Italy to deport more migrants, build more detention centers: Ministry

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Sep 2023 20:38
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Presently, Italy has ten of these centers operational, with one temporarily closed for maintenance.

Rescued migrants disembarked from a boat on the Italian island of Lampedusa on the evening of September 16, 2023. (AP)

Italy plans to increase the deportation of undocumented migrants by establishing dedicated detention facilities in every region of the country, as announced by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi on Tuesday.

"Now I think it is necessary to build at least one deportation center in each region. Getting the military involved in the construction of the centers is aimed at reaching greater results in terms of deportation, that is what Europe asks us to do," Piantedosi told Radio1.

Presently, Italy has ten of these centers operational, with one temporarily closed for maintenance, according to the minister.

Regarding the rescue of migrants arriving by sea, Piantedosi emphasized that the Italian government's efforts exceed those of humanitarian organizations. Out of 129,000 newcomers, Italian naval forces were responsible for rescuing 83,000 individuals, while only 6,000 were assisted by NGOs.

"It proves that the rescue strategies are, first of all, the responsibility of the state," the Minister said.

This comes a day after Italy's council of ministers extended the maximum detention period for undocumented migrants awaiting deportation to 1.5 years.

The responsibility for constructing facilities for these migrants, expected to be situated in sparsely populated regions, will fall under the purview of the country's defense ministry.

According to Italian media estimates, implementing this new accommodation standard for migrants will incur a cost of more than 60 million euros ($64.1 million) for the country.

Last week, the Italian island of Lampedusa declared a state of emergency due to over 8,000 undocumented migrants arriving in just three days, surpassing the island's permanent population. Lampedusa's Mayor, Filippo Mannino, described the situation as nearing a breaking point.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Lampedusa and pledged support for Italy to address the migrant influx. She proposed a ten-point action plan, known as the "Plan for Lampedusa," which includes repatriation for those without asylum, cooperation with Tunisia for development, and actions against migrant smuggling.

Italian interior ministry estimates indicate that since January, more than 130,000 migrants have entered Italy via the sea. This represents a significant increase compared to the same period last year when the number of migrants was slightly over 68,000.