8 January 2016

The updated AIDA report on Italy documents the changes brought about by the implementation of the EU  recast Reception Conditions Directive and recast Asylum Procedures Directive.

Legislative Decree 142/2015, which entered into force at the end of September 2015, details a new reception system which remains substantially the same as the previous one, and consists of two stages: at first asylum seekers are placed in first aid and reception centres (CPSA), first accommodation centres (CPA) or temporary centres for emergency reception (CAS), and subsequently, in protection centres for asylum seekers and refugees (SPRAR), being the second reception stage. Moreover, The Decree introduced an accelerated procedure for the first time, applicable to asylum claims made from administrative detention centres.

The report also documents the situation regarding relocation and “hotspots”. The Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), author of the report, expresses concern at the lack of involvement of NGOs in the relocation process, where their contribution could be extremely valuable. CIR calls for an independent and qualified monitoring system to be put in place. Regarding the “hotspots”, the report shows how Italian authorities have applied a pre-identification approach, whereas those identified as migrants are notified with a rejection/expulsion order and, where places are available, detained in the identification and expulsion centres. Those identified as asylum seekers are instead channeled to the Regional Hubs, where they can claim asylum and, if they are Syrians, Eritreans and Iraqis, may fall into the relocation process.

A number of issues have been raised in relation to the operation of “hotspots”, such as the limitation of access to the asylum procedure for specific nationalities, mainly from West Africa; the issuing of mass notifications of a rejection/expulsion order; the lack of, or, inadequate information on the procedure and on the asylum system provided and the lack of access to the “hotspots” for NGOs and UNHCR.

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This article appeared in the ECRE Weekly Bulletin of 8 January 2016. You can subscribe to the Weekly Bulletin here.