WRITTEN QUESTION E-3719/00

by Demetrio Volcic (PSE) and Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission

(30 November 2000)

Subject: Illegal immigration in Italy

With the beginning of winter there has been a significant increase in illegal immigration by road in the area of Gorizia and Trieste in Friuli Venezia-Giulia. The number of illegal immigrants that have crossed the borders by road is now assuming similar proportions to the existing problem of illegal immigration on the Italian coast, and in particular off Apulia and Calabria.

The Friuli Venezia-Giulia regional council has asked for army intervention to combat and manage this problem. The Apulia regional council is asking what action the European Community intends to take.

On 16 March 2000 the European Parliament called on the EU to adopt adequate measures to deal with this problem and the EC made a similar appeal at the Conference on Security in the Ionian and Adriatic which took place in Ancona in May 2000.

The uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants causes problems in terms of public security and situations of uncertainty.

Commissioner Vitorino says that he is fully aware of the problems linked to the trafficking in human beings and lists the measures to combat organised crime already taken under various regional initiatives in the countries of origin.

Can the Commission say:

1. what measures it intends to take to assist communities in the Italian regions directly concerned by this problem;

2. how it intends to manage the movement of immigrants through EU countries of transit;

3. if it intends to set up monitoring points for immigration flows on Community territory;

4. if it intends to set up humanitarian aid units for immigrants in transit, and finally

5. what financial instruments it intends to use to help Italian regions of transit?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2001)

At the special European Council meeting, held in Tampere (Finland) on 15 and 16 October 1999, the Heads of State and Government of the 15 Member States adopted far-reaching conclusions on, inter alia, the way in which a common policy regarding illegal immigration (Article 63 (ex-Article 73k) paragraph 3 lit. (b) of the EC Treaty) should be shaped. The Heads of State and Government expressed their support for a comprehensive management of migration flows at all their stages and called, inter alia, for the prevention of all forms of smuggling and trafficking in human beings.

To this end, the Council and/or Member States were invited:

- to tackle, at its source, illegal immigration, especially by combating those who engage in trafficking in human beings and economic exploitation of migrants,

- to adopt legislation to this end, foreseeing severe sanctions against this serious crime,

- to direct, together with Europol, the efforts to detect and dismantle the organised criminal networks involved,

- to secure the rights of the victims of trafficking in persons with special emphasis on women and children,

- to assist the countries of origin and of transit in order to help the authorities of those countries to strengthen their ability to combat effectively trafficking in human beings and to cope with their readmission obligations towards the Union and the Member States, and

- to promote closer co-operation and mutual technical assistance between the Member States' border control services, such as exchange programmes and technology transfers, especially on maritime borders.

It follows from the division of powers between the Community and Member States that especially the latter point has to be implemented by the Member States. The Commission does not have any operational or executive powers in the field of illegal immigration and Community legislation providing for a fair burden-sharing of the costs related to the controls of the Union's external borders does not yet exist. Accordingly, there is currently hardly any possibility for the Commission to directly assist the Italian regions most hit by illegal immigration. As far as the issue of possible secondary movements of illegal immigrants within the Union is concerned, the Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to Article 23 of the 1990 Schengen Implementing Convention which sets out the principles applicable in such cases.

As indicated in its recent Communication on a Community Immigration Policy(1), the Commission will present, in the first half of 2001, a special Communication on the future return policy of the Community.

(1) COM(2000) 757 final.