91998E2284

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2284/98

by Sebastiano Musumeci (NI) to the Council

(28 July 1998)

Subject: Emergency created by illegal immigration in southern Italy and the Italian Government's failure to take action

Sadly, over the last few weeks, the problem of illegal immigrants being disembarked along the coast of southern Italy has reached alarming proportions; in Sicily alone, in just one week, the authorities intercepted hundreds of African nationals who had been enlisted by organizations involved in transporting illegal migrants across the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, due to the reprehensible failure of the official Italian authorities to take any practical advance measures to counter illegal immigration, the influx of immigrants can no longer be contained and the majority of them, having eluded any form of control by the police or health authorities, succeed in travelling on to other Member States, where they are destined for a life of poverty and exploitation by criminal organizations among others. Thus the Italian Government, by its permissive policy, has failed to comply with the specific undertakings it made in ratifying the Schengen Agreement, thereby prejudicing public order and security in Italy and the rest of the Union.

In view of the foregoing, does the Council intend to take immediate action to urge the Italian Government to honour the undertakings made by it, and, if Italy continues to fail to fulfil its obligations, to bring an action before the European Court of Justice?

Reply

(19 October 1998)

The question put by the Honourable Member is linked to application of the Schengen Agreement and is therefore not within the Council's remit.