WRITTEN QUESTION No. 109/98 by Guido VICECONTE to the Council. Mass landings of refugees on the south-western coasts of the European Union
Date: 1998-01-23
Institutions: European Parliament, VICECONTE
Subjects: Albania, EU programme, Italy, Türkiye, action programme, aid to refugees, ethnic group, illegal migration, political asylum, refugee

16. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187/49

(98/C 187/78)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3755/97

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Council

(17 November 1997)

Subject: Kurds and political asylum

The Kurds are neither bandits nor infiltrators and the refugees who have been arriving in Italy (those of Kurdish
origin, at least) have created problems at international level as regards political asylum. We cannot ignore the fact
that the men in question, who are being assailed and pursued in a secret war which (unfortunately for them) has
little impact on civilian society, are oppressed (often violently) and cannot live peaceably on either Iraqi, Iranian,
Syrian or Turkish territory.

If the Kurds do not deserve refugee status, who does deserve it?

No  international  organization  is  willing  to  take  the  initial  step,  even  on  purely  humanitarian  grounds  ›  a
shameful situation which Europe should be the first to remedy.

Given that Europe needs to give some consideration to the meaning, in a civilized society, of political asylum and
to  the  need  to  accommodate  new  arrivals  and  find  work  for  them  within  the  EU  Member  States,  and  since,
following the conclusion of the Schengen agreements, Puglia must now be regarded as a European, rather than an
Italian border, could the Council and the Commission ensure that the serious problem of the Kurds vis-a‘-vis
Europe is dealt withj as a matter of urgency, with the immediate involvement of the UN Security Council?

It should be borne in mind that ignoring the (cid:145)Kurdish question(cid:146) is likely to make matters worse, by causing the
Kurds to flee to other European countries or by provoking a dangerous armed conflict on a distrastrous scale
which will be impossible to control.

(98/C 187/79)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3927/97

by Giampaolo D(cid:146)Andrea (PPE), Pierluigi Castagnetti (PPE), Antonio Graziani (PPE),
Gerardo Bianco (PPE) and Maria Colombo Svevo (PPE) to the Council

(10 December 1997)

Subject: Illegal immigration

In  recent  times  there  has  been  a  huge  increase  in  the  number  of  illegal  immigrants,  most  of  them  Kurds,
attempting to enter the EU through Italy in what amounts to an exodus from areas in the grip of ethnic conflicts,
where, there can be no doubt, human rights are being trampled underfoot.

What action does the European Union intend to take with a view to both stemming the flow and helping to ensure
respect for the rights of such ethnic minorities, thus enabling them to lead a life of dignity?

(98/C 187/80)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0109/98

by Guido Viceconte (UPE) to the Council

(23 January 1998)

Subject: Mass landings of refugees on the south-western coasts of the European Union

Over recent months the Union(cid:146)s Mediterranean coasts have been invaded by thousands of refugees from Albania
and Turkey.

Appropriate action has been taken by the Italian authorities to take such refugees in on a temporary basis and
process any asylum applications in compliance with the Schengen rules.

As  became  clear  at  the  technical  meeting  held  just  recently  between  police  chiefs,  such  migratory  pressures
cannot  but  increase  in  the  future,  given  the  demographic  and  economic  situation  in  the  countries  around  the
south-west  Mediterranean  area.  The  important  political  issues  raised,  the  supranational  dimension,  the
involvement of criminal networks and the fact that the situation will deteriorate in the future make it necessary
for the Union to take urgent, concerted action with a view to organizing an appropriate response on EU territory
and at the same time formulating a policy aimed at removing the political, social and economic causes of the
problem at source.