They were illegally detained and deported to Tunisia: On these charges, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Italy for the treatment of four Tunisian immigrants. A decision came the day the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee asked EU governments to end pushbacks at land and sea borders and ensure that migrants are not mistreated by the police.
The ECHR’s decision concerns the case of four Tunisian nationals who landed in Lampedusa in 2017. Italy was condemned for “the dangerous material conditions in which the four migrants were held for 10 days at the Lampedusa hotspot in Contrada Imbriacola”. they were “arbitrarily deprived of their liberty” and, lastly, because “mass expulsion” was imposed against them when they were sent back to Tunisia without prior examination of their individual situation to see if they were at risk if refused. The ECtHR found that Rome would have to reimburse what it withdrew from the authorities with 8,500 euros for each immigrant.
Simultaneously with the sentence, the latest report of the Cpt, the anti-torture body of the Council of Europe, which conducted a series of surveys in various EU countries, including Italy, was published. During these investigations, the CPT “received numerous reports of ill-treatment of migrants by police and border guards, and visited migrant centers (which were in appalling conditions) near the borders.” The Cpt says that the ill-treatment consisted mainly of punches, slaps, baton blows when the person was stopped, but also made completely naked by shooting near the migrants while they were already on the ground, pushing them into rivers and beyond the borders. depriving them of all goods, water and food.
Strasbourg points out that these actions are rarely investigated. It also therefore calls on all States to establish independent mechanisms to investigate reports of ill-treatment and refoulement. “Many European countries face very complex immigration problems, but that doesn’t mean they can ignore their human rights obligations,” says Cpt chief Alan Mitchell. The Council of Europe body, reminding that “push-backs are illegal acts”, also asks the government to end push-backs on land and sea borders.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
