Kurt Sansone
UNHCR under fire in Italy as well
The United Nations refugee agency was constrained to defend its operations after the Italian Defence Minister said the agency's opinion "did not count at all" as he dismissed its criticism of Italy's migration policy.
Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa also attacked the UNHCR's Italian spokesman Laura Boldrini suggesting she was either "inhuman" or a "criminal".
The UNHCR High Commissioner Antonio Guterres yesterday defended Ms Boldrini and the agency's work.
"These attacks are unacceptable and they do not and will not stop the UNHCR from fulfilling its mandate and continuing its humanitarian mission," Mr Guterres said.
The Italian minister later toned down his words.
Mr La Russa's attack follows harsh criticism made last week by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, who lambasted the UNHCR for criticising Italy's repatriation policy without suggesting an alternative.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici even accused the UNHCR of wanting to play "Russian roulette" with the lives of migrants in comments to The Times on Saturday.
The UNHCR has been turned into a punching bag for the Maltese and Italian authorities after the agency criticised the policy to immediately send rescued migrants back to Libya. It said the policy, which did not permit migrants to ask for protection, breached their fundamental human rights.
Malta and Italy are suggesting that the UNHCR office in Libya be beefed up so that applications for protection would be able to be filed over there without the need for migrants to undertake the dangerous sea voyage.
"It makes no sense encouraging migrants to cross the sea and risk their lives when a proper functioning asylum office in Libya could cut out the criminal ring that makes a profit from this situation," Dr Mifsud Bonnici had said.
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Roderick Vassallo
May 19th 2009, 16:09
How can anyone seriously state that working with UNHCR and loyalty to the country is uncompatible? UNHCR is simply trying to defend a basic human right; that of protection? We should be ashamed for our deep and inherent racism and not who decides to work in the legal assistance of immigrants.
UNHCR on several occasions had expressed the flaws behind the Frontex operations, so what had happened in Spain was also criticized by UNHCR. I cannot understand why someone would say that UNHCR condones some governments with respect to others? It simply goes against the mandate of such agency!!
louise vella
May 19th 2009, 15:39
Two relevant facts need to be added. UNHCR spokesperson in Rome Laura Boldrini has been described as "un esponente di Rifondazione Comunista" and this allegation has not been denied. Yesterday the resignation for personal reasons was announced of Neil Falzon who has been acting as UNHCR's head of office in Malta for a few years.
Joseph Cauchi
May 19th 2009, 14:39
This goes to prove that the UNHCR offices in Malta and Italy are either run by incompetents or who have a hidden agenda in approving such illegal crossings with the risks to life for these souls and by indirectly supporting the criminals who organise these crossings.
Why weren’t we ever told that the refugee seekers could have easily filed applications for asylum in the same offices that UNHCR has on Libyan soil and not let the poor innocent refugees pass through HELL!
I pretend that the head of the UNHCR High Commissioner Antonio Guterres should immediately investigate this matter as this kind of behaviour by the Rome and Malta offices is UNACCEPTABLE!
../..
malcolm seychell
May 19th 2009, 14:15
Well done to the Italians.
If I am elected in Brussels I will treat the UNHCR exactly as the Italians are doing.
UNHCR are not elected. Berlusconi and his allies are and they are just doing what the people want.
Il poplu sovran u mhux il UNHCR
David Seychell
May 19th 2009, 13:08
"[UNHCR] said the policy, which did not permit migrants to ask for protection, breached their fundamental human rights." Keeping in mind this statement by UNHCR, it is interesting to consider what the Times of Malta reported on 19 OCT 2008:
"According to the latest Frontex statistics, since the start of this year's operation in mid-May till the first week of October, Malta received 2,321 illegal immigrants. NOT ONE WAS TURNED BACK BY FRONTEX"
"On the other hand, the mission conducted off the coasts of the Spanish Canary islands received 7,228 illegal immigrants with FRONTEX TURNING BACK 4,373. In this case, the countries of origin, Senegal and Mauritania cooperate with the Frontex missions and have agreed to take back illegal immigrants leaving their shores. Libya does not, despite EU pleas."
-http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081019/local/eu-border-agency-gets-more-funds
The UNHCR should explain to us why it is ok for Spain to TURN THEM BACK to the "countries of origin" with the help of Frontex while it would not be ok for Malta and Italy to do the same.
Charles Sammut
May 19th 2009, 11:14
Mr Guterres, the UNHCR's mission is to sweep problems under the carpet of European asylum. This is now unacceptable because it is creating high social tensions in Europe caused by uncontrolled immigration.
This is how the UN hides its incompetence, displacing problems from one continent to another. It is high time that subversive parasitic organisations were ejected from their host countries because they are causing grave damage to both Europe and Africa..
Sandro Pace
May 19th 2009, 10:38
UNHCR overdone it big time in the med sea. What started as an organisation to termporary help people in an interim state of war, became an indirect, if at all, accomplice to illegal immigration. UNHCR was comfortable with the situation that even when migrants were processed, most reject cases could not be returned. It did nothing against this abuse.
It misjudged public opinion and the patience of right wing politicians, and fortunately it backfired. Social imbalances in the world will never go away. This gives no right for one population to flood over another, as UNHCR seems to think they have. Not to say that a country has the inalienable right to Repulse whoever whom he wants.
Working for such an organisation, and loyalty to your country, become incompatible.