventions. He also criticized the externalization of migration policy stemming from the 2017 pact between Italy and Libyan authorities, calling it a violation of international legality and the principles of the Italian Constitution.
Critique of Migration Pacts and Legal Protections
The Avs europarlamentare highlighted the negative impacts resulting from the recent implementation of the Migration Pact, which he argued has further reduced access to asylum, international protection, and judicial oversight. He pointed out that this access is heavily constrained by the arbitrary classification of safe countries.
È inaccettabile il ricorso a provvedimenti di limitazione della libertà con provvedimenti amministrativi senza garanzie giudiziarie
, Orlando declared, emphasizing that current choices require substantial changes.
