On 27 May 2004, the Italian branch of the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced that its volunteers were denied access to the Identification Centres for asylum seekers in Otranto and Borgo Mezzanone (both in Apulia, southern Italy). The organisation considers this refusal of entry a response to the publication by MSF in January of a critical report on the situation in Italian Centri di Permanenza temporanea

A Europe open to well managed migration will be fairer, richer, stronger, says Secretary-General in Brussels address

HCR press release - HCR Ruud Lubbers advocates the creation of european centres for asylum seekers to facilitate the deportation of those who were not granted the status.

The “UK approach” and UNHCR’s “Convention Plus” has stressed the debate around the possibility of states adopting extra-territorial approaches to asylum processing and refugee protection. The idea of “de-territorializing” raises the issue of its compatibility with international refugee and human rights law.

Communiqué en anglais

Plusieurs organisations, dont MSF Espagne et le HCR, dénoncent les conditions dans lesquelles sont se trouvent de très nombreux demandeurs d’asile. Le centre de Ceuta qui a une capacité de 448 place est saturé depuis des mois, et 600 personnes sont contraintes de vivre à l’extérieur, en attendant que leur demande d’asile soit traitée. Sans aide alimentaire, sans droit à des soins médicaux, elles survivent grâce à l’assistance d’organisations caritatives.