Liberties member the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD), ASGI and Indiewatch visited the hotspot last week and condemned the degrading and the inhuman conditions in which asylum seekers, refugees and migrants were hosted in the Lampedusa hotspot. Men, women and children were sleeping in the same rooms in a state of complete lack of security and flagrant violations of their rights.

Temporarily closed

Following visits on the 6th and 7th of March, lawyers for the organizations reported the aforementioned violations to the police and health authorities and to the National Guarantor of the Rights of Persons Detained or Deprived of Liberty to evidence the necessity to implement their duty to monitor.

In addition, in order to protect two families living in the hotspot, ASGI and CILD’s lawyers presented an urgent appeal to the European Court of Human Rights asking to immediate transfer and securing children and their parents.

Also following the reports, the center has been temporarily closed by the government in order to renovate the structure so that it is suitable to guarantee the security and the respect of the dignity of the foreign citizens accommodated.

NGOs pleased that change will come

In fact, in all cases, identification operations and the reception of migrants in the hotspot must necessarily guarantee respect for human rights, the prohibition of refoulement, access to the request for international protection and the prohibition of detention or limitation of personal freedom.

The three NGOs expressed their satisfaction that the result of their visit and complaints has led to the facility's closure.

The National Guarantor of the Rights of Persons Detained or Deprived of Liberty issued a press release urging the reform of the hotspot system so that the law be respected with regard to the maximum time for the stay in these structures and clear rules be set with regard the juridical nature of the centers which remains ambiguous.