#AssoVentotto: “Tavolo Asilo” calling for truth and justice after the refoulement of 101 people to Libya

Rome (NEV), August 2, 2018 – The National Asylum Table (Tavolo Asilo) called on the Italian Government to immediately give a clear account about the responsibilities of those who decided to carry out an operation that was against the law and the international agreements like the refoulement of 101 migrants carried out by the Asso28, a support vessel of an oil rig. These people were refouled to Libya – a country in which cruel and degrading treatments have been proven.

“Based on the actual information, this operation could be another Hirsi Jamaa and Others, that means a violation of international rules”, the Asylum Table pointed out by raising a number of questions:

• What involvement did the Italian IMRCC (National Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in this operation?
• Who has indicated the port of Tripoli to “Asso 28” as a safe place for the rescued people?
• Why the “Augusta Offshore”, owner of the “Asso 28”, after having addressed  to the Italian Coast Guard for years and the IMRCC of Rome (262 SAR operations from 2012 to date and 23,750 people saved), suddenly decided to change interlocutor and contact the Coast Guard of Tripoli, even though it is an Italian vessel? Why did not theAsso28 turn to our Coast Guard as he had always done in the past?

Therefore, the Asylum Table called on the Italian Government to promptly report the Italian Parliament about this operation.

“We also ask the Italian institutions, the Parliament and the European Commission to become promoters of any initiative aimed at clarifying what has happened to establish the responsibilities and then take the consequent political and judicial initiatives.” the Asylum table- to which the FCEI belongs, said.

Finally, they call on the UN and the UNHCR to take action at the highest level to protect the right to asylum and respect international conventions over the Mediterranean Sea.

The petitioning National Asylum Table organisations: A Buon Diritto, ACLI, ActionAid, Amnesty International Italia, ARCI, ASGI, Casa dei Diritti Sociali, CNCA, Médecins du Monde Italia, FCEI (Mediterranean Hope) and Oxfam.