Past week we published an interview with Bruce Leimsidor, professor in immigration studies and European laws. Today we wish to continue speaking about asylum and refugee status through two interviews.
We interviewed Susanna Sonetto, expert in asylum right and sustaining refugees. Sonetto works for the Council of Venice.
Question - What happens to asylum seekers when they reach our shores? What can you tell us about the last few months?
Answer - In Venice from April on things have really changed and I am referring most of all to practices. In fact proceedings were modified. First of all times have much quickened: hearings now take only 15 to 20 days and the answer takes only one week. Procedure and times changed also in appeals, the chance to appeal against eventual rejections are very few and we faced extremely difficult situations insofar. We had citizens appealing but their repatriations were not stopped.
Asylum applications are at first managed by police. One of the problems we usually face is that police in Venice pretends that asylum seekers elect a domicile. Citizens that have just reached our shores do not have lodgings and they cannot possible have hospitality declarations to give in. Therefore the Council of Venice gave these citizens an address of its own that is to be referred to police.
Question - What happens to citizens that apply to asylum?
Answer - Seekers need to go to borders police or to police headquarters of the area where they are actually staying. They are identified (if they have their passports identification is very easy, in case they do not they have to give their own particulars), they are taken pictures of and then asylum application is filled in. Police headquarters record seekers declarations; an interpreter translates what police tells asylum seekers. When data are recorded, seekers – and this is the novelty – receive a copy of the minutes, which are translated into their own language. Seekers can present memoirs and they are also translated and given copy to seekers. These are given a booklet prepared by Home Office and translated into migrant citizens’ languages. The booklet explains procedures and what it’s to happen. It is a rather complicated 15 pages booklet with no pictures in it and the language it speaks is very difficult.
Question - A problem police usually have are interpreters. What happens with the new proceedings? Are there interpreters or not?
Answer - Interpreters must be looked for, as usual. It is officers’ duty to find interpreters when needed.
Question - When are asylum seekers taken to identification centres?
Answer - If they have their passports and they regularly entered Italy, once applications are filled in, asylum seekers are issued a permit and they are told when their hearing is to take place. Passport holders are therefore free.
In case passports are missing and citizens clandestinely reached Italy – almost 100% of cases – seekers are taken to identification centres. In case of expulsion they are taken to detention centres. In both cases they are not free.
Seekers usually spend twenty days inside identification centres, then both if their application is accepted and if it is rejected, they leave the centre. In case of rejection they have to leave Italy within five days.
Question - Venice needs to refer to Gorizia, where local commission is set. How are things working out?
Answer - Commission did respect times and today interviews are much better, they deepen matters and citizens have the chance of explaining their problems and the situation they lived in. Commission’s hearings are plenary, all of the five Commission’s members attend hearings and if seekers ask to also their legal advisors can be there. When hearing is over, seekers are given copy of the minutes.
The second interview we shall day goes through is with Nadan Petrovic, head of the Central System in charge of asylum seekers and refugees protection. This System is run by Home Office and Anci.
Question - Law decree 140 issued May 30th 2005 establishes new norms on refugees and asylum seekers protection. How did things change since the decree enforcement? What are the positive and the negative effects of these new rules?
Answer - The positive novelty is that Italy has finally enforced EU minimal standards concerning seekers’ protection, this is set within European Union will in uniforming asylum laws. Another important aspect is that the enforcement of EU standards made some funding available (17 millions Euro a year). We are very happy of this because today there are 22 millions a year given to asylum seekers and refugees assistance. This money is of course not enough but it’s at least something moving ahead. A negative point is that Italy straitened standards instead of bettering them. EU directives set minimal standards, but EU countries can choose to put into effect better ones.
QuestionWhat about identification centres? What’s your role?
Answer - The rules for the enforcement of the law (law 189) provides for that identification centres can have Italian language courses inside, they can also have legal advice and psychological and social assistance together with some orienteering towards repatriation or towards protection. At the moment the problem is bureaucratic: funding will in fact be available on from January 1st 2006.
Question - We know that many refugees that come out of identification centres are freed without any pieces of information. They are left alone and they often go to big cities to survive. Isn’t there a link between identification centres and Central service?
Answer - All services provided for by law are not actually functioning. Some of identification centres managers do handle out some information, but this rarely happens,... We today have a very informal connection with centres and in the last few months we managed to assist about 300 people. Unfortunately intervention is still not structured and we are trying to organise it. Things will move on from next January 1st.
Question - What kind of assistance refugees receive? Law only refers to asylum seekers.
Answer - This is the real problem of the system. Humanitarian refugees can only be helped through national asylum fund, which is 5, 16 millions Euros a year. Money is not enough, of course. We are trying to solve this problem as well.
