The Italian government has adopted a radical new policy to stem the flow of Africans with backing from the European Union. As a result, there is a remarkable drop in migrants, down by almost 65 per cent this year when compared to July and August last year.
The drop follows prolonged attempts by Italy to improve the capability of the Libyan Coast Guard and to discourage several nongovernmental organizations from operating migrant rescue boats off the Libyan coast.
Over the past year, Italy and its allies in the European Union have trained over a hundred Libyan Coast Guards and supplied them with more boats and resources. The Libyan coast guard have threatened to attack boats operated by NGOs, prompting several of those groups to suspend rescue operations. Italy has also sent naval ships to assist the coast guards in Libyan waters and has made it harder for NGO boats to operate freely in Italian waters.
Three major humanitarian groups – Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and Germany’s Sea Eye – have all halted their operations because of the Libyan threats and warned that more people will drown as a result
Three major humanitarian groups – Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and Germany’s Sea Eye – have all halted their operations because of the Libyan threats and warned that more people will drown as a result. Many Italians believe the NGO boats encourage migrants to make the journey towards Europe and act as a “pull factor”.
Italy recently dispatched the first of 10 new Coast Guard patrol boats to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli, along with Italian trainers, using 46 million euros ($55 million) of European Union funds to curb vessels carrying migrants. Libyan Coast Guard officials have been more active in their territorial waters, intercepting the migrant boats and towing them back to the coast. There have also been unconfirmed reports that local militiamen are preventing boats from leaving.
The move comes ahead of the fears that next year’s election where the issue of migrants might become a hot topic strengthening the position of the right wing groups in Italy. Around half a million migrants have landed on Italy’s shores over the past three years. Almost all of them apply for political asylum because that is the only way they might be allowed to stay in Europe. On the other hand, Italian asylum process can easily take more than three years allowing the newly-arrived to plan their future.
Owing to Italy’s unwelcome attitude and vigorous opposition by extremist groups the migrants try to make their way to more affluent countries in northern Europe though now most of the EU states have sealed their borders.
Even those who are granted political asylum and permission to work find that welcome is not worth much in Italy. “The government makes you legal but there is no integration,” complains an Eritrean refugee. “Hardly anyone gets Italian lessons, and if you don’t speak Italian how can you find a job?”
Reportedly, Libyan boats are carrying rescued migrants back to Libyan detention centres. Conditions in such centres, run by the government, militias, and smugglers, are appalling with rampant rape incidents and violent beatings, according to former inmates and United Nations reports. NGOs also warn that Italy risks being complicit in the abuse in the prisons.
